Standing 8163 meters (26,781 ft) in height, Manaslu is the fifth tallest mountain in the world. It is located inside Nepal, approximately 65 km (40 miles) east of Annapurna and is one of the lesser climbed 8000 meter peaks. First climbed by a Japanese team back in 1956, Manaslu's most popular route to the summit follows its Northeast Ridge and requires the establishment of four camps on the way to the top. Alan notes that the biggest obstacles to success include heavy snow and avalanches that occur on the upper slopes.
This will be Alan's eighth expedition to an 8000 meter peak. He has attempted Everest four times, successfully topping out once, and also has experience on Broad Peak, Cho Oyu and Shishapangma. As usual, he'll be climbing with the Altitude Junkies and if all goes according to plan, they'll be eyeing a summit bid sometime in early-October. The expedition will also be used to raise funds for the Cure Alzheimer's Fund, which holds a particular significance to Alan who lost his mother to that horrible disease and prompted him to launch his Memories Are Everything campaign.
If you are familiar with Alan's blog you know that he covers the mountaineering scene very well and writes from a place of experience. His posts are always interesting and extremely well done and that includes when he sends dispatches back from his own climbs. That means that later this year we should get a very good narrative about what it is like to climb on Manaslu. I have no doubt that he'll keep us well informed about every step of the journey and make us feel like we're on the mountain with him. I know that I am already looking forward to following the climb in the weeks ahead.
Good luck Alan! Climb safely!
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