Manaslu (Nepali: मनास्लु), also known as Kutang) is the eighth highest mountain in the world, and is located in the Mansiri Himal, part of theNepalese Himalayas, in the west-central part of Nepal. Its name, which means “Mountain of the Spirit”, comes from the Sanskrit word Manasa, meaning “intellect” or “soul”. Manaslu was first climbed on May 9, 1956 by Toshio Imanishi and Gyalzen Norbu, members of a Japanese expedition. It is said that “just as the British consider Everest their mountain, Manaslu has always been a Japanese mountain”.

The latest expedition report: 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.