Son, grandson of first summiteer Herzog to trek in Annapurna

By Thakur Prasad Acharya,Myagdi, May 28: To mark the 75th anniversary of the first successful ascent of Annapurna I, son and grandson of Maurice Herzog, the first summiteer, will trek along the Maurice Herzog Trail, named in his honour.

On the occasion of the Annapurna Diamond Jubilee Festival, a team including Herzog’s son, Matthieu Herzog, will undertake the trek. 

According to Bharat Kumar Pun, Chairperson of Annapurna Rural Municipality, they have already arrived in Nepal for the journey.

Annapurna I, located in Annapurna Rural Municipality-4 in Narcheyang, Myagdi, stands at an altitude of 8,091 metres. It was first summited on June 3, 1950, marking the first human footprints on an 8,000-metre peak. For this reason, Annapurna I is also referred to as the “first” or “eldest” mountain.

It has been 75 years since French mountaineer Maurice Herzog, along with Louis Lachenal and two Nepali Sherpas, successfully summited Annapurna I.

Under the leadership of the rural municipality and in coordination with the Nepal Tourism Board, Nepal Mountaineering Association, ACAP and local tourism committees, the Annapurna Diamond Jubilee Festival will be held from May 30 to June 4, 2025. 

According to Tej Bahadur Gurung, a member of the main organising committee and promoter of the Maurice Herzog Trail, the commemorative trek will take place on May 31.

The trek will cover a 21-kilometre route from Humkhola in Narcheyang to the northern base camp of Annapurna I between May 31 and June 3, 2025.

Chairperson Pun said that the 14-member team, which includes Herzog’s son Matthieu Emmanuel Maximilien, grandson Simon Jacques, as well as researchers and mountaineers, has already arrived in Kathmandu.

According to him, on the first day of the trek on May 31, the team will walk from Narcheyang through Humkhola to reach Samdikharka. On the second day on June 1, they will trek from Samdikharka via Bhusket Mela to the Annapurna Base Camp, where they will stay overnight. On the third day, a cultural programme with music and a discussion on Herzog’s contributions will be held in Bhusket.

On the following day, June 3, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is scheduled to unveil half-size statues of Maurice Herzog, Louis Lachenal and the first Nepali summiteer Sonam Wangchuk Sherpa at the base camp. After the programme at the base camp, the Prime Minister will also attend an event in Bensi village of Narcheyang.

From the centre of Annapurna Rural Municipality in Pokharebagar, a 22-kilometre drive leads to Humkhola, followed by a 21-kilometre trek to reach the base camp. The trail used by Herzog during the first ascent has been named the Maurice Herzog Trail and developed with necessary infrastructure in his honour.

Due to attractions like the scenic Futfute Waterfall along the trail, the Panchakunda Lake at the base camp and the stunning Himalayan views, the number of tourists visiting the Annapurna Base Camp has been increasing in recent years.