Annapurna Expedition

First climbed by Herzog & Lachenal in 1950, Annapurna at 8091m is the 10th highest mountain in the world. The Annapurna lies in the North-central Nepal stretching along with Lamjung Himal from the Kali Gandaki in the west to the Marshyangdi in the east. Annapurna which adjacent to the tourist capital of Nepal Pokhara was the first eight-thousander to be climbed. The four summits with the entire massif of Annapurna form the northern barrier of Pokhara Valley. The main summit stands to the west of the Annapurna Sanctuary. The mountain has glaciers on its western and north-western slopes which drain into a great gorge cut through the Himalaya by the Kaligandaki River.

However, despite being the first eight thousander to be climber, Annapurna is still one of the least climbed 8,000er peaks. The reason is that all the routes on the mountain pose severe difficulties for climbing. The Annapurnas are considered the world's most dangerous mountains to climb due to the peaks prone to avalanches and the high rate of fatality. The difficulty of climbing Annapurna comes from the noted American climber, Ed Viesturs, who launched in 1994 a project aimed at climbing all fourteen 8000 meter peaks without oxygen, "Annapurna is all about objective danger, it's all about the glacial architecture. There are these big ice cliffs and seracs, and the question is: are the seracs leaning forward or leaning back? It comes down to that." We make our ascent from the Kaligandaki valley enjoying natural hot water spring, exploring icefall and observing the Thakali people and their way of life.