By Guy McCarthy
A 24-year-old climber from Hermosa Beach is in the Nepalese Himalaya right now, attempting a solo ascent of the eighth-highest mountain in the world, according to his family and sponsors.
Nine months ago, Nicholas Rice was high on K2 in northeast Pakistan's Karakoram Range when 11 climbers died in one of the deadliest episodes in recent mountaineering history.
Rice prudently opted to retreat on the world's second-highest mountain due to circumstances that included a delayed start on summit day, avalanche dangers, and crowding on the treacherous route to the top. News of the deaths and dramatic rescue efforts unfolded over several days and made global headlines.
In the latest information available this week, Rice was 30 days into his current expedition and waiting for a suitable weather window to make his summit push on Manaslu, which rises to a wind-raked summit of 8,156 meters -- more than 26,750 feet above sea level.
Manaslu - a Sanskrit name meaning "Mountain of the Spirit" - stands high in the Nepalese Himalaya and northwest of Kathmandu.
For more on Rice's current expedition, visit his Web site here.
For previous reports on Rice's ordeal on K2, click here.
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Image of Nick Rice in Camp 1 on Manaslu courtesy of Rebecca Rice.
September 2005 image of Manaslu courtesy of Richard Shilling.
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