Snow forces Txikon to temporarily abandon Manaslu base camp

Alex Txikon and his team were forced yesterday at the last minute to leave the Manaslu base camp due to the heavy snowfalls of the last few days.

The team dismantled 60% of the base camp yesterday due to the risk of avalanches and part of them went down to Kathmandu in two helicopters, while other members descended on foot to Samagaun. As detailed SmallThe intention is to wait for the storm to subside, the snow settles and the mountain itself purges part of the large amount of snow that has fallen in these last two weeks.

“We have tried to hold on. We have worked to stay safe at base camp, but the more than 3 meters of accumulated snow, the risk of avalanches (level 5 on the European scale) and the prediction of more snow for the next few days has forced us to leave there temporarily for our safety“, explained the mountaineer from Bizkaia.

“In about a week we hope to be back. We still have more than 40 days to try our challenge of treading the Manaslu in winter“Meanwhile, Txikon and his team are working against the clock in Kathmandu, preparing again the loads of material (bamboo, rope, stoves for cooking …) that they will take to the base camp to try again to reach the top of the eighth highest mountain in the world. planet.

Losing height will also allow the team to oxygenate your body. “The mountain is loved, you have to respect it, and the last few days we have fallen so much snow that staying at the base camp was risking too much, so we are going to take advantage of the rest and we will come back to try hard. It’s only a few days , We are not going to lose the acclimatization that we have achieved. As soon as we are back, if the mountains allow it, we will get to work, “he assured Small.