Manaslu 2025

As usual, we had a photo shoot at the summit. We didn't manage to do it right away, though. Two more people had climbed up before us. I thought they'd have their photo taken and then descended by the time we got there. No way. They had a crazy number of flags and banners. I had to wait while they took photos with them from different angles.

 And then our time came. Another advantage of walking almost without oxygen. Usually, when people reach the summit, they briefly remove their oxygen masks to take photos. Their faces are heavily dented by the masks, and literally a few minutes later, their bodies begin to feel like they've been deprived of oxygen—weakness and dizziness set in. And an urgent need for oxygen.

 Having almost reached the summit, I took off my backpack and clipped it to the rope. And from then on, everything on the summit (oh, you could say I reached the summit without oxygen) was done without a mask or oxygen. I wouldn't say my face was perfect—after all, walking at 8,000 meters in the sun and wind isn't exactly flattering—but my mask certainly wasn't wrinkled.

And we could wait our turn for photos and do all the other things at the summit without any worries, not to mention the lack of oxygen. It still wasn't needed (although the experience of suddenly warming up and accelerating was quite interesting).

 We probably sat for about half an hour, taking photos and looking at the world from above.

And then we headed back down.

I arrived at Manaslu Base Camp on September 20th. On the 22nd, I started, reached the summit at 5 a.m. on the 25th, and returned to Base Camp that evening.
The expedition took five days instead of the planned 25. I wasn't chasing speed—it just happened that way.

Lukas Furtenbach (his team made the first "xenon ascent" of Everest in the spring) even congratulated Abramov on "being the first Russian xenon ascent"—me. I did undergo a short xenon therapy course, but I didn't feel any "extra boost." Not because xenon is bad. But because I set out on an eight-thousander without acclimatization and without training specifically for the speed format. I summited and descended—but at what cost, that's another story.

I'll share a few conclusions.

1. Speed for the sake of speed is a dubious goal.

Yes, 25-30 days in the mountains is too much. People have time to burn out, get sick, or lose motivation. But the "arrived in three days, didn't really see anything, but spent two months preparing" scenario isn't mountaineering, it's a competitive race.

A healthy format for the future is 10-15-20 days. This is enough time to:
• switch from city life,
• rest your mind,
• communicate with people,
• experience the mountain, not just check in.

An expedition isn't just about the summit. It's about the process, the atmosphere, rest, adaptation, and experience. Sacrificing all this for a pretty number is foolish.

2. The shorter the expedition, the higher the cost of failure.

The classic format has a safety margin. You can arrive with a runny nose, lack of sleep, and a busy schedule—and gradually adjust. Recover, complete your treatment, reset your biorhythms, and get into the rhythm of the mountains.

With the speed option, there's no such leeway. You either arrive already "cleansed" of the city noise, or you're overcome along the route. This is especially true for entrepreneurs and managers—the body is preoccupied not with the mountains, but with thoughts of tasks and problems.

3. A true speed climb is expensive and energy-consuming.

If someone thinks they can simply "run an eight-thousander," they're mistaken. To climb quickly and safely, you need:
• 1.5–2 months in a hypoxic tent,
• regular consultations with doctors,
• hypoxic training at specialized centers,
• xenon (expensive and not yet fully understood),
• adjusting your sleep, nutrition, and recovery schedule.

For a busy person, this is disruptive and requires a serious budget and a significant investment of time. It's not something you can "do in between times."

4. How it really happened for me.

I went without acclimatization. I climbed "on pure willpower." And it was probably the most difficult experience of my life—and I've had my share of challenges.

Everything suffered:
• my body,
• my muscles,
• my internal organs,
• my psyche.

I thought about all the unpleasant things, felt fear, anger, and doubt. The pain didn't go away even after the descent. This isn't romanticism, it's not heroism—it's the price for being unprepared.
You definitely shouldn't do this!

5. Oxygen: the main conclusion.

I usually walk at a faster-than-average pace. But here it quickly became clear: I was failing. My heart rate skyrocketed, and I needed two inhales and two exhales for every step. The oxygen was supposed to arrive from Camp II, but I asked for it a little earlier. It felt better, but not critically so. The standard flow rate calculated for acclimatized people isn't enough – more is needed!

Key takeaways:
• With a high-speed format, oxygen may need to be turned on from Base Camp;
• Standard flow rates aren't suitable for someone without acclimatization;
• The faster the ascent, the more oxygen is needed.

What I think in the end:

Super-fast ascents only make sense in exceptional cases – record-breaking, sporting, or individual. Making a new standard out of this is dangerous.

