75 years of Annapurna’s historic ascent: separate diamond jubilee celebrations to be held on north and south flanks

POKHARA, May 27: To mark the 75th anniversary of the first ascent of Annapurna I, organizers will hold separate Diamond Jubilee celebrations on both sides of the mountain. On June 3, 1950, a French expedition team led by Maurice Herzog successfully climbed the 8,091-meter Annapurna I. To commemorate that historic day-the first successful ascent of a peak over 8,000 meters-authorities are preparing to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee on both the northern and southern flanks of Annapurna. People refer to the northern side as North Annapurna and the southern side as South Annapurna.

Organizers announced at a press conference that they will celebrate the Diamond Jubilee on the northern side of Annapurna at the North Annapurna Base Camp in Narchyang, Annapurna Rural Municipality-4 of Myagdi. Nepal Tourism Board Gandaki Province, Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) Gandaki, and Annapurna Rural Municipality of Myagdi will jointly organize the event. On the southern side, the Annapurna Century Tourism Committee will host the celebration in Ghandruk, located in Kaski's Annapurna Rural Municipality.

As part of the Jubilee, organizers will conduct a three-day trek at the North Annapurna Base Camp from May 31 to June 2. TAAN Gandaki Chairperson Krishna Prasad Acharya said ambassadors from countries including France, the UK, the US, Japan, and Israel-as well as prominent Nepali figures-will join the trek. "We have invited ambassadors from 12 countries," he said. "Some have already confirmed their participation, while others are yet to respond."

TAAN Gandaki Chairperson Krishna Prasad Acharya announced that a 14-member delegation-including Mathias Emmanuel Maximilian Herzog, the son of Maurice Herzog, the first climber to successfully summit Annapurna I—has arrived in Nepal to take part in the Diamond Jubilee celebration and commemorative trek. He added that representatives from the Nepal Tourism Board, tourism entrepreneurs, and journalists will also join the trek.

Mani Raj Lamichhane, head of the Nepal Tourism Board's Gandaki Province Office, said the organizers will unveil statues of Maurice Herzog, fellow French climber Louis Lachenal, and Nepali climber Sonam Wangchuk Sherpa at the Annapurna Base Camp in Narchyang during the celebration. He further noted that they will inaugurate an open-air museum built at the base camp and officially name the trekking route from Narchyang to the base camp as the “Maurice Herzog Trail.”

Organizers will host both events in the presence of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli as the chief guest.

Meanwhile, organizers will host a 30-kilometer marathon as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebration. Bharat Kumar Pun, Chairperson of Annapurna Rural Municipality (Myagdi), said they will hold the marathon on June 3, with runners starting from Annapurna Base Camp and finishing in Narchyang village. He said more than 60 participants are expected to compete. According to Pun, the winner will receive Rs 50,000 in cash along with a medal and certificate, while the second- and third-place winners will receive Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000 respectively, along with medals and certificates.

Similarly, organizers will host another marathon in Ghandruk, a popular tourist destination in Kaski, as part of the South Annapurna Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Lalit Gurung, chairperson of the Annapurna Century Tourism Committee and coordinator of the event, said they will hold the fifth edition of the Annapurna Marathon in Ghandruk on June 3, under the committee's leadership.

Coordinator Lalit Gurung said they will organize the marathon for both men and women to support infrastructure development along the Annapurna trekking route. They will hold the marathon under the slogan “Tourism for All Seasons,” starting it from Annapurna Base Camp, which sits at an altitude of 4,130 meters above sea level. The route will pass through Machhapuchhre Base Camp, Bagar, Deurali, Himalaya, Dobhan, Bamboo, Sinuwa, Bhanwa, Chhomrong, Taulu Ghurjung, Chuille, Melanche, Komrong Danda, Kimrong Khola, and Uri before they conclude the race in Ghandruk.

With technical support from Ultimate Adventure Nepal, the organizers will award Rs 150,000 to the first-place winners in both the men's and women's categories. They will give Rs 100,000 to the second-place finishers and Rs 75,000 to those who come third. They will also award medals and certificates to winners in each category.

Chairperson Gurung said that this time the competition will award special prizes to the top runners among participants with permanent addresses within Annapurna Rural Municipality and to the top runners from Gandaki Province. He said they will also give special awards to women runners who participate in the marathon three consecutive times as encouragement.

The committee announced that they will present special awards to the top foreign male and female runners among the international participants. Additionally, on the occasion of the 75th Annapurna Ascent Day, Gurung said they will award a "Diamond Jubilee Award" to the runner who finishes in 75th place in the marathon.

So far, 60 runners, including 10 foreigners, have registered for the marathon. He added that the registration fee is Rs 7,000.