With the Chinese government restricting foreign access to Tibet and, thus, Cho Oyu, skiers and climbers may head to Manaslu in Nepal. Cho Oyu is the world's sixth highest peak, and one of the best options for skiers looking to make an 8,000m descent. , , and Greg Hill have decided to abandon their speed ascent plans for Cho Oyu and . Manaslu is the world's eighth highest peak, at 26,759 feet, and another worthy option. Haag and company's decision means there will be at least two teams trying for record feats on Manaslu this season. Glen Plake, Rémy Lécluse, and Greg Costa already made plans to be the first team to summit and ski Manaslu without supplemental oxygen. They are in the middle of their expedition now. Read on for a bit more about their push.
WHO: Glen Plake, Rémy Lécluse, and Greg Costa
WHAT: Summit and ski the eighth highest peak in the world without supplemental oxygen.
WHEN: The team landed in Kathmandu in late August and arrived at Base Camp by . The latest expedition report, their fourth, said they had reached Camp II and would soon be making a push for Camp III. If everything goes according to plan, they will attempt to summit and ski down sometime between September 15 and 20.
WHY: There have been a lot of attempts to ski the mountain, but always with supplemental oxygen, according to Plake. It appears both Plake's crew and Haag's crew plan to summit without supplemental oxygen, but it's unclear who will be first. With news that Haag and company will move to Manaslu, Glen Plake has emphasized that his team is not going for a speed record. Haag, Bohm, and Hill acclimatized already at Mera Peak, and may come in ripe to speed up and down the mountain. They previously planned go up and down Cho Oyu in 24 hours. Plake his crew “just wants to do a clean ascent and descent.” For more from Plake, Lécluse, and Costa, check out the Epic TV video above.
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—Joe Spring