KATHMANDU: At least 73 mountaineers including 44 foreigners have successfully summitted Mt Manaslu (8,163m) as the world’s eighth highest peak witnessed a fair weather, since Wednesday.

According to the expedition organisers, 38 foreigners along with 20 Sherpas reached the top of Mt Manaslu on Thursday while 15 climbers including six foreigners stood atop the mountain on Wednesday.

Among 106 foreign mountaineers who obtained climbing permits for Mt Manaslu in the autumn season, 38 climbers have already abandoned their summit attempts citing bad climbing conditions followed by a week-long deteriorating weather pattern in the mountain region.

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“At least 24 foreign climbers who are now at higher camps with their climbing Sherpas plan to climb the mountain on Friday,” Gyanendra Shrestha, an official at the Department of Tourism under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation,  quoted expedition leaders as saying.

According to Pemba Sherpa of Seven Summit Treks, Boyan Petrov has become the first Bulgarian to ascend Mt Manaslu. “Mt Manaslu used to be the only one among 14 peaks above 8,000 m height in the world with no Bulgarian foot stepped on it,” he said. Among the summitters, 50 climbers including 27 foreigners were from Seven Summit Treks, he added.

One of the team leaders Arnold Coster from Seven Summit Treks shared that they successfully climbed the peak after fixing the whole route from Camp II to summit.

Five foreign climbers from Thamserku Trekking, nine including three Sherpas from Active Holiday Nepal Treks and six mountaineers from Himalayan Guides Nepal Treks were among 73 summitters on Mt Manaslu.

Ascent Himalaya’s seven-member team led by Daniel Akerman also made it to top of the world’s eighth highest peak, according to climbing Sherpa Nima Gyalzen Sherpa. “Among them, three are foreigners,” he added.

International operators including Himalayan Experience, Altitude Junkies and Adventure Consultants, however, had decided to turn their teams back from higher camps, abandoning Manaslu summit push due to bad weather.

Japanese climber plans 2nd attempt

Meanwhile, the sole Japanese climber Nobukazu Kuriki (33), who is now resting at the base camp, plans to make a second attempt on Mt Everest by October 6.

“Kuriki has decided to leave for Camp II on Friday to attempt to climb the world’s highest peak this season,” Ramesh Gurung, Kuriki’s climbing guide, said.

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Kuriki abandoned his first attempt early this week finding it very tough to move up to the deep snow above Camp IV.

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As of Thursday, the DoT has issued climbing permits to at least 544 mountaineers representing 86 expedition teams for 25 peaks ranging from Mt Aichyn (6,055m) to Mt Lhotse (8,516m) this season.

According to Shrestha, the DoT had issued climbing permits to 1,069 foreign climbers to climb different peaks in the autumn season in 2014. Among 147 foreign climbers of 16 teams who obtained permits to climb Mt Manaslu in the last autumn season, only 114 successfully summitted, with 61 foreign climbers.