Manaslu: Txikon & Co. Refuse to Give Up

Deep snow is forcing Alex Txikon’s group to struggle for every inch. Fixing the route as they go, they have camped for the night at 6,750m. Simone Moro, meanwhile, ponders his options in Base Camp.

Txikon wants to make the best out of the good conditions expected tomorrow. He plans on setting Camp 4 at 7,000m and fixing the route to 7,400m. Then the climbers will rest and head off at 10 pm local time toward the summit.

Unfortunately, less-than-ideal weather is on tap for Monday. Winds of 50kph should sweep the summit in the early morning, then decrease, but more snow could come in the evening. That is acceptable for Txikon. “We are fine so far,” he told Base Camp, adding that if it doesn’t get any worse than predicted, “we could have a couple of days to continue working.”