ANNAPURNA AREA MOUNTAINS
Annapurna, world's highest 10th mountain
The Pokhara Valley is the starting point for some of the best trekking in the world. Views of the Himalayas can enjoyed from all over the valley and the mountains you see can be reached in a few days of hiking or trekking — and climbed if you are that ambitious. Perhaps the most spectacular peak is pyramid-shaped Machhapuchhre (6,998 meters, 22,958 feet). The five great peaks of Annapurna (the highest 8,091 meters, 26,545 feet), Dhaulagiri (8,167 meters, 26,795 feet) and Mansula (8,163 meters. 26,781 feet) and Lamjung Himal (7,005 meters, 22, 891 feet) are no slouches either. The best place to start trekking to these mountains is from the Tutunga the Institute of Forestry and Ram Bazaar in the southeastern part of the Pokhara Valley.
The mountains in this area can be found in three main groups: 1) the Annapurna Range, which includes the great Annapurna peaks; 2) the Dhaulagiri massif, which includes Dhaulagiri peak, the world’s 7th highest mountain; and 3) the Mansiri Himal, which contains Manaslu, the world’s 8th highest mountain.
The Annapurna Range can be seen from Pokhara. The 55-kilometer (34-mile) -long massif embraces all the numbered Annapurna peaks and two horseshoe-shaped bowls, with Macchapuchare and Annapurna South located in the one to the west. The massif is bounded by the Pokhara Valley to the south and the Kali Gandaki Gorge on the west. Dhaulagiri lies across the Kali Gandaki Gorge from Annapurna. The Dhaulagiri massif extends 120 kilometers (70 miles) from the Kaligandaki River west to the Bheri River and is bounded on the north and southwest by tributaries of the Bheri and on the southeast by the Myagdi Khola. The Mansiri Himal, with Manaslu, is about 35 kilometers (22 miles) east of Annapurna,
The highest peaks in the Annapurna, Pokhara area are:
Dhaulagiri, the world’s 7th highest mountain — 26,795 feet (8,167 meters). First climbed in 1960.
Manaslu I, the world’s 8th highest mountain — 26,781 feet (8,163 meters). First climbed in 1956.
Annapurna, the world’s 10th highest mountain — 26,545 feet (8,091 meters). First climbed in 1950.
Annapurna II, the world’s 15th highest mountain — 26,041 feet (7,937 meters). First climbed in 1960.
Annapurna III — 24,787 feet (7,555 meters)
Annapurna IV — 24,687 feet (7,525 meters)
Gangapurna — 24,449 feet (7,455 meters)
Annapurna South — 23,684 feet (7,219 meters)
Book: “Sivalaya” by Louis Baume, a book of facts about the world's 14 highest mountains.
Mountain Region of Nepal
Of the world’s 10 highest mountains eight are in Nepal. Seven stand between Nepal and Tibet, including Mt. Everest. One — Kanchenjunga, the world's third tallest mountain — is on the border with India. Altogether there are 13 peaks more than 8,000 meters (26,242 feet) high in Nepal. Eighteen exceed 7135 meters (24,000) feet, and more than 200 peaks exceed 6,400 meters (21,000 feet). This area often experiences intense geological activity, with nearly 50 major earthquakes between 1870 to 1996, and a devastating one in 2015..
The Mountain Region (called Parbat in Nepali) is situated at 4,000 meters or more above sea level to the north of the Hill Region. The Mountain Region constitutes the central portion of the Himalayan range originating in the Pamirs, a high altitude region of Central Asia. Its natural landscape is legendary habitat of the mythical creature, the yeti, or abominable snowman.In general, the snow line occurs between 5,000 and 5,500 meters. The region is characterized by inclement climatic and rugged topographic conditions, and human habitation and economic activities are extremely limited and arduous. Indeed, the region is sparsely populated, and whatever farming activity exists is mostly confined to the low-lying valleys and the river basins, such as the upper Kali Gandaki Valley. [Source: Andrea Matles Savada, Library of Congress, 1991 *]
The Himalayan Region covers nearly 35 percent of the total of Nepal, and is formed by the Mahabharat, Churia, and Himalayan mountain ranges (from east to west), whose altitude increases as one moves north, culminating with at the Tibetan border with Mt. Everest. . In the early 1990s, pastoralism and trading were common economic activities among mountain dwellers. Because of their heavy dependence on herding and trading, transhumance was widely practiced. While the herders moved their goths (temporary animal shelters) in accordance with the seasonal climatic rhythms, traders also migrated seasonally between highlands and lowlands, buying and selling goods and commodities in order to generate muchneeded income and to secure food supplies.
The Mountain Region is one about 50 kilometers (30 miles) wide. Three principal rivers originate from glaciers and snow-fed lakes of the Himalayas. They flow southward through deep Himalayan gorges, and enter, respectively, the Karnali, Gandak, and Kosi basins. They eventually reach India, where they become tributaries — as is the case of all Nepalese rivers — of the Ganges.
Himalayas
Dhaulagiri, world's 7th highest mountain
The Himalayas as most everyone knows are the highest mountains in the world, with 30 peaks over 24,000 feet. The highest mountains in Europe, North and South America barely top 20,000 feet. The word Himalaya is Sanskrit for "abode of the snow" and a Himal is a massif of mountains. Technically Himalaya is the plural of Himal and there should be no such word as Himalayas.