The near future, as I see it:
• expeditions will be shorter,
• but not absurdly so,
• without physical and mental harm,
• with normal recovery,
• with life in camp, not rushed.

10-15-20 days instead of 25-30-40 is a realistic, healthy format for amateur climbers. It will make eight-thousanders more accessible and interesting, without burnout or consequences. But the shortening should be thoughtful, not a fad.

If my experience teaches anything, it's this: you can climb quickly. The question is, at what cost and for what purpose.

Artem Gurshtein, a member of the 7 Summits Club and a fellow climber, has completed a unique ascent of Manaslu, which could be recognized as a world record in several categories.

 Artem Gurshteyn (report): "So, friends, I'm returning home! The ascent took less than 44 hours (base camp - summit - base camp). The ascent began on September 22, 2025, at 3:30 a.m. The summit was reached on September 23, 2025, at 6:06 a.m. Descent to base camp was on September 23, 2025, at 10:58 p.m.

Arrived at base camp on September 21, 2025, at 12:55 p.m.

Departed for Kathmandu on September 24, 2025, at 7:52 a.m. The entire tour lasted 2 days and 19 hours.

All in all, less than 4 days in my beloved Nepal; I've never had such a fast-paced trip.

The founders of 14peaks Company say it's worthy of a Guinness World Record - time will tell.

The mountain is incredibly beautiful. Manaslu is the 8th highest in the world. The highest eight-thousander in the world, 8,163 meters. I experienced a wide range of emotions upon reaching the summit and had the strength to admire the beauty in detail during the descent.

 Artem Gurshtein:

This story dates back to September 2022, when I was part of the Skolkovo team at Professor Volkov's week-long training, sports, education, and, for some, even thought-activity module, "Two Summits". There, I first encountered mountains (mostly volcanoes and hills), and at the end of the program, we completed a very challenging (for me, at least) ascent of Koryaksky Volcano (3,456 meters). By fate, I was climbing in tandem with Professor Andrey Volkov, a Master of Sports of International Class in mountaineering, recent president of the Russian Mountaineering Federation, and the first rector of the Skolkovo Moscow School of Management.

It was incredibly challenging psychologically, even though I was "attached" to the professor. I was safe, on the one hand, but the sense of responsibility for moving in unison and carefully measuring every step, so as not to, God forbid, stumble and drag the teacher down with me and end up on Wikipedia, took a lot of energy. And at that moment, this climb became one of the most difficult events of my life! Something definitely changed upon my return, but I didn't yet understand what...

Then I learned about the "7 Summits" program and the "7 Summits Club" company, led by Alex Abramov, and in October of that year I climbed Kilimanjaro, and in December and January, Vinson Massif in Antarctica. Then there was Giluwe in Papua, Everest, more week-long "Two Summits" modules in September in Kamchatka, and more volcanoes and challenges.

 While on the third Kamchatka module, I learned that Alex Abramov wants to set a world record for the fastest ascent of the seven highest volcanoes on seven mountains. continents of the planet. I liked the idea and wanted to compete with a renowned climber... In the end, we completed the program in the same time (66 days), climbing to the summit of Antarctica's last volcano together.

 And then this June, Alex calls me and tells me passionately that new records for speed climbing on Everest were set in May and that we could try to prepare for the "fast" Manaslu. And that this would soon change the whole game, and we wouldn't have to spend so much time living in base camps and polluting the environment, etc., etc. Alex's idea immediately resonated with me, and I began preparing – acclimatizing at home. I sleep in a tent, gradually gaining altitude (the highest I slept was at 6,500 meters) and do daily IHT (interval hypoxic training) using a portable GIPOX device (I've completed over 50 IHT sessions from 1 hour to 1 hour 40 minutes). Alex Abramov, of course, is a master; he knew where the fertile ground was, where he could plant his next adventure))) An adventurer can spot another adventurer from afar.

In fact, the ingredients of this soup, called "Quick Manaslu," aren't complicated:

- idea (Alex Abramov) – 50%

- sleep in a hypoxic tent (400+ hours) – 20%

- Gipox IHT (70+ hours) – 20%

- discipline, morning exercises, faith in the outcome (foolishness and courage in common parlance), communication with professionals, support from family and friends… - 10%.

