Annapurna I was the first Himalayan eight-thousander climbed, with Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal reaching its summit on 3 June 1950.
The French expedition’s success was a landmark in mountaineering because Annapurna I rises to 8,091 metres and presented severe avalanche and weather risks. Herzog’s frostbite during the descent made the expedition especially famous, although the climb demonstrated that an 8,000-metre peak could be summited.
Annapurna I is part of the Annapurna massif in north-central Nepal. It is often confused with Annapurna Circuit trekking, which passes through the wider region but does not itself climb the summit. The mountain’s first ascent came three years before Mount Everest was climbed.