Nepal: Annapurna, Manaslu and 15 deaths on Himlung
One week of rain and snow broke the Annapurna Circuit, led companies to call off the autumn climbs on Manaslu, and raised the Himlung Himal death toll to 15. By 4 October the southern trails were busy again, while upper Manang was almost still.
Annapurna. A new wave of landslides and heavy rain killed about 30 people across Nepal and damaged more than 240 homes. No trekkers died on the routes in Manang district. Hundreds cut short the trek around Annapurna. Many were flown out of Manang and Mustang. Below Chame the Marsyangdi washed the road away, and a landslide at Chame dammed the river: a temporary lake flooded houses and a bridge. Upper Manang had registered 226 foreign visitors, 44 of whom had already turned back; more than 150 people heading for Thorong La also retreated. About 700 people were held in Pokhara and not allowed to start the trek around Annapurna. The first part of this break is in the Manang turnaround story.
Himlung. An avalanche buried Himlung Himal base camp (7,126 m) before any foreign climbers were there. Sixteen Nepali workers who were preparing the route and the camps were under the snow. By 1 October rescuers had recovered 15 bodies. One person is still missing. The first four bodies and the pause in the search are here.
Manaslu. Major expedition companies closed the autumn season on Manaslu (8,163 m). The rope-fixing team reached the summit on 17 September, but clients did not go above Camp III: the slope is loaded with fresh snow and the avalanche risk is high. No client reached the top this season. The deaths earlier in the season are a separate story.
What was passable on 4 October. Permits for the Annapurna and Manaslu conservation areas are being issued again from 2 October. An ACAP tally on Saturday recorded 1,393 check-ins and 1,093 check-outs in the Annapurna area. Almost all of that movement is in the south: Birethanti took 694 people, Chhomrong 388. Manang itself recorded 12. The road is open as far as Chame; the Chame-Bhratang section is not open to vehicles, though the walking trail is. The day before, seven people crossed Thorong La. The Ghasa-Korala and Jomsom-Muktinath roads are two-way again. Galeshwor-Dana, hit by the Kali Gandaki flood, is still closed; road crews speak of about ten days of work. Trekking permits in the Manaslu area are back. That does not restart the climb of the mountain.