A mountaineering team including 15 men of the Bahrain’s Royal Guard Defense Force and three Britons, landed in Kathmandu on Wednesday, September 16 2020. The expedition will be led by Prince Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

Nepal closed its borders in March and grounded international flights just ahead of the busy spring climbing season, devastating the local tourism sector.

Royal’s including three Britons – would stay quarantine for six days in a Kathmandu hotel for a week before flying via helicopter to the climbing base camp.

And the 18-member was given permission to climb the 8,163 meter Mt. Manaslu, and the 6,119 meter from sea level Mt. Lobuche.

Mt. Manaslu is the world’s eighth highest mountain.

According to Expedition Organizer, this team is climbing the two peaks in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic as a part of preparation to summit world highest peak Mt. Everest in the spring of 2021.

Prince Khalifa is a member of the royal family of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the commander of Bahrain’s Royal Guard.