With Alex Abramov in Antarctica

 Greetings from Manaslu! The results of the 2025 expedition, and most importantly, the entire team reached the summit. 12 of us! Plus Borya Egorov and Alexey Sivkov, who were also with us. We'd like to highlight Dima Pilshchikov's record. He arrived in Kathmandu on September 20th and reached the summit on the 25th without acclimatization rotations. It wasn't easy, but he didn't give up. He underwent a short xenon therapy course in Moscow beforehand. Olya Rumyantseva attempted the ascent without oxygen and reached almost the summit (8,046 m). Artem Gurshteyn, a member of the 7 Summits Club, reached the summit of Manaslu in 44 hours from Base Camp. He also completed a short hypoxic training course beforehand. He consulted with us when preparing for his ascent. The other team members also did a great job, ascending and descending at a good pace, without any delays.

This is already my 17th summit above 8000 meters in my career. 12 Everests, 3 Cho Oyu (once without oxygen), and 2 Manaslu. I don't know if there are any other climbers in Russia who have summited 8000 meters peaks 17 times? Please respond.

The 2025 Manaslu expedition was successful, comfortable, and fast. I look forward to seeing everyone on Everest in the spring of 2026!

Congratulations to our climbers from the first group! They enjoyed excellent weather and, ahead of everyone else, were the first to reach the summit that day, September 24th. The queue was terrifying; standing at 8,150 meters and waiting was nothing to be envied. As usual, many participants will be rushing home after the summit, so congratulations and awards were distributed on the first evening together at base camp.

Our second group, led by Andrey Berezin, also made it to the summit. Its members are spending the night at Camps 2 and 1. We await information about their descent to base camp tomorrow so we can send them well-deserved congratulations!

 MANASLU 2025. The second group, led by Andrey Berezin, has reached the summit of Manaslu in its entirety! Members include: Yuri Dyachuk, Vasily Kernitsky, Dmitry Pil'shchikov and Olga Rumyantseva. Dmitry Pil'shchikov made a blitz ascent from Base Camp to the summit in five days, using xenon in preparation!

Olga Rumyantseva is currently descending to Camp 4, where Andrey Berezin awaits her. The remaining members are descending to the lower camps. Expedition leader Alexander Abramov is waiting for everyone at Camp 1.

The members of the first group are now at Base Camp and preparing for their flight to Kathmandu.

Photos and video from the ascent on September 24

The 7 Summits Club guide Boris Egorov reports from Nepal:

Greetings from Nepal! Hooray, it's finally happened! Alexey and I are now rightfully part of the 8000 Club, and Manaslu has been summited! We spent the night at Camp 1, reached Camp 3, and wondered what to wait. After a few hours' rest, we set out to climb. We were exhausted by the queues, but successfully reached the summit the next morning. We've now completed all forms of mountaineering, but we're not planning on stopping. We still have plenty of ideas!

Early this morning, the first group of the 8000 Club expedition, led by Alexander Abramov, reached the summit of Manaslu. Six climbers were involved: Roman Sklyar, Evgeny Fedorov, Alexey Aksyonov, Daniele Wolfson, Vladislav Khomkov, and Farid Sagutdinov. Alexander Abramov also served as guide and leader. And, of course, thanks to our high-altitude Sherpa guides! The first group is descending; they almost reached Camp 2 at 12:00 Moscow time.

The second group, led by guide Andrey Berezin, is ascending to Camp 4 at 7,300 meters to begin their summit bid that night.

Manaslu Expedition 2025. Our three groups are currently located in three different camps. Group 1, with Alexander Abramov, is at Camp 3 (6,800 m), Group 2, with Andrey Berezin, has ascended to Camp 2 (6,300 m), and Group 3 (5,600 m) is at Camp 1.

Tomorrow, Group 1 will ascend to Camp 4 (7,400 m), while Groups 2 and 3 will ascend to Camp 3. The weather is clear, the night is cool, and everything is as planned. Group guides are Alexander Abramov and Andrey Berezin.

Alexander Abramov's report: Teams 1 and 2 have reached Camp 1. Altitude: 5,600 meters. We ascended from Base Camp in four hours. Getting ready for dinner. Everything is great. Guides: Alexander Abramov and Andrey Berezin. 

The team is preparing to climb Manaslu. We've split into two teams. The first (7 people) is led by Alexander Abramov and is scheduled to summit on September 24th. The second (6 people) is led by Andrey Berezin and is scheduled to summit on September 25th.

The weather is favorable, with a good weather window promised. There will definitely be traffic jams along the route, as these are likely the only five days when the summit will be possible. The weather will worsen after September 26th-27th.

We won't be taking Starlink with us to avoid distractions from the climb. Expect results on September 24th-25th.

