Romanian mountaineers Alex Gavan and Horia Colibasanu will try to climb two of the world’s highest peaks in the following months.

Both Gavan and Colibasanu are among Romania’s top alpinists, each having climbed several eight-thousanders (peaks over 8,000 meters high) without using oxygen tanks and high altitude porters.

Alex Gavan, 32, announced he would leave on April 1 on another expedition in the Himalayas, trying to climb Lhotse, the world’s fourth highest peak (8,516 meters).

This will be his third attempt to climb this peak. In the 2012 spring climbing season, Gavan had to give up his expedition after he reached 7,600 meters, due to a pulmonary infection. He tried again in the autumn season, in the same year, but the bad weather forced him down after reaching 8,000 meters.

As in his previous attempts, Gavan will try to reach the peak without using oxygen tank and altitude porters (Sherpas).

Horia Colibasanu, 38, also left recently for an expedition in the Himalayas in which he will try to conquer the Manaslu peak (8,163 meters). His expedition has two parts. First he will try to climb to 8,000 meters on the normal route and to ski down and then he will try a new route to the top, on the north side of the mountain. Colibasanu will not use additional oxygen or Sherpas.

Horia Colibasanu has the most successful climbs over 8,000 meters, seven, having climbed the K2, Annapurna and Dhaulagiri peaks in the Himalayas, which are among the deadliest in the world. He climbed K2, the world’s second highest peak, in 2004, with no oxygen tanks and no Sherpas. He also climbed Manaslu in 2006 and Lhotse in 2013.

Alex Gavan, who is six years younger than Colibasanu, has already climbed four peaks over 8,000 meters, including Manaslu, in 2011.

editor@romania-insider.com