MT. ANNAPURNA EXPEDITION

Annapurna 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". It was first climbed by M. Herzog & L. Lachenal in 1950. The Annapurna Himal and the Lamjung Himal stretch from the Kali Gandaki in the west to Marshyangdi in the east. Four summits make up Annapurna with the entire massif forming a barrier on the northern side of the Pokhara Valley. The main summit stands to the west of the Annapurna Sanctuary. Little was known about the mountain until 1949 when Dr. A. Heim from the windows of a Dakora aircraft viewed Dhaulagiri and Annapurna. On June 3rd 1950, Annapurna was conquered by the French making it the first eight thousanders' to be climbed. 

However, all the routes on the mountain pose severe difficulties and hence it is probably why fewer climbers have reached the summit compared to other 8000m peaks.