The spring climbing season on Mt Annapurna (8,091 meters) in Myagdi district has officially begun, with 32 climbers reaching the summit on the first day. The mountain lies within Annapurna Rural Municipality-4.
According to the Nepal Mountaineering Association, the successful summit bids took place between 8 am and 11 am on Monday. The climbers included Nepali Sherpas and foreign mountaineers.
The Association’s General Secretary Mohan Lamsal said the group included nine climbers from Seven Summit Treks, eight from Pioneer Adventure, nine from Elite Exped, three from Imagine Nepal, and two from Makalu Adventure. Favorable weather conditions contributed to the high number of successful ascents, he added.
However, the day also saw a tragic incident as two Sherpa guides—Rima Sherpa and Nima Tashi Sherpa from Solukhumbu—went missing after an avalanche struck between Camp Two and Camp Three. A helicopter and a search team have been deployed to locate them but the fate of the climbers remains unknown.
Climber Migma Sherpa shared his experience on social media, describing the climb as life-threatening. “Dry conditions, numerous crevasses, and a deadly avalanche between Camp Two and Camp Three made survival difficult,” he wrote. “Though I summited, I bid farewell to Annapurna. Her beauty always attracted me, but I cannot risk my life again.”
A total of 66 climbers have secured permits to scale Annapurna this spring, up from 25 last year. The Annapurna Base Camp, at 4,190 meters, is currently teeming with climbers, guides, Sherpas, workers, and tourists.
So far, 520 people have successfully climbed Annapurna, according to the Department of Tourism. The first successful ascent was made in 1950 by French climber Maurice Herzog. A trekking route named after him—linking Narchang and the base camp—follows the path he took during that historic climb.
Visitors can reach the base camp by traveling 22 kilometers by vehicle from Pokharebgar to Homkhola, then hiking another 21 kilometers. The Phutafate waterfall, the scenic Panchkunda Lake at the base camp, and the surrounding mountain views have helped establish the area as an emerging tourist destination. -- RSS
Annapurna Base Camp. Photo: RSS