The Himalayas stretch for 1,500 miles from eastern Tibet and China to a point where India, Pakistan, China and Afghanistan all come together. The mountain kingdoms of Sikkim, Bhutan and Nepal are all contained within the range. The southern side of the Himalayas are like a huge climatic wall. During the summer monsoon winds push massive rain clouds against the mountains squeezing out rain onto some of the wettest places on earth. On the leeward, rain-blocked side of the range, on the Tibetan plateau, are some of the driest and most barren places on the planet.
The Himalaya-Karakoram range contains nine of the world's top ten highest peaks and 96 of the world's 109 peaks over 24,000 feet. If the Karakorum, Pamir, Tian Shan and Hindu Kush ranges and Tibet — which are extensions of the Himalayas into Pakistan, China, Afghanistan and Central Asia — are including in the Himalayas then the 66 highest mountains in the world are in the Himalayas. The 67th highest is Aconcagua in Argentina and Chile
Several of the greatest rivers in the world — the Ganges, Indus, Brahmaputra, Mekong, Yangtze and Yellow rivers — originate in either the Himalayas or the Tibetan plateau. Some people live in valleys nestled between Himalayan ridges but few people actually live on the slopes of the mountains.
See Separate Article HIMALAYAS factsanddetails.com
Annapurna Massif
Annapurna is not just one mountain it is a huge massif of glacier encrusted peaks famous for their steep slopes, deep gorges and dangerous ascents for mountain climbers. Trekkers enjoy the region not only for views of the mountains but also for jungles, cannabis plots, and terraced fields that rise up from the valleys, some of which are the among the deepest in the world. Locals believe the mountains are inhabited by gods and Buddhist and Hindi pilgrims have been coming to mountains for centuries to visit shrines like those in Muktinath. The name Annapurna is derived from Sanskrit words “anna” and “purna” which means “full of food”. In Hinduism, Annapurna is the goddess of food and nourishment. An avatar of Devi, she and is known as and is often viewed as a goddesses who always feeds.
The Annapurna Range can be seen from Pokhara. It lies between two of the main river system in the Nepal — Marsyangdi and Kali Gandaki, both of which make their way to the Ganges. The 55-kilometer (34-mile) -long massif embraces all the numbered Annapurna peaks and two horseshoe-shaped bowls, with Macchapuchare and Annapurna South located in the one to the west. The Annapurna embraces one peak over 8,000 meters (26,000 feet), thirteen peaks over 7,000 meters (23,000 feet), and sixteen more over 6,000 meters (20,000 feet). The massif is bounded by the Pokhara Valley to the south, the Kali Gandaki Gorge on the west and the Marshyangdi River on the north and east, and. At the western end the massif is a nearly enclosed high basin called the Annapurna Sanctuary.
Highest mountains in the Annapurna massif:
Annapurna, the world’s 10th highest mountain — 26,545 feet (8,091 meters). First climbed in 1950.
Annapurna II, the world’s 15th highest mountain — 26,041 feet (7,937 meters). First climbed in 1960.
Makalu II, the world’s 31st highest mountain — 25,120 feet (7,657 meters).
Annapurna III — 24,787 feet (7,555 meters)
Annapurna IV — 24,687 feet (7,525 meters)
Gangapurna — 24,449 feet (7,455 meters)
Annapurna South — 23,684 feet (7,219 meters)
Annapurna Trekking
cannabis growing at Dhaulagiri, Pokhara is the main base for trekking and hiking in the Annapurna area. It is located at an elevation of 822 meters (2,625 feet high), lower than Kathmandu and considerable lower than the Everest area. The hiking trails around the Annapurnas are for the most part much lower than those around Everest so altitude sickness is not as much of a concern. The Annapurna is range is also higher relief wise than Everest which partly rest on the 4,000-meter-high (13,100 foot) -high Tibetan plateau. The difference in elevation between Pokhara and Annapurna I is nearly 6,700 meters (22,000 feet). This means the peaks look higher, and often more awesome. Another attraction of the Annapurna area is it accessibility. You don't heave to worry about getting on the waiting list for flights that may never arrive. Here you simply walk out.
Annapurna's sheer rock walls and dramatic sawtooth ridges were chiseled by ice age glaciers that reached all the way down to 2000 meters (6,600 feet). The globular and folded glaciers that remain begin at about 4,200 meters (14,000 feet). The south of the massif is almost a sheer wall while the slopes on the northern side are more gradual.
The villages in the Annapurna region is considerably larger than those around Everest. The low elevation and the accessibility of the valleys supports a lot more people. Rising up from the steep gorges are hundreds of rows of terraces climbs up thousands of feet up the slopes. The Monsoon nourished forest on some of the lower ridges are so lush the branch are covered with moss and parasite plants. There are also a fair number of monkeys running around in these forests.
Annapurna Conservation Area
The entire Annapurna massif and surrounding area are protected within the 7,629-square-kilometer (2,946 square mile) Annapurna Conservation Area, the first and largest conservation area in Nepal. The Annapurna Conservation Area is home to several world-class treks, including Annapurna Sanctuary and Annapurna Circuit.
The Annapurna Conservation Area Project was established in 1986 to deal with the affects on the large local population and the influx of trekkers on the region's fragile ecosystem. The forests in the region have been stripped of vegetation for firewood and most of the money from trekkers fails to filter down to the local people. The conversation area was set up to deal with these and other problems.
