Nepal

A total of 161 climbers have successfully climbed the peak of Mt Manaslu this spring season.

According to the Department of Tourism, 77 foreigners and 84 Nepali nationals reached the top of the 8,163-metre peak.

Bigyan Koirala, the officer at the Department's Mountaineering Section, said 407 foreigners had acquired permission to climb the mountain, but only 77 made it to the top.

The foreign climbers were accompanied by Nepali Sherpa guides to the peak, Koirala said. "Now, the expedition to Mt Manaslu has been completed, while it continues on other peaks. This time, the number of Manaslu climbers is relatively less than the previous years," he said.

The area above the Manaslu base camp witnessed an avalanche just before the commencement of the expedition this season, killing one and leaving a few others injured on September 26.

The mountain located in Chumanubri Rural Municipality in north Gorkha is the world's eighth highest peak and lies along the Manasiri mountain range. - RSS