KATHMANDU: Two record-holding climbers—Simone Moro of Italy and Nepal’s Nima Rinji Sherpa—left today for the Mt. Everest region to prepare for a daring winter ascent of the world’s eighth-highest mountain, Manaslu.

Attempting an 8,000m peak in winter is among mountaineering's most formidable challenges. To date, Manaslu has seen only four winter expeditions, with a total of 15 people having successfully summited the peak in the winter season.

“Simone and Nima Rinji will be attempting to climb Manaslu this winter without using supplemental oxygen or Sherpa support,” said Tashi Lakpa Sherpa, Chief Executive Officer of 14 Peaks Expedition. According to Moro, no one has ever climbed any 8,000m peak in winter in a pure alpine style—without oxygen, Sherpa support, fixed ropes, or an extensive base camp.

Last January, the duo abandoned their climb on Manaslu after adverse weather made an alpine-style summit push impossible. “Now, we are both returning to the mountain,” said Moro.

“From 2015 to 2025, I tried to reach the winter summit six times, never giving up,” Moro stated before leaving for the Khumbu region to acclimatize on Mera Peak on Wednesday morning.

Manaslu, an 8,163-meter peak in the west-central Himalayas on the Nepal-Tibet border, is part of the Mansiri Himal range. Climbing it during winter is particularly daunting due to extreme cold and the potential for heavy snowfall.

“We will acclimatize on Mera Peak for a week or more and then attempt to scale Manaslu in alpine style without bottled oxygen,” Moro said, adding that he and Nima Rinji will be joined on Manaslu by a Polish videographer to document their daring ascent.

Simone Moro, born on October 27, 1967, is an Italian alpinist renowned for making the first winter ascents of four eight-thousanders: Shishapangma (2005), Makalu (2009), Gasherbrum II (2011), and Nanga Parbat (2016). He has also summited Everest four times (2000, 2002, 2006, and 2010). A holder of multiple world records in mountaineering, Moro is also an experienced helicopter pilot. According to the Sherpa team, this marks Moro’s 110th visit to Nepal.

Nima Rinji Sherpa, from Makalu, is the youngest person ever to summit all 14 peaks above 8,000m, a feat he achieved at age 18 as a UNDP climate influencer. He holds numerous records, including being the world's youngest climber to summit Gasherbrum I and II, as well as the youngest to summit Manaslu and Nanga Parbat. Previously, at 17 years and 35 days, he set the world record for the youngest to climb Everest and Lhotse as a double-header, summiting both within 10 hours. He is also the youngest person ever to summit Kanchenjunga.