There is a trekking permit fee of around US$30 for treks in the Annapurna Conservation Area. All trekkers have to pay a conservation fee. The money from it used to set up alternative energy sources for the local people and teach them conservation techniques. Some money has been used to bring kerosene stove so people don’t have to collect firewood,
Kali Gandaki River Valley
Kali Gandaki River Valley is by many reckonings the deepest valley in the world with Annapurna (the highest 8,091 meters, 26,545 feet) on one side and , Dhaulagiri (8,167 meters, 26,795 feet) on the other, 35 kilometers away, and the Kali Gandaki River flowing on the valley floor at an elevation of 2,520 meters (8,270 feet) — almost six vertical kilometers below the top of the mountain peaks .
The Kali Gandaki River is often milky and full of sediment. Its source is somewhere in Tibet. Sometimes the lower reaches are full of tropical vegetation and are warm enough for bananas to grow. In the old days, tigers and rhinoceros roamed here. At an elevation of around 1,000 meters there are stubby trees and rhododendron. Sun birds and langur monkeys are often seen here. There are also tragopans, a turkey-size pheasant with red feathers decorated with white spots. The rhododendrons get progressively short as one climbs in elevation: 15-foot trees shrink to ground level bushes.
By 2,500 meters the rhododendrons have largely been replaced by conifers: mostly Himalayan fir and Bhutan pine. These trees have needles that are designed to shed snow and withstand cold temperatures. Sometimes you can see red pandas in this habitat. Above tree line are tundra-like vegetation, rissocky plant and occasional buckhorn bushes and junipers. Here you can find marmots and pikas that feed on grass and cushion plants and they in turn provide food for griffon vultures that soar in the thermals.
Above 3,500 meters much of the vegetation gives out except for harsh grasses that few animals other than yaks can feed on. In the winter there is sometimes snow here. Throughout the year high winds blow at this elevation. With moisture alpine meadows can flourish up to an elevation of 6000 meters.
Annapurna Peaks
Manaslu, world's 8th highest mountain
The Annapurna massif contains six prominent peaks over 7,200 meters (23,620 feet) elevation:
Annapurna I (Main) is 10th highest mountain in the world. It is 8,091 meters (26,545 feet) -high and has a prominence of 2,984 meters. Its coordinates are 28.595°N 83.819°E
Annapurna II is the 16th highest mountain in the world. It is 7,937 meters (26,040 feet) -high and has a prominence of 2,437 meters. Its coordinates are 28.539°N 84.137°E
Annapurna III is the 42nd highest mountain in the world. It is 7,555 meters (24,786 feet) -high and has a prominence of 703 meters. Its coordinates are 28.585°N 84.000°E
Annapurna IV is the 47 highest mountain in the world. It is 7,525 meters (24,688 feet) -high and has a prominence of 225 meters. Its coordinates are 28.539°N 84.087°E
Annapurna South is the 101st highest mountain in the world. It is 7,219 meters (23,684 feet) -high and has a prominence of 775 meters. Its coordinates are 28.518°N 83.806°E
Gangapurna is the 59th highest mountain in the world. It is 7,455 meters (24,457 feet) -high and has a prominence of 563meters. Its coordinates are 28.606°N 83.965°E [Source: Wikipedia]
When the Annapurna Range is viewed from Pokhara, the broad icy peak on the left is Annapurna South (7,218 meters, 23,684 feet). The next mountain towards the right is Macchapuchare (6,993 meters, 22,943 feet), the sacred fish-tail peak, which looks like a Himalayan version of the Matterhorn, and further to the right are Annapurna III (7,775 meters, 24,787 feet), Annapurna IV (7,525 meters, 24,688 feet) and Annapurna II (7,936 meters, 26,040 feet). The highest mountain Annapurna I (8,090 meters, 26,545 feet) is located behind Annapurna South and is to difficult to see. The 48-kilometer (30-mile) -long massif embraces all the numbered Annapurna peaks and two horseshoe-shaped bowls, with Macchapuchare and Annapurna South located in the one to the west.
According to NASA’s Earth Observatory: Annapurna I is located in Nepal along a 55-kilometer (34-mile) ridge just east of the Gandaki River, which has carved one of the deepest river gorges in the world. The gorge separates Annapurna from Dhaulagiri, the seventh tallest mountain in the world. The rocks that make up Annapurna’s summit—limestone formed at the bottom of a warm ocean—are a reminder of the powerful tectonic forces that pushed up the world’s highest mountains. Other eight-thousanders with limestone near the summits include Everest and Dhaulagiri. [Source: earthobservatory.nasa.gov ]
Machhapuchhre (6,999 meters, 22,963 feet) is one of the most famous, awesome-looking and recognizable mountains of Nepal, earning it the nickname the "Matterhorn of Nepal", but not one of the highest. Situated on the southern side of a spur of the main Annapurna massif, where it can easily be seen from Pokhara, Machhapuchhre means "fish's tail" in Nepalese, a reference to the fact its two peak resembles the tail of a fish. Locally Machhapuchhre is considered a sacred mountain linked with Lord Shiva. An attempt to summit Machhapuchhre was made in 1957 by a British team led by Col. Jimmy Roberts, the team turned back from a point 150 meters sjy of the summit as they had promised not to climb to its summit for religious reasons. To this day, Machhapuchhre remains an un-summited mountain.
