Climbers missing after avalanche hits Himlung Base Camp—sixteen missing.

UPDATE: 16 people impacted: 14 kitchen staff members and two climbing guides from different companies were missing. Two bodies recovered

Climbers missing after avalanche struck the Base Camp of Himlung Himal (7,126 m), in Manang district—fourteen people are missing.

Himlung has been heavily marketed since Nepal floated the idea of requiring a 7,000-meter climb in Nepal before applying for an Everest permit. The rule is going through Nepal’s governmental approval process but is not in place as of September 2026, and probably will not be in time for the Everest 2027 Spring season.

Mingma G told the Everest Chronicle that two members of his kitchen staff were among those missing.

“I repeatedly asked them to leave the camp from the day before yesterday, but they wanted to remain there,” Mingma G reported from Samagaon. “They came down briefly and then went back to base camp. They were swept away by the avalanche on Sunday morning.”

Media reports say two of those unaccounted for are from Imagine Nepal Pvt Ltd, and eight are from Himalayan Holidays Nepal. “I am waiting for details about the incident,” Bibhuti Chand Thakur, founder of Himalayan Holidays, told Everest Chronicle.

Historic Snowfall

Nepal and surrounding areas have been hit hard by a typhoon that made landfall last week, bringing heavy snow and local flooding throughout the area. Nepal authorities issued warnings and even closed several areas to trekkers. However, climbers and trekkers still entered the areas. Helicopters are mostly grounded, and conditions have made it difficult for ground teams to reach Himlung. Helicopter flights require an additional permit, adding to the difficulties of reaching the mountain.

Although most of the approximately 35 teams on Manaslu left, a few individuals stayed at Base Camp, hoping to wait out the storm and try the summit. Officially, their permits go through October. Six climbers also remain at the Base Camp on Dhaulagiri, also in wait-and-see mode.

However, with this much snow, the fixed ropes will be buried and have to be reset (who pays for that?), and it will take days, perhaps even two weeks, for the new snow to bond safely to the base—and that assumes no new snow as we move closer to winter.

Nepal issued a record 493 permits for Manaslu; thus, with support, there were over 1,000 people on the peak—about the same as Everest this past Spring. Only the rope team has summited this season.

Impact for Trekking Season?

Late September going into October marks the peak of Nepal’s trekking season, with thousands, if not tens of thousands, of visitors enjoying the stunning views around Annapurna, Manaslu and the Khumbu.

Nepal News notes that the upper Khumbu has seen heavy snowfall and that, on the popular trekking peak Island Peak, seven European tourists of Chinese origin were rescued from the 6,165-meter climbing destination within Sagarmatha National Park.

More than 1,200 visitors are estimated to be in the Everest region. Local authorities and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality have released advisories urging trekkers, guides, and porters to stay away from snowbound sites such as Thukla, Thoraksep, and Gokyo until the weather improves.

Note: The avalanche picture is representative and not related to this one.

My condolences to the families of all involved.