Manaslu Expedition (8,163m/26,763ft)

Approaches to ABC:
The trekking to the Manaslu base camp is absolutely breathtaking and takes you back in time when all Himalayan mountains were approached on foot. The trek starts at a low elevation of 800m in Arughta and rises gradually over the next 9-10 trekking days. It is a perfect way to acclimatize before base camp is reached and to take on climbing relatively quickly. From the village of Arughat situated in the low country the trek climbs through narrow gorges, rhododendron forest and local pastures to emerge into the higher alpine country with Tibetan influences.

The Advanced Base Camp 4700m is located at the lateral moraine of the Manaslu Glacier and it can be reached within a 9-10 day trek. Along the trekking you will have a great experience of nepalese culture and pristine native flora and fauna. During the trekking to Sama Gaun we provide camping accommodation, we can also adjust depending on group size and departure dates and provide tea house accommodations. The accommodation and meals are basic and limited compared to Everest or Annapurna trekking. The Manaslu approach is much more wild and primitive.

Climbing Routes:
Manaslu has many interesting routes leading to the main summit and many of them were climbed and explored. The standard commercial route is along the original route of the 1956 Japanese expedition up the Northeast face.

The climb is straightforward and only slightly more technical then Cho Oyu or Shishapangma, however with a low base camp it is a long climb and with relatively high objective avalanche risk.

Traditionally there are 3 camps above base camp: C1 (5,500m), C2 (6,300m) and C3 (7,300m). Some expeditions establish an intermediate camp between C2 and C3 at 6,700m. The terrain encountered on the ascents varies from glacier crossings to steep snow steps and requires a good understanding of basic alpine climbing techniques. Manaslu has been climbed Alpine style but traditionally all commercial operators practice expedition style to improve the chances of summit success for the clients.

How do Sherpa guides work at high altitude?
When you arrive at base camp, our staff will set up the camp and you will have time to rest and prepare for a proper acclimatization period. Upon completing a Pooja ceremony at base camp, the climbing Sherpa guide will open the route and set up camp 1. Once the camp is set up, clients will be taken to camp 1 to acclimate. Depending on your physical fitness and bodies’ reaction to altitude, you may stay at camp 1 for another night, or move up to camp 2 and then descend back to base camp.

Next our high altitude Sherpa guide will open the route and fix lines to camp two, ferry gear, equipment and food to camp 2. We will then provide a similar acclimatization to camp 2 that we did on camp 1. If required and the weather conditions allow, they will allow you to sleep one more night at camp 2 and then return back to base camp via camp one. During your rest and time at base camp our Sherpa guide will open the route, fix the camp, supply food, oxygen, and equipment and prepare for the summit push.

After your camp one and two acclimatization, our climbing Sherpa guide will check the weather forecast, group fitness and recovery conditions. If upcoming weather reports, your physical fitness and Sherpa guide conditions are good, we will begin the summit push. On the summit push, you will move to camp 1, camp 2 and then camp 3 before moving to the summit. At camp 3 you will awake at 01:00zulu and begin the summit push.

If for any reason (bad weather, group physical fitness, accident, incident) we have to return to base camp before the summit push, but still we have a climbing duration, weather condition and climbers are interested for re-try we will provide one more opportunity. However, more than 98% of people either have a successful summit bid or give up the first try.

How to Choosing a experience Provider
It is important for each climber to choose the right expedition guide service that not only suites their needs, but provides the best safely and secure mountaineering experience possible. There are more than 1,700 trekking companies in Nepal who offer 8,000 meter expeditions including Everest, but only about 30 companies who operate 8,000 meter peaks on a regular basis.  We are proud to be one of these 30 companies and consistently offer, run and succeed at these types of expeditions year after year.

It is very important that the climbers who choose Satori Adventures for this trip of a lifetime experience have expectations that are compatible with the program we offer and the style of expedition Satori Adventures runs. We do not want to simply “fill our expedition”, but instead we want to comprise a team of companionable people who are focused on reaching the summit with the highest level of support and safety standards that can be provided by a guiding service on Mt Everest. We team this with the best standards of food and quality equipment to further assist each client reach their full potential. We feel that we offer the best environment and opportunity for you to be successful on the world’s highest mountain.

Diminutive climbing Team members
We are always developing and growing our operational systems to ensure you participate will provide as much as facilities provided. We figure our expedition members do not deserve anything less during the trekking and climbing! In the interests of giving you the most optimal chance to summit, we limit our team size to ensure the group summits on the best weather day; sometimes there are less window days for summit in Everest. In big size of group offering cheap climbs often miss out as they split their groups over several potential summit days. We feel like our climbing members are feeling that they are climbing as a family and friends team even on international people. We accept maximum 08 people in a group and if we have more than that we always split in two groups. So that our base camp staff cooks, climbing Sherpa guide will fully taking care about you and provide service as per your desire.

Maximum summit Success;
The Satori Adventures methodology and tactical approach to climbing Mt Everest has seen us achieve the highest success rates and our extensive experience gives us the edge when it comes to making the right decisions. We provide a consistently higher Sherpa and Guide ratio than any other operator, resulting in more support and backup for your summit attempt and therefore a greater safety margin and chance of success. There is always a 1:1 ratio of the climbing Sherpa/guide and client. We always use professional and experienced climbing Sherpa or guides who have all reached the summit of Everest.

Highly Qualified Sirdar/ Team leader
Our guides are professionals who are trained and assessed either via the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA) resulting in a greater repertoire of skills that enables them to provide a dedicated level of security to you during the expedition, or many years of mountaineering experience on the world’s biggest peaks. Our guides are experience in both advanced and basic rescue courses and all have a minimum of 3 years guiding on Everest.

Advanced Communication method
Satori Adventures Everest expeditions have been at the forefront of providing top communications for our Everest expeditions.This allows us to obtain and deliver comprehensive weather forecasts via U.S., European and Kathmandu weather forecasting. Our lead guide is always equipped with a satellite phone during the climbing and at base camp. Two way radio communications between climbing members, guides, Sherpa and base camp staff is also provided. There is also local mobile network available at base camp that provides easy connection with your family during your stay at base camp.

Weather Forecasts:
To ensure the safeties of our climbers, we always try to use professional weather forecast services. We receive constant updates during our summit push, camp one, two and three acclimatization periods. Exact and updated weather reports are a major factor for a successful summit opportunity. Mountaineering expeditions are a serious undertaking and climbers need to be aware that there are certain risks that are out of the control of Satori Adventures. We prefer to describe our Manaslu expedition as professionally managed rather than guided.

Our expedition leaders always have a satellite phone for communication. We always pass the upcoming weather forecast by phone call and text. However now a days there is a local CDMA phone connection at Manaslu Base camp and around Sama Gaun village.

Health:
We provide a portable altitude chambers (Gamow Box), medical oxygen, and high altitude related medical equipment at base camp and the high camps. We also supply a stretcher above base camp in case of serious injury and the higher camps will also have medical kits. We also ask all climbers to carry individual micro high altitude medical kits above base camp. All climbing members and climbing Sherpa guide are required to wear a personal avalanche beacon above base camp. Finally, we always request all of our climbers to make sure that they have medical and travel insurance which will cover a helicopter evacuation in case of serious sickness or injury on the mountain.