Peaks in the Annapurna Himal include:
Annapurna I Central 8,051 meters (26,414 feet)
Annapurna I East 8,010 meters (26,280 feet)
Annapurna Fang 7,647 meters (25,089 feet)
Khangsar Kang 7,485 meters (24,557 feet)
Tarke Kang 7,202 meters (23,629 feet)
Lachenal Peak 7,140 meters (23,425 feet)
Tilicho Peak 7,135 meters (23,409 feet)
Nilgiri Himal North 7,061 meters (23,166 feet), Central 6,940 meters (22,769 feet) and South 6,839 meters (22,438 feet)
Machhapuchchhre 6,993 meters (22,943 feet)
Hiunchuli 6,441 meters (21,132 feet)
Gandharba Chuli 6,248 meters (20,499 feet)
Climbing Annapurna
Historically, the Annapurna peaks been among the world's most dangerous mountains to climb, although in more recent years, using only figures from 1990 and after, Kangchenjunga has a higher fatality rate. As of March 2012, there had been 191 summit ascents of Annapurna I Main, and 61 climbing fatalities on the mountain. This fatality-to-summit rate of 32 percent is the highest of any of the eight-thousanders. In particular, the ascent via the south face is considered, by some, the most difficult of all climbs. The “easiest route” is on the northwest face.
Annapurna was the first 8000 meter peak to be climbed, on June 3, 1950. The next three were Mt. Everest in May 1953, Nanga Parbat in July 1953 and K2 in July 1954. In 1950, Dhaulagiri I was reconnoitered by a French expedition led by the famous French climber Maurice Herzog. His team did not see a feasible route and decided to climb Annapurna, where they made the first ascent of an 8000 meters peak. Herzog described his heroic first ascent of Annapurna is his book “Annapurna” first published not long after the climb. The South Face of Annapurna I is considered the greatest wall in climbing. It was climbed for the first time in 1970 by a British team with 18,000 feet of rope. A Spanish climber took 1,000 kilograms of rock off Annapurna to build a statue in Barcelona.
Annapurna is only the tenth tallest eight-thousander, but it ranks as one of the most dangerous. According to NASA’s Earth Observatory: “On June 3, 1950, the French climbers Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal reached the summit of Annapurna, making it the first eight-thousand meter peak ever successfully climbed. Herzog and Lachenal first attempted the northwest face—they called it the cauliflower face (shown in shadow in the image above)—then switched over to the avalanche-prone north face when they realized the northwest face was too rugged for their porters. The extremely steep south face, a wall of rock that rises 3,000 meters (9,800 feet), is said to be one of the most difficult climbs in the world. [Source: earthobservatory.nasa.gov ]
“Annapurna is the only 8,000 meter-peak to be conquered on the first try—and Herzog and Lachenal did it without bottled oxygen. However, the feat came with a high price. Since they wore only thin, leather boots up to the summit, the expedition’s doctor had to amputate all of Herzog and Lachenal’s toes after extreme frostbite and then gangrene set in during the descent. Herzog lost all of his fingers as well. Lachenal had asked Herzog during the summit climb: “Do you think it is worth it?”
In May 1981 Maciej Berbeka and Boguslaw Probulski of Poland reached the summit of Annapurna I via a new route — the now famous Zakopianczykow Way. In February 1987 Jerzy Kukuczka and Artur Hajzer made the first winter ascent of Annapurna I. In October 2007, Slovenian climber Tomaz Humar, made the first solor ascent on south face of Annapurna In October 2013, Ueli Steck of Switzerland made a history by summiting the Annapurna and returning back to base camp in just 28 hours via the Lafaille route, the feat has been called “one of the most impressive Himalayan climbs in history”
Annapurna III’s Unclimbed Southeast Ridge is one of the great challenges of mountaineering On his attempt to climb the 2,300-meter (7,500-foot) south-east ridge, Conrad Anker wrote: 'Every mountain has a line that defines it; this line becomes the goal for climbers….This is the unclimbed 2300 meter southeast ridge of Annapurna III. . . . My hope for this amazing route is that it will be climbed by fair means. If climbing were about finding a solution to an engineering problem it would cease to be an art.'" [Source: patagonia.com, Nov 27, 2010]
First Woman's Expedition Up Annapurna
In October 1978 the first all women's team scaled Annapurna. Vera Komarkova and Irene Miller made it to the summit but two other climbers, Vera Watson and Alison Chadwick, fell to their death. The leader of the expedition Arlene Blum had many near misses with avalanches. "It give you a scary feeling," she said, "You hear a roar, you see a cloud and watch it get bigger and realize with sickening certainty it could reach you. You run for shelter. Then you feel the tent shake from the spray and realize you are still alive. Relief." The wind from one avalanche was so strong it blew one of her team members 20 feet into a crevasse. [Source: "Triumph and Tragedy on Annapurna" by Arlene Blum, National Geographic, March 1979]
The 1978 expedition needed 250 Nepalese porters to ferry equipment back and forth between the camps. Most of the work of climbing a mountain is carrying supplies day after day from one camp to the next, usually over the same terrain, until you get enough equipment up to the final camp. When the weather is good you go for the summit in one last final push.
