25 climbers and skiers were caught in an avalanche that swept through camp 3 at 7000 meters on Manaslu (8156 meters) to the North-West of Katmandu. So far 13 have been found alive, a German and Nepalese guide have been confirmed amongst the dead. Other climbers, including Rémy Léclus are missing. The avalanche occurred at 4.30 this Sunday. Five injured climbers have been taken to hospital in Katmando including Arnaud Manel and Claude Belmas (Expes expedition). Statistically Manaslu is the 4th most dangerous 8000 meter mountain after Annapurna, Nanga Parbat and K2.

Rémy Lécluse (Mountain Guide and Adventure Skier based in Chamonix), Grégory Costa (Courchevel Ski Instructor) and Glen Plake has been hoping to make the summit over the weekend, Costa is also reported as missing but Plake has survived the avalanche with cuts and bruises.

Teams has been beaten back by a severe storm in the days preceding the avalanche.

Ludovic Challéat and Fabrice Priez, both guides from the Haute-Savoie are also missing. Reports says Four French amongst the dead.

A number of teams were on Manaslu due to the ban on climbing Shishapangma in Tibet by the Chinese authorities. Ludovic Challéat was part of the Expes team:-

http://www.expes.com/Manaslu/2012/Manaslu.htm

Chamonix guide Christian Trommsdorff has said no real hope of finding the missing climbers alive, 3 French guides based in Chamonix said to be amongst the dead.

more here:
http://daily.epictv.com/blog/2012/09/23/avalanche-on-manaslu-plake-alive-remy-and-greg-missing/

epictv had been following all their recent exploits!

fingers crossed for all the families. and glen plake is one very lucky man at this stage.

It has been confirmed this morning that 39 year old High Mountain Guide Ludovic Challéat and 42 year old Fabrice Priez, Guide and Ski Instructor died in the avalanche along with their team mates Catherine Ricard and 52 year old Philippe Bos from the Paris region. Challéat and Priez were chief guides on the Expés team. Ricard had previously climbed on Gasherbrum-II.

The search and rescue operation has stopped with no hope of finding either Rémy Lécluse or Grégory Costa alive according to reports from base camp relayed by Christian Trommsdorff of the French Guides Association. A Canadian, Dominique Ouimet, is also missing presumed dead. It is doubtful whether the S&R operation will resume given the difficulty of accessing the terrain between camp 3 and camp 2. “The debris covers a zone of crevasses and it is unlikely that the missing men will ever be found”, according to Trommsdorff.

“In the high mountains we face death each day without even thinking about it. Knowing I’m mortal gives me an even greater desire to live.” - R.Lécluse

Beni Böhm and Sebastien Haag from Dynafit describe the Manaslu Avalanche and their part in the rescue operation

http://4-seasons.tv/film/cho-oyu-expedition-manaslu-10-lawine - link in German

skype with Glen P
http://daily.epictv.com/blog/2012/09/27/epictv-weekly-22-manaslu-avalanche-glen-plakes-story/

Thanks for the update

Remy’s body was found by Sherpas on Tuesday in a crevasse.