UK mountaineer Valerie Parkinson has climbed Manaslu without using oxygen. Valerie was part of the Altitude Junkies Manaslu Expedition, and was climbing with Phil Crampton and Tarki Sherpa of Nepal.

Valerie commented:

"We all summited without supplementary oxygen and reached the true summit. We believe I am the first British woman to summit without supplementary oxygen."

Valerie is 49 years old and hails from Blackpool. She works as a trek leader and Asia Base Manager for Exodus Travels UK.

Valerie explained her previous experience:

"I have done trekking peaks up to 6400m before... I am not a climber and Manaslu was my first 8000m peak. I was with Phil Crampton and his company Altitude Junkies. Phil taught me how to climb on the mountain."

There have been very few British expeditions to Manaslu (8,163m & eighth highest mountain in the world). Adele Pennington recently made the first British female ascent (UKC News) with Jagged Globe. Valerie's ascent is likely the second British female ascent.