At high elevations women’s breasts shrink. They also loose their appetite and frequently forget meals. To reach the summit of Annapurna, Irene Miller said that she would take six breaths and then a step, six breaths and then a step. With oxygen she could manage four breaths and a step. Mountain climbers jokingly call this high-altitude foot disease — the inability to put one foot in front of the other. At the top she wore seven layers of clothing but even then said "I'm not too warm."
Annapurna Deaths and Tragedies
In October 2014, at least 43 people were killed as a result of snowstorms and avalanches in and around Annapurna, in Nepal's worst ever trekking disaster.
One of the worst tragedies in Nepalese mountaineering and trekking history occurred in 1994, when ten Germans and Swiss and one Nepalese porter were killed on "a strenuous trek" on 19,980-foot Mount Pisang in the Annapurna range. The nine men and two women apparently died on a descent from the summit when some members of the party began to slide, setting off a domino effect, that carried the entire party 1,500 feet down a slope and then over a sheer 500 foot drop. Eight bodies were found in a tangle of ropes in a glacial ice gully at the base of the mountain. Three others were spotted on high outcrops where they couldn't be retrieved.
Two American climbers died while sleeping in their tent at an Annapurna IV camp in October, 1996 when a huge storm and avalanche buried their camp in deep snow. A doctor survived by drinking his own urine A Japanese climber was reported missing after failing or return to Manaslu Base Camp. A Malaysian died in April 2019 after being rescued from Annapurna where he spent two nights in the open near the summit.
Dhaulagiri I
Dhaulagiri I is the world’s 7th highest mountain at 8,167 meters (26,795 feet) and the highest mountain within the borders of a single country (Nepal). Located near Annapurna, the Dhaulagiri massif extends 120 kilometers (70 miles) from the Kaligandaki River west to the Bheri River and is bounded on the north and southwest by tributaries of the Bheri and on the southeast by the Myagdi Khola. Dhaulagiri means “Beautiful, White Mountain” in Nepali, which is derived from the Sanskrit words “dhawala”, which means “dazzling, white, beautiful” and “giri”, which means mountain. Dhaulagiri I is also the highest point of the Gandaki river basin.
According to NASA’s Earth Observatory: Dhaulagiri rises abruptly from the surrounding terrain, soaring some 7,000 meters (2,300 feet) from the bed of the Gandaki. Like Mount Everest, the summit of Dhaulagiri is geologically remarkable because it is comprised of limestone and dolomite rock layers that formed at the bottom of the ocean. Most of the other 8K peaks, in contrast, are composed of granites that formed deep underground. The Swiss-Austrian-Nepali team reached the summit, following the northeastern ridge up the mountain’s north face. There had been 448 successful ascents of Dhaulagiri as of March 2012, while 69 climbers had died trying—a fatality rate of about 16 percent. [Source: earthobservatory.nasa.gov ]
The Kali Gandaki River Valley is the deepest valley in the world with Dhaulagiri on one side and Annapurna I (8,091, meters, 26,545 feet) on the other, 35 kilometers away, and the Kali Gandaki River flowing six vertical kilometers below them. Annapurna I is east of Dhaulagiri I. The Kali Gandaki River flows between the two in the Kaligandaki Gorge. Dhaulagiri I's sudden rise from lower terrain is spectacular and almost unequaled. The south and west faces rise precipitously over 4,000 meters (13,120 feet). The south face of Gurja Himal in the same massif is also notably immense. The town of Pokhara is not far away and the area is popular with climbers and trekkers.
For some time Dhaulagiri was thought to be the world’s highest mountain. Looking north from the plains of India, most 8,000-meter peaks are obscured by nearer mountains, but in clear weather Dhaulagiri I can be seen from northern Bihar in India and as far south as Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. Surveys made in 1808 showed it to be the highest mountain surveyed up to that time. This position lasted until 1838 when Kangchenjunga took its place, followed by Mt. Everest in 1858.
Climbing Dhaulagiri
Dhaulagiri was first climbed on May 13, 1960 by a Swiss-Austrian-Nepali expedition with Kurt Diemberger, A. Schelbert, E. Forrer, Nawang Dorje and Nyima Dorje reached making the summit. According to NASA’s Earth Observatory: The Swiss-Austrian-Nepali team reached the summit, following the northeastern ridge up the mountain’s north face.There had been 448 successful ascents of Dhaulagiri as of March 2012, while 69 climbers had died trying—a fatality rate of about 16 percent.” The First winter ascent was in January 1985 by Polish climbers Jerzy Kukuczka and Andrzej Czok. [Source: earthobservatory.nasa.gov ]
Dhaulagiri has four peaks, named Dhaulagiri I, II, III and IV. The Northeast ridge is the easiest route. Most ascents have followed this route, including the first ascent, but climbs have been made from most directions. Between 1950 and 2006, 2.88 percent of 2,016 expedition members and staff going above base camp on Dhaulagiri I died. On all 8,000 meter peaks in Nepal the death rate was 1.63 percent, ranging from 0.65 percent on Cho Oyu to 4.04 percent on Annapurna I and 3.05 percent on Manaslu.
In 1950, Dhaulagiri I reconnoitered by a French expedition led by Maurice Herzog. They did not see a feasible route and decided to climb Annapurna instead, which they successfully climbed and was first ascent of an 8000 meter peak. Between 1953 and 1958, five expeditions attempt the north face, or "Pear Buttress", route. In 1959, an Austrian expedition led by Fritz Moravec made the first attempt on the northeast ridge.
