According to the newspaper “The Himalayan Times”, around a dozen climbers have been injured in an avalanche on Manaslu today. Some are said to be in critical condition. Other reports speak of at least one dead. The snow masses went down below Camp 4, which is located at around 7,400 meters, it said. Bad weather prevented the rescue operation with helicopters. Several hundred mountaineers are said to have set off on summit attempts at the weekend.
According to information that reached me from Camp 3, most of the injured are Sherpas who wanted to bring equipment to Camp 4. They were taken down to Camp 3, from where they are to be flown out by helicopter – as soon as the weather permits.
Hilaree Nelson missing
The Himalayan Times also reports, citing base camp sources, that American ski mountaineer Hilaree Nelson is missing. The 49-year-old fell into a vertical, 25-meter-deep crevasse in the summit area while attempting to ski down Manaslu today, it said, adding that her partner Jim Morrison was on skis on his way back to base camp.
In fall 2018, the two had managed a spectacular ski descent on the 8,516-meter-high Lhotse, the fourth highest mountain on earth. They had mastered the so-called “Dream Line”: from the summit through the narrow, 45 to 50 degree steep Lhotse Couloir down to Camp 2 in Western Qwm at 6,400 meters.
