MYAGDI: The spring climbing season has begun on Annapurna I, the world’s tenth-highest peak.
The 8,091-meter peak lies in Annapurna Rural Municipality-4, Narchyang, in Myagdi district. A team led by Lakpa Sherpa of Seven Summit Treks successfully reached the summit on Saturday, marking the start of this year’s climbing season.
The expedition included seven Nepali and five foreign climbers. In a separate ascent, a Sherpa guide along with two climbers from the Netherlands and Australia reached the summit at 10:15 am on Saturday, according to Tej Bahadur Gurung of Maurice Herzog Trek.
“The first team has successfully summited Annapurna this season,” Gurung said, adding that climbers and support staff have started moving toward the base camp.
According to the Department of Tourism, 27 climbers from four expedition teams have received permits to climb Annapurna this season. The department has collected Rs 12.49 million in revenue from the permits, said branch officer Sharmila Banjade.
Last spring, 66 climbers had obtained permits for Annapurna. Activity has increased at the base camp, with climbers and tourism groups arriving from various expedition companies.
Maurice Herzog first summited Annapurna in 1950, marking the first ascent of an the peak. Three years later, in 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first to summit Mount Everest.
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