The world’s eighth highest mountain, Mt Manaslu in central Nepal, only sees a modest number of climbers every year, mostly mountaineers who come to warm up as part of their training before attempting the world’s tallest peak, Mt Everest.

But this autumn season, the number of climbers on the 8,163-metre Manaslu has soared. According to the Department of Tourism that issues climbing permits, a record 404 mountaineers have applied for a permit to climb the peak.

The number is close to the all-time-high of 408 permits issued for Everest in spring 2021.

Assuming that each climber is accompanied by a climbing guide, there may be more than 800 individuals plodding up the slopes of Manaslu this autumn season.

Last autumn, the department issued permits to 171 climbers aspiring to summit Manaslu, which lies in Gorkha district.

The Nepali mountaineering fraternity says the historic high number this autumn has been motivated by the new thrill of making a “true summit”.

The true summit is the last short section, a snow-covered rock outcrop that is very steep. The true or main summit is 6-7 metres higher than the fore-summit.

Climbers normally do not venture there during the autumn and winter because of the risk and difficulties. Many foreigners have been debating if Manaslu’s main summit can be climbed in the autumn season.

On September 27 last year, Mingma G and 14 Nepali and eight foreign climbers achieved the rare feat for the first time in 45 years. They reached the main peak which is now known as the “true summit”.

Before last year, climbers used to stand atop the fore-summit, which is just below the main summit, and claim a successful ascent.

“It’s like a sharp knife ridge which is daunting and dangerous. So climbers normally go up to the fore-summit and return,” said renowned mountaineer Mingma Sherpa who is better known as Mingma G.

According to the statistics of the Department of Tourism, the last time a team reached the true summit in autumn was in 1976. On October 12 that year, Mohammad Jafar Assadi of Iran, Jun Kageyama of Japan and Pasang Sherpa (Taksindu) of Nepal reached the summit.

Since then, no other person has reached the upper point.

“Obviously, climbers are interested in doing the true summit now. It is very adventurous and equally dangerous,” said Mingma G. “Due to the adventure appeal, there has been a record high number of applications for permits this season.”

Among the climbers who have received climbing permits, 100 fee-paying mountaineers are being handled by Nepal’s largest expedition company, Seven Summit Treks. There are other Sherpas to support their expedition.

“Almost all the climbers are here for the true summit,” said Thaneshwor Guragain, manager at Seven Summit Treks. “For climbers who look for adventure, Manaslu’s true summit is the perfect peak.”

There are other factors behind Manaslu getting a record number of climbers this year, said Guragain. “As China has not opened mountains to climbers, particularly the 8,027-metre Shishapangma, the 14th-highest mountain in the world, climbers have decided to make an attempt for the true summit of Manaslu.”

As of Friday, nearly two dozen climbers had reached the true summit, he said.

Climbers have started setting records as well.

Nima Rinji Sherpa became the youngest ever to climb Manaslu’s main summit at the age of 16, according to Seven Summit Treks.

Climbers of many expedition outfitters are setting their sights on the true summit.

“Everyone on my team is determined to reach the true summit,” said Mingma G. “We hope the mountain will see another record number of climbers next spring.”

The government charges a royalty of $1,800 to climb Manaslu during the spring (March-May), $900 during the autumn (September-November) and $450 during the winter (December-February).

This autumn, expeditions will follow the rope fixers until the fore-summit, according to Mingma G. “From there, they will make their own decisions.”

Climbers have to take a drop-down route from the fore-summit across a 70-degree face and then climb up again to what is apparently the true summit.

According to climbing guides, the final section of the ridge is steep and unstable which could be troublesome. Everyone will not be lucky enough to make the true summit this season.

“The weather is not behaving well. There has been massive snowfall in the past two weeks which resulted in many climbers abandoning their attempts,” said Guragain.

Although climbers around the world are now making noise about the true summit, the government is still undecided about the true summit and fore-summit.

“Yes, the voices are getting louder. We have to sort this issue out as soon as possible,” said Bigyan Koirala, an official at the Department of Tourism.

According to Koirala, they are all set to send the documents related to the controversy over the true summit and the fore-summit to the Tourism Ministry.

“The ministry will decide and settle the controversy,” he said, adding that since the country will pause for a weeklong festival starting this weekend, the issue will be discussed only after the holidays.

“We are serious about sorting the issue out before the next climbing season.”

Manaslu was first climbed by Toshio Imanishi of Japan on May 9, 1956.

This autumn, the climbing season started with an avalanche and casualties. Manaslu was hit by an avalanche on September 26 that swept through Camps III and IV, killing one high-altitude guide and seriously injuring four other guides.

On the same day, famed American ski climber Hilaree Nelson was apparently blown off a cliff while she was skiing down Manaslu. Her body was recovered after two days.

Icefall doctor Yukta Gurung told the Post this week that the avalanche had been triggered by continuous snowfall. “It snowed unceasingly for 15 days. The area was covered in at least 5 to 6 feet of snow; the piled-up snow ultimately gave way triggering the avalanche.”

Locals have named Manaslu a “killer mountain” because it has claimed the lives of more than six dozen mountaineers.

As of 2021, according to government statistics, 2,451 individuals had climbed Manaslu.