A huge avalanche hit Manaslu base camp on Sunday destroying about three dozen tents.
This is the second time Manaslu was hit hard by avalanches in this autumn season. Last week, Hilaree Nelson, a famed mountain skier, and another Sherpa guide, Anup Rai, from Sankhuwasabha had died in two seperate avalanche incidents.
Nelson fell off the mountain while skiing down from the real summit. Nelson and her partner, Jim Morrison, had a plan to ski down from Manaslu’s summit. But Nelson fell off some 3,000 foot down from the mountain just after the summit.
Jim was successful in skiing down to the base camp. Two days later, Morisson himself and two other rescuers recovered her body from the mountain.
Another avalanche had hit climbers while they were heading towards camp IV from camp III.
This year, more than 400 climbers have obtained climbing permits for Manaslu, the eighth highest peak in the world. Manaslu is witnessing massive snowfall this autumn season. Because of back-to-back deadly avalanches, scores of climbers have already abandoned the Manaslu expeditions. Snowfall occurs around the Manaslu area throughout the night, according to mountain guides at the base camp.
Scores of climbers have died in the avalanche-prone mountain since a Japanese climber scaled this mountain in 1956. In 2012, nine climbers were killed in avalanche. Despite avalanche danger, some climbers are still heading towards the summit.