Manasluमनास्लु
The 'Mountain of the Spirit' (from Sanskrit manasa) towers over the Budhi Gandaki valley in Gorkha district. Since China restricted Cho Oyu access it has become the busiest commercial 8,000er after Everest — and the centre of the 'true summit' debate settled by drone surveys in 2021.
Height
8,163 m
World rank
#8
among the world's highest mountains
First ascent
1956
9 May 1956
District
Gorkha
Gandaki Province
- Border
- Entirely in Nepal
- Standard route
- Northeast Face
9 May 1956
Summit party
Toshio Imanishi (Japan) & Gyalzen Norbu Sherpa (Nepal)
Japanese expedition led by Yuko Maki
Manaslu became 'the Japanese mountain' the way Everest was British and Annapurna French.
What the record shows
Decades of 'summit' photos were taken short of the corniced true top; since 2021 operators and chroniclers require the true-summit point, reached via the final ridge.
The first ascent followed years of local opposition in Samagaun after a 1954 avalanche was blamed on earlier attempts — the 1956 team negotiated access with gifts and a donation to rebuild a monastery.
The surrounding Manaslu Conservation Area hosts the increasingly popular Manaslu Circuit trek over Larkya La (5,106 m).
Firsts & records
First winter ascent: 12 January 1984 — Maciej Berbeka & Ryszard Gajewski (Poland)
Safety record
Fatality-rate compilations put Manaslu near 7% of summits historically; a 2012 avalanche killed 11 climbers in one night, and crowded post-2020 seasons have brought new risks.
Fatality 'rates' are summits-to-deaths ratios that shift as traffic grows — the year of each figure is stated.
Most visitors experience this region not by climbing but on foot: Nepal's trekking routes reach base camps and viewpoints beneath Manaslu without the technical risks of the summit.
The peak in context
The highlighted marker is this mountain; the others show all eight of Nepal's eight-thousanders.
Manaslu — frequently asked
How tall is Manaslu?+
Manaslu is 8,163 m high, making it the 8th-highest mountain in the world. It lies in the Mansiri Himal on the Nepali side, entirely within Nepal.
When was Manaslu first climbed, and by whom?+
Manaslu was first summited on 9 May 1956 by Toshio Imanishi (Japan) & Gyalzen Norbu Sherpa (Nepal), as part of the Japanese expedition led by Yuko Maki.
How dangerous is Manaslu?+
Fatality-rate compilations put Manaslu near 7% of summits historically; a 2012 avalanche killed 11 climbers in one night, and crowded post-2020 seasons have brought new risks.
Where is Manaslu located in Nepal?+
Manaslu sits in Gorkha district of Gandaki Province. The standard climbing line is the Northeast Face.
Sources & data note
Profile of Manaslu compiled from the listed sources. Heights follow UIAA-accepted surveys; ascent and fatality statistics derive from Himalayan Database compilations and are dated in the text.