Manaslu 2025. On the second rest day at Base Camp, we conducted training with oxygen equipment. Participants learned many interesting nuances of using this equipment.

The weather is improving in the coming days. We have already drawn up an ascent plan, dividing the expedition into three parts:

September 21 - We leave for Camp 1 (Groups 1 and 2).

September 22 - Group 1 goes to Camp 3, Group 2 goes to Camp 2, Group 3 goes to Camp 1.

September 23 - Group 1 - Camp 4; Group 2 - Camp 3; Group 3 - Camp 3.

September 24 - Group 1 - summit push; Group 2 - Camp 4; Group 3 - Camp 4.

September 25 - Groups 2 and 3 - summit push.

Group guides Alexander Abramov and Andrey Berezin.

Manaslu 2025. Yesterday we reached Camp 2 at 6,300 meters. A terrible snowfall began in the evening. The tents were torn apart, and we had to shake them clean of wet snow all night.

In the morning, the wet snow continued to fall. Both the trail and the ropes were buried. The snow was knee-deep. All night I recalled avalanches on Manaslu. Back in 2008, I think, 22 people were buried at Camp 2. And then a few years later, 16 people at Camp 3. So, we decided to begin our descent before we were buried too.

Wet snow along the way, and rain at Base Camp. All our clothes were soaked. The only good thing is that the team completed the acclimatization plan. We spent the night at 6,300 meters. Many of us had headaches. Now we'll rest for three days at Base Camp. And after September 20th, when the route is ready, we'll set out for the summit push.

Avalanches are constantly falling from all the couloirs around Base Camp. And by the way, our team still hasn't seen the summit of Manaslu, as the route is covered in clouds, fog, snow, and rain.

Expedition guides: Alexander Abramov and Andrey Berezin.

Manaslu News. The 8000 Club expedition team reached Camp 2 at 6,300 meters today. The climb wasn't easy, with climbers scaling vertical walls and queuing for the remaining fixed ropes. Wet snow is falling constantly, so everything is wet. Visibility is none. Avalanche-prone slopes are constantly being cleared of snow. But we're holding on for now. Tomorrow we'll reach Camp 3 at 6,650 meters and then descend directly to Base Camp.

Expedition guides Alexander Abramov and Andrey Berezin.

The 7 Summits Club guide Boris Egorov sends a message from Nepal:

Greetings to everyone from the slopes of Manaslu! Our small team descended to base camp after acclimatization climb. We stood in lines, but felt comfortable. We reached Camp III at 6650 m. Overall, we've acclimatized well, and now we're waiting for the ropes to be fixed to the summit.

The main part of the team of the Club 8000 expedition to Manaslu after the puja climbed to Camp 1. This is a real high-altitude camp at an altitude of 5642 meters. It is equipped with the maximum possible comfort for such conditions. As usual, we have the best service compared to other companies. The team will stay overnight in this place. Tomorrow, the ascent to Camp 2 at an altitude of 6300 meters. There, the night will be spent and the next day, September 17, the ascent to the 7000-meter mark and descent to the base camp. After which the team will rest and calculate the best weather window for storming the summit.

Today, a festive puja ceremony was held at the Manaslu Base Camp. This is the consecration of our expedition. Two lama priests came. The whole team not only received a blessing, but also blessed our equipment. They tied red ropes on us. Today we are heading out to Camp 1 (5600 m) and then the next day to Camp 2 (6300 m). We spend the night. We reach Camp 3 and on the same day, September 17, we plan to descend down to the Base Camp.

Guides Alexander Abramov and Andrey Berezin.

The Manaslu-25 group rested today after going to the first camp. It has been raining all day, so instead of ice training, we held rope training in the canteen of the base camp. Tomorrow we have a puja and then we go out for two days to the first and second camps.

Guides Alexander Abramov and Andrey Berezin.

The 7 Summits Club Guide Boris Egorov reports from Nepal:

Greetings from the Manaslu base camp! Today they held a solemn Puja ceremony here. And now we are ready to move higher. Tomorrow we leave for the first rotation, and the internal mood is as if we were already going to the summit. We have been sitting in one place for too long.

Our Manaslu-25 team today in full force climbed to Camp 1 at the height of Elbrus – 5642 meters. It is surprisingly warm here. And our excellent camp is set up, with a dining room, tables and chairs. The cook is making soup and frying chicken. And strong, spacious tents with sleeping bags are waiting for us.

Group guides Alexander Abramov and Andrey Berezin.