1324 NEPAL - Manaslu, Mountain of the Spirit

Manaslu, which means "Mountain of the Spirit", also known as Kutang, or Pung-Gyen (The Bracelet), the eighth highest mountain in the world (8,156m), is located in the Mansiri Himal, in the northern Himalayan range, in the west-central part of Nepal. The mountain's long ridges and valley glaciers offer feasible approaches from all directions, and culminate in a peak that towers steeply above its surrounding landscape, and is a dominant feature when viewed from afar. It was first climbed on May 9, 1956 by Toshio Imanishi and Gyalzen Norbu, members of a Japanese expedition. It is said that "just as the British consider Everest their mountain, Manaslu has always been a Japanese mountain". Until May 2008, the mountain has been climbed 297 times with 53 fatalities.

Apart from climbing Manaslu, trekking is popular in this mountain region, as part of the Manaslu Circuit, a route of 177km, skirts the Manaslu massif over the pass down to Annapurna. The trekking trail follows an ancient salt-trading route along the Budhi Gandaki river. En route, 10 peaks over 6,500m are visible, including a few over 7,000m. A glacial saddle known as Larkya La, with an elevation of 5,106me, lies north of Manaslu. The peak is bounded on the east by the Ganesh Himal and the Buri Gandaki River gorge, on the west by the deep fissures of the Marysyangdi Khola with its Annapurna range of hills, to the south is the Gorkha town at the foot of the hill. Unlike many other regions, this valley is a sanctuary to many highly endangered animals, including snow leopards and pandas. Over 110 species of birds, 33 mammals, 11 butterflies and 3 reptiles have been recorded. Conservation of wild life in the area has been achieved by monks of the monasteries in the area by putting a hunting ban in place.

About the stamp

The stamp is part of the series Local Markets, issued on March 23, 2010, and comprising two pairs of two stamps:
• Pasar Siti Khadijah, Kelantan - left (30 MYR)
• Pasar Siti Khadijah, Kelantan - right (30 MYR)
• Pasar Kraf Tangan, Sabah - left (50 MYR) - it's on other postcard
• Pasar Kraf Tangan, Sabah - right (50 MYR) - it's on the postcard

References
Manaslu - Wikipedia

Sender: Yen Chen
Sent from Sabah (Malaysia), on 17.03.2014