KATHMANDU: Nepal's climbing community is gearing up for autumn mountaineering expeditions, putting aside sorrow and grief in the aftermath of the devastating Bhotekoshi floods.

The Expedition Operators Association of Nepal (EOAN), an umbrella body of expedition outfitters, is fully prepared to run autumn expeditions on major mountains including Mt. Manaslu, Mt. Dhaulagiri, and Himlung Himal, said EOAN General Secretary Rishi Ram Bhandari.

"Though our industry has been hit hard by the catastrophic flooding in Rasuwa, we are rallying with full energy to keep our country's economy moving," Bhandari said, adding that the mountain tourism industry is one of the major lifelines of Nepal's economy.

Tourism operators also lost hundreds of trekking and tour clients, as well as guides and hospitality service providers, in the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli corridor after the massive floods swept away settlements and infrastructure on August 26. Foreign embassies and international missions in Nepal have already issued travel advisories to their nationals following the tragedy.

"Except for the Rasuwa-Nuwakot area along the affected corridor, the rest of Nepal is fully safe for travelers to visit," Bhandari said, adding that foreign climbers have already started arriving in Kathmandu to begin Manaslu expeditions.

Expedition organizers said the base camp is being set up on Mt. Manaslu, and EOAN's rope-fixing team has already reached the mountain to begin fixing the route. "We are committed to providing uninterrupted service to expedition teams on every mountain, as in the past," Bhandari said.

EOAN is also closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with government agencies and tourism bodies, including the Nepal Tourism Board, Bhandari said. EOAN expects around 400 foreign climbers to join the Manaslu expedition this autumn, after China closed mountaineering on Cho Oyu and Shishapangma for 2026.

Most of the largest outfitters including Seven Summit Treks, 8K Expeditions, 14 Peaks Expedition, Satori Adventure, Imagine Nepal Treks, Elite Exped, Glacier Himalaya Treks, Himalayan Guides Nepal, Shangri-La Nepal Treks, and Asian Trekking among others have already supplied necessary logistics and support to the base camp on Mt. Manaslu. Expedition operators hope the summit bid on Mt. Manaslu will start early in the third week of September.

The Department of Tourism (DoT) said it has already started issuing permits for autumn expeditions. The DoT collects a royalty of USD 3,000 from each foreign climber on Mt. Manaslu in the autumn season.

Today, we officially received the Manaslu Climbing permits for our three expedition teams from the Department of Tourism, said Pemba Sherpa, chairman at 8K Expeditions.

“The permits are secured, the teams are ready and the journey to Manaslu (8,163 m) officially begins,” Sherpa said wishing all climbers, guides, Sherpas and support teams a safe, strong and successful expedition.