The successful 1960 Swiss-Austrian-Nepali expedition was led by Max Eiselin. The successful ascent was made by Kurt Diemberger, Peter Diener, Ernst Forrer, Albin Schelbert, Nyima Dorje Sherpa, Nawang Dorje Sherpa on May 13. It was the first Himalayan climb supported by a fixed-wing aircraft, which eventually crashed in Hidden Valley north of the mountain during takeoff and was abandoned. [Source: Wikipedia]
The second ascent in 1970, via the northeast ridge was a Japanese expedition led by Tokufu Ohta and Shoji Imanari. Tetsuji Kawada and Lhakpa Tenzing Sherpa reach the summit. In 1973, an American team led by James Morrissey makes third ascent via the northeast ridge. John Roskelley, Louis Reichardt, and Nawang Samden Sherpa all summitted. In 1976, an Italian expedition made the fourth ascent.
In 1977, an international team led by Reinhold Messner attempts the south face. In 1980, a four-man team consisting of Polish climbers Voytek Kurtyka, Ludwik Wiczyczynski, Frenchman René Ghilini and Scotsman Alex MacIntyre climb the east face, topping out at 7,500 meters on the northeast ridge. After a bivouac they descend back to base camp in a storm. One week later they climb the mountain via the northeast ridge reaching the summit on 18 May.
Deaths on Dhaulagiri
As we said before as of March 2012, there had been 69 climbing deaths on Dhaulagiri — a fatality to summit rate of about 16 percent, meaning it is a very dangerous mountains to climb. In 1969, an American team led by Boyd Everett attempt the southeast ridge. Seven team members, including Everett, were killed in an avalanche.
In 1975, a Japanese team led by Takashi Amemiya attempts southwest ridge (also known as the south pillar). Six were killed in an avalanche. In the spring of 1978, Amemiya returns with an expedition that puts five members on the summit via the southwest ridge — the first ascent not using the northeast ridge. One team member died during the ascent.
In autumn of 1978, Seiko Tanaka of Japan leads successful climb of the very difficult southeast ridge. Four are killed during the ascent. French team attempts the southwest buttress (also called the "south buttress") only reaches 7,200 meters.
In 2018, Gripped reported: “Italian climber Simone La Terra has died at camp three on Dhaulagiri. La Terra went missing morning after a storm blew his tent away. The search team retrieved his body at a height of 6,100 meters. He was part of a 15-member team led by Spanish female climber Catalina Quesada Castro. According to a climbing record, La Terra has climbed five 8,000-meter peaks and has also organised over a dozen expeditions between Himalayas and Karakorum. In 2017, a 33-year-old Sherpa guide became hypothermic and fell to his death and the year before a Dutch climber disappeared on the mountain and an Indian climber died of altitude sickness. [Source: Gripped May 1, 2018]
Manaslu
Manaslu is the world’s 8th highest mountain at 8,163 meter (26,781 feet). Also known as Kutang, it is located in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas, in the west-central part of Nepal. Its name means "Spirit Mountaint", derived from the Sanskrit word manasa, meaning "intellect" or "soul". Manaslu was first climbed on May 9, 1956 by Japanese Toshio Imanishi and Gyalzen Norbu. It has been said that "just as the British consider Everest their mountain, Manaslu has always been a Japanese mountain".
Located about 35 kilometers (22 miles) east of Annapurna, Manaslu is the highest peak in the Gorkha District. It’s long ridges and valley glaciers offer feasible climbing approaches from all directions and come together to form a peak that rises precipitously above its surrounding landscape. It is a dominant feature when viewed from afar. Manaslu has been described as a serrated "wall of snow and ice hanging in the sky". The three sides of the mountain fall in steps to sparsely-populated, terraced agricultural areas.
Manaslu’s Tibetan name "Kutang", is derived Tibetan word for a flat place “tang”). Notable peaks surrounding Manaslu include Ngadi Chuli, Himalchuli and Baudha. A glacial saddle known as Larkya La, with an elevation of 5,106 meters (16,752 feet), lies north of Manaslu. The peak is bounded by the deep fissures of the Marysyangdi Khola to the west and Ganesh Himal and the Buri Gandaki River gorge to the east. Manaslu is sometimes listed as being 8,156 meters (26,759 feet) high. In the past it was estimated lower at 8,125 meters (26,658 feet).
Himalchuli is the world’s 18th highest mountain at 25,801 meters (7,864 feet). First climbed in 1960. Himalchuli is the second highest mountain in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas. It lies south of Manaslu,
Trekking in the Manaslu Area
The Manaslu region offers a variety of treks. The Manaslu Circle Trek travels through parts of Nepal that were not open to foreigners until the early 1990s. The long 177 kilometers (110 miles) trek begins near Gorkha and travels very near the Tibetan border. Along the way are spectacular mountain views, religious shrines and villages that have seen very few foreigners. The route of skirts the Manaslu massif over the pass down to Annapurna. The trail follows an ancient salt-trading route along the Burhi Gandak River. Ten peaks over 6,500 meters (21,300 feet) are visible, including a few over 7,000 meters (23,000 feet). The highest point reached along the trek route is the Larkya La at an elevation of 5,106 meters (16,752 feet).
