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Manaslu Team in Kathmandu
We’re happy to report that the CTSS Manaslu team have all returned safely from the mountain. Over the last few days of September and the start of October weather reports indicated that another summit window was not going to appear, making the teams best option to depart from the mountain and get home safe to return another year. Our climbers landed in Kathmandu a few days ago and yesterday afternoon the last of our logistical staff arrived in the town of Samaguan below Manaslu Basecamp.
CTSS extends a massive “Thank You!” to all our amazing Sherpa team for their quick work pulling down all on-mountain and basecamp infrastructure before conditions deteriorated. Their hard work before, during, and after the formal expedition offered unparalleled support to the climbing team.
Our 2022 climbers were exceptionally strong and all logistics were set to support a summit bid weeks ago. We would have loved nothing more than to put the whole team on the summit, but weather and conditions told us very clearly that a safe climb was no longer possible.
With our own team safe and many already on flights back to see their friends and families our hearts go out to those expeditions still on Manaslu working and descending in tough conditions. With news filtering out reporting more avalanches and accidents please join us in hoping for the safe return of all climbers, guides and Sherpa.
Cheers,
CTSS Team



Holding Pattern on Manaslu
Holding Pattern on Manaslu
The CTSS Manaslu team is all together at Basecamp, CTSS Guides Tendi Sherpa, Tomi Ceppi, Robert Jantzen & Pasang Sherpa have decided to put the team into a holding pattern while snow conditions settle and we watch the weather to see if there is a prudent opening to ascend back onto the upper mountain.
Our upper mountain logistics are set, the team is fully acclimatized, and all systems are go for a summit bid - if, and when, the mountain comes into shape.
If you’ve been following the news around Manaslu you’ve likely seen reports of bad snow conditions and high winds with several expeditions packing up and heading home over the last 3 days, as well as some expeditions choosing to continue their push higher onto the route.
Every good expedition should be equipped to make their own call in times like this, and CTSS assesses it’s not yet time to throw in the towel, but it also not safe to ascend back into terrain on the upper mountains. This call gives our clients every chance for conditions to change and an opportunity for a summit to occur, while maintaining the margin of safety CTSS is known for.
Guide Robert Jantzen explains the current conditions and decision making on our Manaslu expedition;
“It’s important to note, that while we are proud of how CTSS makes tough calls in the mountains, the risk assessment and decision making described below is not to be judged against other teams who have made the call to pull out already, nor is it a critique of teams currently climbing high on the mountains. We make independent decisions based on our own experience, information, team, and risk tolerance, as should all Mountain Guides and Mountain Guide companies.
We’ve got a fantastically strong team of climbers this year, great logistics, and a rock star team of climbing Sherpa who have all put an incredible amount of time and effort into getting ready for a summit bid. With everything primed for a summit bid, why are we still at basecamp? Our job as Guides, when it comes down to brass tacks, is to get every member of the team back home in good health, 10 fingers, 10 toes, and able to climb their next mountain. The process of climbing and summiting is always held in balance, to the all important job of getting back safely.
Guides bring in to a play whole catalogue of experience, techniques, information sources, tricks, tips, and sometimes downright toughness, to lead a team. We live and thrive in “grey areas” where there are often multiple “right” decisions, which balance factors such as avalanche risk, weather conditions, group fitness, mountain traffic, and dozens of other contributing factors. When a mountain is in marginal condition, guiding is a fantastically cerebral job.
This season has been defined by an abnormally large amount of snow falling on the upper mountain. While snow in the mountains is part of the game, storm totals in the amounts we’ve seen, raise high levels of avalanche concern. As a team we have managed to complete our full acclimatization rotations up to Camp 3 without stepping out onto large avalanche slopes during poor conditions, but the route from Camp 3 to Camp 4, and Camp 4 to the Summit both cross known avalanche problem areas.
While avalanche problem areas may sound like a continuous and potentially unacceptable risky location to travel through it’s important to keep in mind that they are a mitigable hazard. Avalanches are actually relatively predictable, a known set of weather patterns cause their likelihood to increase while another known set of weather patterns cause their likelihood to decrease or cease to exist all together. We can’t control these slopes with explosives as a ski area can, but we can choose to cross them only under conditions which reduce, or eliminate the chance of an avalanche occurring while we are there.
Right now the upper mountain of Manaslu has received both large new snow totals and, over the last few days, strong winds. This wind is picking up snow from one side of the mountain and depositing it to slopes on, around, and above our climbing route. Wind driven snow compacts together forming a cohesive slab on the surface, if there is a weak layer of snow under this slab it can be triggered and all slide together. From basecamp we have seen new avalanches on several slopes, including large-scale avalanches which have run across the route and even into the Camp 2 area.
At the moment the presence of continued wind and wind transported snow, along with the pre-existing concern of large storm snow totals up high, causes us to deem climbing above Camp 1 as an unacceptable risk for our team, so we’re resting at basecamp where we can stay healthy and in prime shape.
Compounding this is a new round of forecasted precipitation scheduled to arrive before the current avalanche concerns have a chance to settle out. If this new snow falls on top of existing wind slabs, or other weak layers, the likelihood of an avalanche increases even more.
So why are we still here? Well, a forecast is a forecast and it can change. On 8000m peaks conditions can change quickly, storms can build without being forecasted, and forecasted storms can dissipate before they affect the climbing route. Just as our initial summit window shut with new increased winds, there is a slim chance a new summit window could open toward the end of the season."
While we have assessed that climbing high on Manaslu is currently not within our risk tolerance the team of guides from CTSS will continue to watch the forecast, gather information on conditions high on the mountain, assess, and reassess continuously. If, or when, we see a chance to prudently ascend we are ready to go.
Our climbers have put in a massive investment of time, money, and raw effort to get to this point. We will always remain prepared to support them until the last day of the season. Let’s see what the future brings!





