October 28, 2023
Sabai Glacier
IMG team members at the lake
A breach in the moraine with Kusum Kanguru behindÂ
The team with Mera on the acclimatization hike (Justin Sackett)
IMG guide Justin Sacket reports that the team had a nice acclimatization hike today, with some of the team exploring the glacial lake Sabai Tsho (also referred to as Tama Pokhari) while the rest of the team pushed higher up the valley towards Khare village, for better views of Mera Peak.
The story of Sabai Tsho/Tama Pokhari is a classic example of a GLOF (glacial lake outburst flood) which is a problem in many parts of Nepal, as glaciers have retreated leaving unstable lakes.  On September 3, 1998 a large avalanche descended the Sabai Glacier into the glacial lake that was impounded by the terminal moraine, causing a big wave that breached the moraine, sending a massive GLOF down the valley, running all the way to the confluence with the Dudh Kosi river many miles downsteam. A number of villages were hit and many people lost. In recent years there has been a lot of effort made in Nepal to identify the vulnerable lakes and villages, and to lower the lake levels in the ones that are precarious.
Eric Simonson