...Puja & Progress on Manaslu...
Our team at Manaslu is moving up.
They held their Puja (blessing ceremony) as planned on the 12th September. A Tibetan Buddhist ritual, the purpose of the Puja is to ask the mountain deity for safe passage. Following the Puja, the team can begin their climb and in celebration made a foray halfway up to Camp 1 to acclimatise and further stretch the legs.
Today they are heading up to 6000m and taking advantage of this nice little weather window we have 13th & 14th by sleeping at Camp 1 before dropping back down to Base Camp tomorrow.
The route to Camp 1 traverses a fairly gradual glacier with a steeper section just below camp, perched on a ridge at the foot of where the real climbing begins in earnest.
Their plan is to rest for at least a day or two back down at Base Camp before progressing again up the mountain.
All safe and well on Manaslu.
Cheers
CTSS Team
...Manaslu Base Camp...
The last leg of the trek is here - The scenic bounce up to Base Camp. The team are leaving Sama village now on their way. They are in good shape and feeling positive.
Today the trail begins in forest, before a steep ascent up to the moraine. Their effort is rewarded with magnificent views of the glacier, the turquoise lake, Manaslu and the surrounding peaks from all sides.
The trek is approximately 4-5hours.
They will hold their Puja on the 12th of September and if the weather permits, they will start climbing from the 13th!
...Samaguan...
The trek is nearly complete with the team now resting in Samaguan. (aka Sama village) Samagaun (4,300m - approx 11,500ft) is the jumping off point to Base Camp and the last outpost. Stunning, it is surrounded by beautiful vistas of the Himalaya.
With some rest and acclimatization for 2days, the team will now ascend to Base Camp. A solid day up to 4,800m (15,750ft). For the struggle they are rewarded with beautiful views of the Birendra Taal glacial lake.
From there, the real climbing begins!
...The Trail to Manaslu...
Our Manaslu team have well and truly begun their trek to the mountain yesterday reaching Goa. Today they are hiking to Bimthang which is the last village before Larkya La which is one of the longest passes in Himalaya and a great opportunity to acclimatize as the team will hit 5,106m.
Guide Tendi reported that they've enjoyed some really nice weather so far and enjoyed trekking through the villages and visiting a few monastries. Yesterday they recieved a precious blessing from a monk who spent 6 years in retreat in a small monastery in the village.
Cheers
CTSS Team
...Manaslu Team on the Move...
The CTSS Manaslu Team is now cleared to leave Kathmandu, negative PCRs and permits in hand and they are on the road to Beshisahar. Tomorrow they will take a jeep out to Dharapani and then start their hike into the mountain.
It feels good to be officially underway and enroute to the mountain.
Cheers
CTSS Team
...Manaslu Team Arrives in Kathmandu...
The fall climbing season in Nepal has arrived with our Manaslu team flying into Kathmandu over the past few days. Lead Guide Tendi Sherpa reports
All team CTSS Manaslu-2021 are safely arrived in Kathmandu today and we went through the gear check and the climbing briefing. Despite the jet lag all members are super motivated for the expedition and so are the Nepali staffs and guides.
We will be in Kathmandu for next few days and then will be trekking towards the Mount Manaslu base camp via Larke Pass, 5200m.
All our staffs have completed their last packing and they will leave soon to the base camp to starting setting up camps before the members reach there.
Best of luck to the team as they settle in and finish the last preparations before their climb!
Cheers,
CTSS Team
...Summits and Smoke on Baker...
Wrapping up an awesome 5 days with a bit of everything, rain, sun & now some smoke from the wildfires as our team finishes their successful 5 Day Alpine Academy with us.
Late in the season the route was challenging with more crevasse crossings and end runs than usual. They climbed Roman headwall well with two pieces of running pro and some scree walking at the top.
Everyone did really well with 100% on top!
After the summit they dropped back, had an early night and this morning did a small bit of final training before packing down camp and heading back to the trailhead just as the smoke was settling in.
Thanks everyone for a great season on Baker!
...Blue Skies on Baker...
Sunny and warm for our Baker team today. They took a walk towards the Squak Glacier and spent the day training anchors, crevasse rescue and fixed line ascent and descent.
Tomorrow is summit day, an alpine start - waking up at 2am, climbing through the night, summiting in the early morning and due back in camp early afternoon.
Team is strong and route looking good.
Cheers
CTSS TEAM
...Baker in the Clouds...
Our Baker team are well underway.
