Tilman wrote in 1950: From this belvedere we looked over the dark forest to the debris of a glacier below and beyond to the cirque at the foot of Manaslu from which it flowed. On the right two sky piercing towers of rock and ice struck us with amazement, almost eclipsing by their savage splendour the calm, monumental mass of Manaslu. From a low snow col the long north ridge of the mountain climbed airily over a bump of the order of 25,000 ft., dropped 1,000 ft., and then rose sharply to a snow plateau. On this remote pedestal, standing well back, stood the summit pyramid.