Climbers & Sherpa Safe on Manaslu
An avalanche has just occurred on Manaslu below Camp 4. Our entire CTSS team including climbers and Sherpa are safe and well at Base Camp.
More information will follow, but our focus at this time remains the safety of our team and other climbers, and in aiding the search and rescue efforts currently taking place on the upper mountain.
Our thoughts are hearts are with all of those involved.
CTSS Team
Manaslu Summit Prep
The team is strong and resting well at Base Camp getting ready for their upcoming summit bid.
Today they will do some more training on their oxygen systems and dial in their packs and preparation for the summit bid.
The tentative plan (always fluid to take account of conditions and weather) is to move to Camp 1 on the 26th, Camp 2 on the 27th, Camp 3 on the 28th, Camp 4 on the 29th.
If the weather forecast holds true the team will leave Camp 4 late on the 29th/very early on the 30th for the summit.
Meanwhile Ott & Guide Tomi are moving up to Camp 2 today on their final acclimatization rotation, moving really well. They will sleep there tonight, tag Camp 3 and return to Base to rest and prepare themselves for the summit.
All well on Manaslu,
Cheers
CTSS Team



Manaslu Acclimatization Complete
The team have now successfully finished their acclimatization rotations on Manaslu. They are currently descending from Camp 2 back to Base Camp after touching Camp 3 yesterday and we look forward to seeing them back in The Big House for some well deserved rest and food.
Kevin feeling really strong decided to sleep at Camp 3 yesterday with Guide Pasang and he is moving downhill today soon.
The latest round of precipitation has dropped over a metre of new snow on the upper mountain above Camp 3. Today it is warming up and sunny for the first time in a week.
The fixing team will wait a few days for snow conditions to stabilize before re-fixing the route C3 to C4 and then C4 onto the summit. This works well for our timing as our climbers are fully acclimatized, we can rest until the route is ready.
Cheers
CTSS Team
Second Rotation on Manaslu
The Manaslu team are back climbing in earnest on their final acclimatization rotation, they moved up to Camp 1 yesterday and today will move up to Camp 2 for the night. The following day the plan is to head as far towards Camp 3 as conditions allow. The previous round of precip laid about a meter of fresh snow on the upper mountain.
Following the Camp 3 tag effort they will drop back to Base Camp to rest ahead of the summit push! It's exciting times on Manaslu, as by completing this round of acclimatization the team is ready to wait for conditions to settle and a nice weather window for the summit push!
We are hopeful that the weather is starting to dry out a little and marks a changing trend for the team as we narrow in on the summit push.
All on schedule and the team is doing well and moving strongly.
Cheers
CTSS Team