Gorkha is the base for trekking in Manaslu area. It lies south of the mountain about 48 kilometers (30 miles) from the peak as the crow flies. There are six established trekking routes to the peak. The south face is spectacular to look at is the most challenging for climbers.
The Manaslu Conservation Area was established to preserve the ecosystems in the area and sustainably manage them and promote ecotourism to improve livelihood of the local people. The area covered under the conservation zone is 1,663 square kilometers (642 square miles) and is managed by the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) of Nepal.
The Manaslu Conservation Area, comprises sub-tropical Himalayan foothills to arid Trans-Himalayan high pastures bordering Tibet. Starting from Arughat and extending into the Larkhe La pass, the area covers six climatic zones: the tropical and sub-tropical zone, elevation varies from 1,000-2,000 meters (3,300-6,600 feet); the temperate zone (within elevation range of 2,000-3,000 meters (6,600-9,800 feet); the sub-alpine zone elevation range of 3,000-4,000 meters (9,800-13,100 feet); the alpine zone, a range of 4,000-5,000 meters (13,000-16,000 feet)) meadows; and the arctic zone (lying above 4,500 meters (14,800 feet)). The zones coalesce with the variation of the altitude from about 600 meters (2,000 feet) in the tropical zone to the 8,156 meters (26,759 feet) summit of Manaslu in the arctic zone.
Trekking through the Manaslu Himal provides views of the snow-covered mountains of the Himalayas and allows close interaction with the different ethnic groups who live in hill villages scattered along the trek route. The trekking routes run through mountainous terrain that can be affected by monsoon rainfall, blizzards, land slides and land falls. Hypothermia and altitude sickness and encounters with passing yaks occur. Trekking in the Manaslu area can be a test of stamina and endurance and should not be approached lightly.
Climbing Manaslu
Manaslu has attracted a number of climbers in recent years because it is considered one of the easier peaks over 8,000 meters to climb. Even so Manaslu is one of the more dangerous eight-thousanders and climbers have complained in recent years that conditions on the mountains have deteriorated and risks of accidents have increased, with some laying the blame on global warming.
According to NASA’s Earth Observatory: While three long ridges lead up the mountain, the summit itself is a steep, sharp rock tower that can accommodate just a few people at a time. Manaslu includes the usual risks that make climbing any eight-thousander a challenge: freezing weather, thin air, and avalanches. But a team of Japanese climbers exploring the area in 1954 faced a very different kind of obstacle: a mob of angry Nepalese armed with clubs, stones, and knives. The villagers, from nearby Sama, were enraged because they believed that a Japanese team that attempted to climb the mountain a year earlier had upset a god that lived on Manaslu’s summit. They were convinced the deity had unleashed a destructive avalanche, as well as epidemics of smallpox and other diseases. [Source: earthobservatory.nasa.gov ]
The 1954 team was forced to leave without attempting to climb the mountain. Mediation by the Nepalese government improved relations a bit, and another Japanese team arrived in 1956. This group followed a route up the mountain’s northeast face, reaching the summit on a beautiful, windless day. It wasn’t the only Japanese success on Manaslu. In 1974, an all-female team from Japan reached Manaslu’s summit, the first women to successfully climb an 8,000-meter peak.
In 1950, H. W. Tilman was the first European to lead an expedition to the Annapurna Range. He and five compatriots spent six days walking on foot from the Kathmandu valley and used Manang as their base camp and made a reconnaissance trips, figuring the best starting place Larkya La pass. Four Japanese expeditions between 1950 and 1955 explored the possibility of climbing Manaslu by the north and east faces. In 1953 three Japanese climbers reached a height of 7,750 meters (25,430 feet) using a route via the north-east face, before turning back. In 1954, a Japanese team approaching from the Buri Gandaki route to the peak faced a hostile group described above by villagers at Samagaon camp. The villagers blames expedition for causing avalanches that destroyed Pung-gyen Monastery and killed 18 people. In 1956, Toshio Imanishi of Japan and Gyaltsen Norbu, a Sherpa, made the first ascent of Manaslu on May 9, 1956. The next successful climb to the summit of Manaslu was in 1971. On May 17, 1971, Kazuharu Kohara and Motoki, part of an 11-man Japanese team, reached the summit via the north-west spur. In 1972, the south-west face was climbed for the first time by Reinhold Messner as part of an Austrian expedition.
The first Japanese women expedition led by Kyoko Sato was successful on May 4, 1974, when all members reached the summit after a failed attempt from the East ridge. They were thus the first women team (Naoko Nakaseko, Masako Uchida, Mieko Mori) with Jambu Sherpa to climb an 8,000 meters (26,000 feet) peak. However, one climber died on May 5 when she fell between camps 4 and 5.
Deaths on Manaslu
Manaslu has been nicknamed the "killer" because of the large number of people that have died on its slopes. As of March 2012, there had been 661 successful ascents of Manaslu; sixty-five climbers had died trying — a fatality to success rate of about 10 percent. Most of the dead perished in huge, sudden avalanches.
In 1971, Kim Ho-sup led a Korean expedition attempt via the north-east face. Kim Ki-sup fell to his death on May 4. On April 10, 1972 an avalanche buried the 6,500-meter (21,300 foot) -high came of Koreans attempted the north-east face, killing fifteen climbers including ten Sherpas and the Korean expedition leader Kim Ho-sup, and Kazunari Yasuhisa from Japan.
