KATHMANDU: At least 530 climbers including 260 members of different 26 expedition teams are all set to attempt to climb the world’s eighth highest peak in western Nepal in the autumn season. According to Rameshwar Niraula, an official at the Department of Tourism under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, the DoT has issued climbing permits to 260 expedition members (201 male and 59 female climbers) including four Nepalis for Mt Manaslu (8,163 m). “At least 270 Nepali high altitude workers have also obtained climbing permit to accompany the world climbers on Mt Manaslu,” he said. Enrico De Luca (70) from Italy and woman climber Astrid Gessler (65) are the eldest climbers who will be attempting to climb the world’s eighth highest peak. “At least 57 climbers from China, 21 from Italy, 17 from Germany, 14 each from US and Japan and 12 climbrs from Poland have already reached the Manaslu region for acllimatisation.” From Azerbaijan to Republic of Moldova, Mt Manaslu has received climbers from different 44 nations this season, Niraula said. According to Chatur Tamang, managing Director at Cha Tours Treks and Expedition, Tatiana Abramson from Israel has also reached the base camp to begin her climbing activities on Mt Manaslu. “The 55-year-old wants to be the first woman climber from her country to stand atop Mt Manaslu,” he said, adding that Tatiana had already climbed several peaks in Europe. Most of the expedition members left for Camp I and II for their acclimatization rotation this morning, Tashi Lakpa Sherpa, Director at Seven Summit Treks, told THT from the base camp. According to him, a rope fixing team from SST comprising Nima Dorchi Sherpa, Ngima Thinduk Sherpa, Tenjing Chhombi Sherpa and Renji Sherpa from Makalu and Namgyal Bhote from Bodkhola, Sankhuwasabha have already fixed a route up to the Camp III. SST is handling at least 67 expedition members of five different teams on Mt Manaslu this season, SST Chairman Mingma Sherpa said. Italian alpinist Nives Meroi along with her Slovenian husband Romano Benet also reached the base camp to attempt to climb Mt Manaslu. The duo had climbed Mt Annapurna (8,091 m) becoming the first couple to successfully summit all 14 peaks above 8,000m in 2017. Also, Meroi is the second woman climber in the world to complete all 14 eight-thousanders without oxygen support. John Snorri Sigurjónsson, who has become the first Icelandic climber to summit K2, will also be attempting stand atop the 8,163-metre peak, according to the expedition organiser. American climber Marra Anthony Brooks is also leading a three-member ski expedition deon Satori Adventures in the Manaslu region this season. According to Rishi Bhandaari, Managing Director at Satori Adventures, there are at least 24 members from his company attempting to scale Mt Manaslu in the autumn season. Austrian climbers Andreas Neuschmid and Stefan Fritsche, Carlos Dahms from Chile, German mountaineer Christopher Keller, Arnold Coster from The Netherlands, Muharrem Aydin Irmak  and Don R Wargowsky from US, Chen Tao, San Jimu, Hua Wang and Wu Xueling from China, Canadian climber Dean Christopher Carriere, Nirmal Purja and Bam Bahadur BK from Nepal, Jean Baptiste Francois Dani Chandesris and Serge Bernard Bazin from France, Italian climbers Angelo Lobina and Massimiliano Gasperetti, Francesc Xavier Arias Sune and Inigo Castineyra Lerchundi from Spain, Thomas Gerald Pelland from Thailand and Koji Sampo from Japan will be leading different teams on Mt Manaslu this season, according to Niraula. “Woman climbers - Liudmila Korobeshko and Oksana Morneva from Russia, Naoko Watanabe from Japan and Anita Devi from India have also reached the base camp to lead their respective team,” he added. According to DoT, Mt Manaslu has received the highest number of climbers this autumn compared to the last season. At least 192 foreign climbers representing 18 teams had obtained climbing permits to attempt to climb Mt Manaslu in 2018.