Japanese woman climber scales Mt Manaslu in 6 days!

KATHMANDU: A Japanese woman climber has set a new record for successfully climbing Mt Manaslu this autumn after standing atop the world's eighth highest mountain in just 6 days.

According to Da Dendi Sherpa, Managing Director at Glacier Himalaya Treks and Expedition, Kyoko Iwata (41) from Japan scaled Mt Manaslu on September 28 at 6:10 am. “She began climbing from the base camp on September 23 immediately after reaching an altitude of 4,800m from Samagaun,” he said, adding that Kyoko reached Samagaun on September 22.

Being part of an expedition run by Glacier Himalaya Treks and Expedition Kyoko reached Camp I on September 25 and made her final summit push from Camp III at 8:00 pm on September 27, Sherpa who also accompanied the Japanese climber to the top of the mountain said. “We reached the top of the mountain at 6:10 am the next day and safely descended towards the base camp same day,” he shared.

According to the Department of Tourism under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Kyoko obtain a climbing permit as a part of 12-member expedition led by Flutura Ibrahimi of Kosovo.

Most of the climbers generally spent nearly a month on the mountain to acclimatise before making final summit pushes on Mt Manaslu, a DoT official said. “Kyoko’s feat is really amazing.”