KATHMANDU: The Expedition Operators Association (EOA), alongside the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), today flagged off the rope-fixing team for Mt. Manaslu as international climbers prepare to ascend the world’s eighth-highest peak during the 2026 autumn climbing season.

The ceremonial handover of the Manaslu summit flag and ropes took place this afternoon at Hotel Manaslu in Kathmandu, with EOA President Dambar Parajuli, NMA President Phur Gelje Sherpa, and EOA executives extending their best wishes to the team.

Parajuli and Sherpa presented the Nepali national flag, along with flags bearing the logos of the Department of Tourism and the EOA, to rope-fixing team leader Chhiring Bhote. These flags will be symbolically placed on the summit and retrieved after a successful ascent.

According to Parajuli, the rope-fixing operation, coordinated by EOA General Secretary Rishi Ram Bhandari, will receive logistical support from expedition organizing agencies.

The team is set to depart for Manaslu in a day or two. The 2026 autumn rope-fixing team for Manaslu comprises Chhiring Bhote as leader, with Lopsang Bhote, Ngima Sherpa, Pam Dorjee Sherpa, Furi Sherpa, Pasang Gyaljen Sherpa, and Karma Sarki Sherpa as members.

This year as well, the EOA selected and appointed a dedicated team, arranged all necessary gear and equipment, and secured payment for the expedition. The EOA estimates that over 300 foreign climbers, along with Nepali mountaineers and guides, will attempt to scale Mt. Manaslu.

By assuming direct oversight, the EOA aims to ensure a more streamlined, coordinated, and efficient rope-fixing process. The team, overseen by General Secretary Bhandari, will manage the operation all the way to the summit, stated President Parajuli.

EOA General Secretary Bhandari highlighted the vital role of local climbers in Nepal’s mountaineering industry. “We are entrepreneurs because of our climbers. Nepal’s mountains and mountaineers share a unique bond, and Himalayan expeditions are unimaginable without Nepali climbers. We wish both teams every success,” Bhandari said.

During the flag-off ceremony, the President of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) Sagar Pandey wished the team success, emphasizing the need to jointly raise their voices for the betterment of the tourism sector, as a new Tourism Bill is being enacted.

The EOA has been managing and deploying its own teams to carry out route-opening and rope-fixing operations on most peaks, including Mt. Everest.