Mt. Annapurna I lies in the western part of Nepal and it is a Sanskrit word which when broken down, would mean, "Sustenance" and "filled with". So the name would translate into "The Goddess rich in Sustenance" or simply "The Provider". It was first climbed by Mr. Maurice Herzog’s book & Louis Lachenal of France in June 03, 1950. After June 03, 1950 there are many people scaled the mountain. Chris Bonington's team 1970 ascent of the South Face of Annapurna was a landmark in the history of mountaineering. Two American women, Irene Miller and Vira Komarkova, have reached the summit via the North Face in October of 1978, making the first ascent by Americans! In May of 1988, American Steve Boyer, working with a large French expedition, reached the summit, repeating the Bonington route on the South Face with a large French expedition. Annapurna 1st little was known about the mountain until 1949 when Dr. A. Heim from the windows of a Dakora aircraft viewed Dhaulagiri and Annapurna. The aircraft could not fly high enough for proper observation or for photographs. However, all the routes on the mountain pose severe difficulties and hence it is probably why fewer climbers have reached the summit in comparison to other 8000m. Peaks.
The Annapurna Himal and the Lamjung Himal stretch from the Kali Gandaki in the west to the Marshyangdi in the east. Four summits make up Annapurna with the entire massif forming a barrier on the northern side of the Pokhara. The main summit stands to the west of the Annapurna Sanctuary. |