In a historic move to honor the pioneers of Nepal’s mountaineering legacy, statues of the first climbers to summit Annapurna I (8,091 meters) have been unveiled at the Annapurna Base Camp in Ward No. 4, Narchyang of Annapurna Rural Municipality.
The event, organized on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee Celebration, was marked by the official unveiling of the statues by State Minister for Energy, Irrigation, and Water Resources Kham Bahadur Garbuja. The statues commemorate Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal of France, along with Sonam Walung Sherpa of Nepal, members of the historic expedition team that achieved the first successful ascent on June 3, 1950.
Alongside the statues, an open-air museum has also been inaugurated at the site. It features a bronze plaque listing the names of 536 climbers who have summited Annapurna I to date, symbolizing decades of mountaineering triumphs and the evolution of Nepal’s high-altitude adventure tourism.
The event celebrated the legacy of the first 8,000-meter summit in human history, which marked the beginning of Nepal’s recognition as a global mountaineering hub. The celebration included various cultural and official programs, aiming to promote sustainable tourism and commemorate the foundational achievements in Himalayan climbing.
Local leaders and tourism stakeholders expressed hope that the establishment of the statues and museum would further enhance the appeal of ABC as a historical and spiritual destination for both climbers and trekkers worldwide.
This initiative by Annapurna Rural Municipality underscores the growing importance of heritage-based tourism, blending natural beauty with historical reverence, and offering a deeper experience for visitors exploring the majestic Annapurna region.
