First Vietnamese tourist to conquer the world's 8th highest mountain

Nguyen Manh Duy (left) and Temba Bhote before conquering Manaslu peak

"I exclaimed, I have touched my dream," Manh Duy recounted the moment he set foot on the 8,163 m peak of Manaslu, at 2:52 p.m. on September 22.

When certifying Manh Duy as the first Vietnamese person to conquer the world's 8th highest mountain, Manaslu, the Nepal Mountaineering Association said this milestone was meaningful to Duy and his guide, Temba Bhote, who guided him to climb Manaslu not in the usual "circling" way but straight to the top.

Manh Duy flew from Ho Chi Minh City to Nepal on September 10 to begin his 10-day journey to conquer Manaslu. Guide Temba Bhote is a professional climber nicknamed "Himalayan Sherpa", who has conquered Mount Everest 10 times and Manaslu 6 times.

Starting from September 13 in Kathmandu, the two spent 4 days to reach Base Camp. The camp is the gathering point for climbing groups, where visitors get acquainted with the altitude and "gain momentum" for higher stages. When Duy arrived, Base Camp had nearly 400 climbers from all over the world. After two days of rest, they began moving through 4 camps 1, 2, 3 and 4 at altitudes of 5,800 m, 6,200 m, 6,800 m and 7,400 m respectively.

"Base Camp at 5,000 m is not too difficult, but the higher the camps, the more challenging they are," Duy said.

Manaslu is also known as the "mountain of death" because of the frequent avalanches, with sharp peaks and dangerous slopes covered in snow and ice all year round. The Nepal Mountaineering Association commented that this is one of the most challenging peaks in the world. However, Manaslu still attracts explorers. September and October are the climbing seasons for Manaslu, the peak that attracts the second largest number of climbers in Nepal, after Everest.

Vietnamese tourists said the cost of climbing Manaslu peak ranges from 10,000 to 12,000 USD depending on the services chosen. Normally, climbers will need a mountain guide, porter and oxygen tank when at an altitude of 7,000 m or higher. The services booked by the customer will determine the cost package.

Manh Duy started trekking more than 10 years ago. He and his friends explored part of the Himalayas surrounding the Tibetan plateau, such as Merapeak (6,500 m) and Ama Dablam (6,812 m). The landscape, Tibetan culture and the majestic Himalayas always have a "strange" attraction, urging him to conquer higher peaks.

With mountains over 8,000 m high, the climbing team must do a "very boring" thing which is climbing in circles. From Base Camp, climbers must move up to camp 1 or camp 2 and then back, some people go up to camp 4 and then back again, to let the body adapt to the altitude before entering the "death threshold" - above 8,000 m. This stage takes from 7 to 10 days.

Having climbed the Himalayas many times, Temba Bhote proposed to Duy a rather risky plan, which was "sumit" - reaching the summit without going through the detour, going straight from base camp to the top of the mountain.

Duy described this as an "extreme" challenge because he was exhausted and wanted to give up many times, even when he was close to the top. At noon on September 22, when there were about 50 meters left and he could see the top, the thought of giving up still appeared.

"Crawling little by little with heavy climbing gear, it took about 40 minutes to get through that stage," Duy said.

In addition, the "thigh-deep" snow on the summit was also a challenge that wore down his strength after climbing continuously for 24 hours.

But after the "hard journey", all fatigue quickly disappeared when he touched the peak with the Nepalese flag on the top of the mountain. Feeling satisfied with his victory, Duy did not forget to take in the "heavenly" scene on the top with golden clouds reflecting the sunlight.

"Only by going up high can we take in that beauty," Duy said.

Nguyen Manh Duy on top of Manaslu on September 22

Standing on top of Manaslu, Duy and his companion had 5 minutes to admire the majestic snow-capped Himalayas. They took some souvenir photos at an altitude of 8,163 m and then went down the mountain to ensure safety.

"This is a practice trip for the journey to conquer Everest next year," the Vietnamese climber shared.

TH (according to VnExpress)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/khach-viet-dau-tien-chinh-phuc-dinh-nui-cao-thu-8-the-gioi-394652.html