In 2012, a huge avalanche on Manaslu killed 15 climbers and destroyed a tented camp. The Guardian reported: “ One tented camp nearly 7,000 meters above sea level was levelled and a second, 500 meters further down, was damaged. The identity of the casualties remains unclear, but they are thought to include up to four Frenchmen, a Nepalese guide, a German, a Spaniard, and an Italian. Basant Mishra, a police official, told Reuters that the bodies of a German climber and a Nepalese guide had been recovered from slopes of the mountain. "Rescue pilots have spotted seven other bodies," he said. [Source: Jason Burke, Ishwar Rauniyar, Kim Willsher, The Guardian, September 23, 2012]
“The Dauphiné Libéré newspaper named three of the missing and presumed dead as Rémy Lécluse and Gregory Costa, who had intended to descend the mountain on skis, and Ludovic Challéac, a guide from the French ski resort of Chamonix. Two French climbers have been flown by helicopter to Kathmandu for treatment. Organisers of one US expedition said they had received a call from their lead guide on Manaslu saying there had been a large avalanche on the upper mountain in the Camp Three area. Their expedition's team was lower down on the mountain but had moved up to help with the rescue, Gordon Janow of Alpine Ascents said. “ [The] weather was good. [It] was a large serac [ice cliff] that fell," he told the Guardian. Glen Plake, a celebrity in the world of extreme sports known for his mohican and boundary-pushing skiing, narrowly escaped the avalanche, according to French website EpicTv.
Plake, 48, said he was in his tent reading his Bible when he heard a roar. Within moments, the tent had been carried hundreds of meters down the mountain's slopes. “It's a war zone up here," Plake told the site.
“Several climbers high on the mountain were aiming to be the first-ever to ascent Manaslu without oxygen and ski down. Two teams with around 20 climbers appear to have been waiting at Camp Three for the weather to clear when the avalanche struck. Massive snow falls have made conditions treacherous on and around Manaslu recently. Several climbers had expressed concerns over the avalanche risk before heading up the mountain last week. One Nepalese official said the popularity of Manaslu, first climbed in 1956, was not a problem. “Yes, base camp might have been a bit crowded but the route higher up was not. This is a natural disaster. Not man-made in any way," he said.
“Dawa Steven Sherpa, a well-known Nepalese mountaineer, said the avalanche might have been caused by heavy snowfall last week. “The incident might have taken place as snow hadn't yet settled properly," he said. Ang Tsering Sherpa, former president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association who has climbed Manaslu several times, said the mountain was regarded as one of the easiest of the 14 peaks that top 8,000m but the accident was not linked to the number of climbers. “Such avalanche takes place normally if it's too hot or if there is heavy snow fall. Climate change, of course, had some effect but avalanches are uncertain and there is no any exact reason for any one avalanche."
Surviving a Manaslu Avalanche
Veteran Italian mountaineer Silvio Mondinelli said he he slid more than 200 meters in a few seconds and then found bodies of victims around him in the avalanche on Manaslu described above. Associated Press reported: Mountaineers who survived an avalanche said they waited an hour for sunlight, and then saw pieces of tents and bodies of victims strewn around them on the snow....Mondinelli recounted how he and a fellow mountaineer were asleep when they heard a violent sound and felt their tent start to slide. “It was only a few seconds and we did not know what happened, but we had slid more than 200 meters," Mondinelli told Associated Press on Monday. "All we wanted was for it to stop." [Source: Associated Press, August 24, 2012]
The avalanche hit at about 4am while more than two dozen climbers were sleeping in their tents at Camp 3 on Mount Manaslu in northern Nepal. Helicopters flew over the slopes on Monday to search for the missing mountaineers as climbers and guides searched the slopes on foot. Rescuers brought down eight bodies — four French, one German, one Italian, one Spaniard and one Nepali guide — and were trying to retrieve the ninth from the 7,000-meter area where the avalanche struck. Ten climbers survived but many of them were injured and were flown to hospitals by rescue helicopters. Three French climbers and two Germans were taken to hospitals in Katmandu on Sunday. Two Italians were flown there on Monday — Mondinelli, who has climbed the world's 14 highest peaks, and fellow mountaineer Christian Gobbi.
“Mondinelli said another Italian climber and their Sherpa guide were sleeping in another tent and were buried by the avalanche and died. Gobbi said they could not see at first when they looked out of their torn tent because it was dark and they had no light. "We found someone's boots and put them on," he said. When the sun rose an hour later, they saw parts of tents scattered across the snow, along with people who had been killed or injured. They said they were able to assist the injured with the help of Sherpa guides who came from lower camps. Those who could walk made their way down to the base camp while those who were injured were picked up by helicopters.
“Italian, German and French teams were on the mountain, with a total of 231 climbers and guides, but not all were at the higher camps hit by the avalanche. The avalanche came at the start of Nepal's autumn climbing season, when the end of the monsoon rains makes weather in the high Himalayas unpredictable. Spring is a more popular mountaineering season, when hundreds of climbers crowd the high Himalayan peaks.
Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons
Text Sources: New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Lonely Planet Guides, Library of Congress, Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np), Nepal Government National Portal (nepal.gov.np), The Guardian, National Geographic, Smithsonian magazine, The New Yorker, Time, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Wikipedia and various books, websites and other publications.
Last updated February 2022