Rest Days and Rain on Manaslu
After a productive first acclimatization rotation the CTSS Manaslu team is taking some needed rest days as a wet storm system moves over the mountain.
Despite receiving near constant rain the last two days spirits are high with big domes keeping the team dry and the espresso machine churning out liquid happiness throughout the day.
The team will wait out the last of the weather with one more rest day on the 18th, right on schedule with our itinerary. Starting on the 19th the forecast improves and our second rotation begins with a climb back up to the now familiar Camp 1. From Camp 1 the team moves and sleeps one night at Camp 2, takes a day trip up to Camp 3 and returns down to Camp 1 for another night of good sleep. After that it's back to basecamp! Acclimatization will be complete and after a few days rest it's simply a matter of finding the weather window for our summit push!
Stay tuned for more updates as our team moves back up the mountain in the coming days
Cheers,
CTSS Team



Camp 2 on Manaslu
All is progressing nicely in Nepal and the Manaslu climbing team is right on schedule. Most of the team is currently at C1 having done their acclimatization climb part way up to/with some heading all the way to Camp 2. Their plan is to descend back to base camp today. They have been dealing with wet weather with some snow accumulation high on the mountain over the past few weeks, with more precip due to arrive in the coming days.
It is challenging climbing from Camp 1 to Camp 2. The terrain is some of the most technical climbing on the entire route and it can be broken and steep in spots. A trip from C1 to C2 makes for a full day, especially this early in the expedition as the body adjusts to the new altitude. The team will be a bit uncomfortable sleeping up high but this will have kickstarted their bodies adaptions to this new altitude so they feel much better on future rotations and sleep more soundly.
Once back to base camp they will take a few days to rest, enjoy some good food, and get ready for their next rotation up the mountain. Ever higher.
Meanwhile, private climber Ott and Guide Tomi took another rest day at Base Camp and plan to move to Camp 1 today. Don & Kami are also resting at Base Camp today and looks to move to Camp 1 tomorrow.
Cheers
CTSS Team
Looking Down on Camp 1 - Photo Tomi Ceppi
Uphill Plans
Yesterday the team spent the day training to make sure their skills are second nature, followed by a yummy pizza dinner care of Guide/Chef Tomi Ceppi and Head Chef Kumar in the kitchen! Today was mostly a rest day before the crew set off uphill again to Camp 1 on their rotation.
They will sleep at Camp 1 and then (if weather allows) they plan to touch Camp 2 tomorrow before dropping back to Base Camp the following day. If the weather doesn't play ball, they have planned and prepped to spend a second night at Camp 1 and will look for another weather window on the 15th to tag Camp 2. Either way they'll get some great acclimatization in, which is the name of the game this early in the season. Team is doing really well.
Meanwhile private climber Ott & Guide Tomi have already completed their first rotation, where they spent 2x nights at Camp 1 and tagged Camp 2. They took a rest day today back at Base Camp and are planning to start their second rotation tomorrow. You can see some of their pictures below.
Don and Guide Kami hiked to Crampon Point yesterday and will finally be reunited with his lost luggage with the fresh food drop that the chopper is bringing in today. His plan is to rest today and then move up to Camp 2 tomorrow and spend 2x nights of acclimatization at Camp 1.
Cheers
CTSS Team




