Lehmann, Unger summit Manaslu, the world’s eighth highest peak

Alumni Scott Lehmann, '12 & G-'15, and Shayna Unger, '14 & G-'17, reached the top of Manaslu, the world's eighth highest peak, on September 24. Manaslu, at 26,781 feet (8,163 meters), is in the Nepalese Himalayas, in west central Nepal.

As with their previous visits to Nepal, Scott and Shayna spent several weeks acclimating to the high elevation and doing rotations - essentially dry runs - from base camp to higher camps. They arrived in Nepal during monsoon season and waited patiently with their sherpas for optimum climbing conditions.

The trip up Manaslu began on September 21 and took four days, from Base Camp (17,510 feet) to Camp 1 (18, 150 feet), Camp 1 to Camp 2 (20,460 feet), Camp 2 to Camp 3 (22,440 feet), and the final push to the summit via Camp 4 (24,420 feet). They arrived on September 24 at 6:12 a.m. Nepal Standard Time.

Once again, Scott and Shayna were accompanied by twin brothers Mingma Dorchi Sherpa and Mingma Tenje Sherpa. This was their third expedition together, during which they scaled four Himalayan peaks - Mount Everest and Lhotse in May 2023, Makalu in May 2024, and Manaslu this week. Everest is the tallest mountain in the world at 29,032 feet; Lhotse, Makalu, and Manaslu are the fourth, fifth, and eighth tallest.

Scott and Shayna have now climbed the highest peaks on four continents - North America, South America, Asia, and Africa. Their overarching goal is to join the exclusive group of people - less than 500 worldwide - who have reached the Seven Summits, the highest points on each continent. Still ahead are Mount Elbrus (Europe, 18,510 feet), Puncak Jaya (Oceania, 16,024 feet), and Vinson Massif (Antarctica, 16,050 feet). Despite their significantly lower elevations compared to Mount Everest, Aconcagua, Denali, and Kilimanjaro, these three peaks each present their own unique challenges.

After returning to the United States, Scott and Shayna will announce where they will go next.

Congratulations, Scott and Shayna!
Read our web article about Scott and Shayna's summit of Mount Everest and Lhotse.

Read our Gallaudet Todayarticle about Scott and Shayna's summit of Mount Everest and Lhotse, on pages 48-55 of the Fall-Winter 2023 issue.