Camp 2 Manaslu 22,000 feet. The point of no return. We looked at the ice cliff 3000 feet above this camp and the 45 degree loaded slopes and despite the dollars and time spent to get there, decided it was too much risk. If it went, there would be little or now chance. It's extremely easy to go, but very difficult to back off, especially when the objective is exotic and difficult to get to. That was a miserable discussion that day and in the eyes of about a hundred people that stayed didn't make it any easier. But we stuck to our guns and pulled off. Unfortunately, the very next year, at the exact same spot, our worst fears were confirmed when the ice cliff set off an enormous avalanche that killed 13 people and hurt many others. Why did we pull off when so many others don't? The answer to that question is the heart and soul of what drives people to the highest peaks in the world. It's personal and there is no right or wrong answer. I know this because the spectrum of people that die in those peaks ranges from beginners to the best of the best. If that doesn't humble you and make you respect those peaks, nothing will. That's how i look at it anyway........
How do you look at it?