Yesterday they climbed from the trailhead at Schreiber's Meadow up to High Camp which is approximately 5,500ft on the edge of the Easton Glacier. They had consistent light rain the whole way and rolled into camp in 3.5 hours before doing a workshop on knots and getting an early night.
The weather cleared as per the forecast overnight and looks much better for the rest of the week. Still lots of cloud but patches of blue sky.
Today they spent a full day training and mastering new skills, hitting efficient cramponing, ice axe arrest, rope travel, running belay, knots and hitches and each team member finished by setting up a 3 person glacier rope team start to finish.
Tomorrow they'll head out across the Easton Glacier for a glacier walk and then train crevasse rescue and climbing fixed lines.
A big shout out and congratulations to Larry who summited Baker with Robert last week too!
Cheers
CTSS Team
A Mountain Guide's Gear Tips
A Mountain Guide's Gear Tips - CTSS Guide Robert Jantzen
Don't just trust everything you read about mountaineering online! Get a mountain guide's gear tips straight from the source. CTSS Guide Robert Jantzen offers up his best advice for your next trek into the mountains.
Shin-Bang & How to Prevent It
Shin-bang is a bone bruise that forms on the front of your tibia, or shin, from repeatedly impacting the front of your climbing boot as you walk. Unlike blisters, which can be dealt with fairly easily, shin-bang is much harder to manage once it’s set in therefore, of course, prevention is key!
Shin-bang usually comes from the boot being too restrictive of the natural forward and back movement of your ankle while walking. With that in mind, we have found working with your lacing system to be a very successful solution. If you can find a way to keep the boot lightly tight around your forefoot/mid-foot, but loose around your ankle, shin-bang should be less of an issue.
It may feel odd at first to have such a loose system, but over time you become accustomed to it. This was the solution climbers used to use all the time when plastic boots were the best on the market - times/gear have changed, but the technique still applies!
How to Pick the Right Crampons
I need crampons, which one is the right one?
Quite simply, a standard 12 point steel crampon is your best overall bet. This one tool can be used for 90% of mountaineering objectives. We have had excellent success with the Petzl Vasak crampon on expeditions from Mt. Baker to Mt. Everest, and the Black Diamond Sabertooth or Grivel G12 have been very good as well.
We recommend going with a model that has a heel lever and a plastic toe bail for the attachment setup, you may see these referred to as 'semi-automatic' or 'Lever-lock Universal'. If you have large feet (US size 12 and up) you may have to purchase a separate long bar to accommodate your boot. Make sure to test your crampon/boot combination before you leave home. For any crampon, you will need to have a compatible mountaineering boot, but boots are a whole different topic!
Gear for Mountaineering
Gear is expensive! how do I purchase the right gear to last a long time across all my expeditions? Oh boy, isn’t it though!?
Buying proper mountaineering gear can cost enough to feel like it’s an expedition in its own right. The key to success is having a plan.
Loads of gear is the same for almost every trip - base layers, mid-weight layers, socks, cup-bowl spoon, etc. Cross-reference gear lists from trip to trip and make sure the gear you buy for the “standard” equipment is rock solid and can last you across your entire climbing career. Here are a few tips:
- Make a list of mountains you’re interested in and then start looking through the required gear. Your dream climb calls for a double mountaineering boot, but on your training climb singles would suffice? Buying single boots just for your training climb, may mean you’ll just have to buy the doubles later anyway, so better to buy doubles now that you can use across most of your trips and just use lighter socks - Try to buy forward-looking gear.
- Some items are make-or-break for a climb, research them thoroughly. One properly warm puffy jacket can get you through years of climbing, but buying too light means you’ll just have to buy another as soon as you step up in altitude. Buy quality, you'll actually save $$ in the long run! When it comes to technical gear it is absolutely a case of 'getting what you pay for'.
- Borrow or rent gear as you train to try it out. Most of us have a gear head buddy with more stuff than they could ever use See if you can try items on during training hikes to get a feel for how they fit and work. Similarly, don’t be afraid to use return policies appropriately, even if it’s a hassle. It just isn’t worth missing an important summit because your boots don’t quite fit or your jacket restricts your movement - Test your system before you commit!
- Buy second hand mountaineering gear! After each major expedition season (like June/July for Everest) loads of great gear hits the second hand market as people finish their goal and look to offload. You just need to know where to look, what questions to ask, be prepared to negotiate well and fairly and often pay for international shipping. We've set up a Facebook Group just for this purpose, make sure you join and nab a bargain!
For more tips and resources, visit our website.