Maurice Herzog’s ‘Annapurna’ now in Nepali

KATHMANDU: The Nepali edition of ‘Annapurna’, which is regarded as one of the best books on mountaineering, was launched in Kathmandu on Friday.

The book, originally in French, was written by Maurice Herzog, the leader of the 1950 French expedition to Mt Annapurna. The expedition achieved the first successful ascent of Mount Annapurna – the first-ever summit of an 8,000-meter peak. Herzong and compatriot Louis Lachenal reached the summit of the 8,091-meter peak on June 3, 1950.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, French ambassador to Nepal Virginie Corteval said Nepali readers would enjoy exploring this unique story of a daring expedition that became a defining moment in the history of mountaineering and left a profound impact.

The book was translated into Nepali by Alliance Française’s French language teachers, Ashok Shakya and Rijendra Shrestha. The two also read out excerpts from the Nepali translation during the ceremony.

The program also featured a dialogue between Nepali mountaineer Purnima Shrestha, who is also the goodwill ambassador of the 75th anniversary of the first ascent of Annapurna, and journalist Kunda Dixit on various aspects of mountaineering, including Mt Annapurna.

On the occasion, late Sonam Walung Sherpa, the first Nepali mountaineer to summit Annapurna in 1977, was honored posthumously.

Pokhara Metropolitan City Mayor Dhanraj Acharya; Chhiring Doma Lama, the wife of late Sonam Walung Sherpa; Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) President Phur Gelje Sherpa; and Tej Gurung, chairperson of the Maurice Herzog Trekking Trail in Myagdi, among others, were present on the occasion.

The Nepali translation was completed with financial support from the French Embassy in Kathmandu.