On June 3, 2025, it will mark 75 years since the first successful ascent of Annapurna, the first 8,000-meter peak ever climbed by Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal. Herzog, in his book Annapurna: First Conquest of an 8000-meter Peak, vividly recalls the moment, describing the summit with overwhelming emotion: “Could we possibly be there? Yes! A fierce and savage wind tore at us.
We were at the top of Annapurna! 8075 meters.” His pride in being the first to conquer such a peak quickly turned to reflection, pondering the deeper significance of the climb and its impact on human ambition. Herzog’s book, which has sold over 20 million copies, concludes with a powerful realization: “Annapurna, to which we had gone empty-handed, was a treasure on which we should live the rest of our days.”
This historic ascent opened a new chapter in Himalayan mountaineering, with the 1950s seeing the first ascents of all 8000-meter peaks (except Shishapangma). However, despite the region’s popularity, other Annapurna peaks such as Annapurna II (7937m), Annapurna III (7555m), and Annapurna IV (7525m) are rarely climbed. Annapurna II, just 63 meters shy of 8000 meters, is known for its technical difficulty, having been summited only 16 times since 2007, while Annapurna III and IV have similarly seen few successful climbs.
This is where Sophie Lavaud, a French-Swiss-Canadian mountaineer, comes in. Sophie, the first French person, first Swiss woman, and first Canadian to summit all 14 8,000-meter peaks, is planning a significant feat. Inspired by her climb of Pisang Peak in 2020, Sophie aims to climb all three lesser-known Annapurnas in a single year to honor the 75th anniversary of the first Annapurna ascent. Sophie will begin with Annapurna IV in the spring of 2025, followed by Annapurna II on a single traverse. She plans to complete the trilogy with Annapurna III in the autumn of 2025.
This ambitious project is a tribute to the first ascent of Annapurna, highlighting the lesser-visited peaks that often go unnoticed in the shadow of Annapurna I. Sophie’s journey promises to be a story of exploration and perseverance, as she and her team navigate uncharted terrain, honoring the legacy of the pioneers who first conquered the Himalayas. As she says, “Alone in the Himalayas, I’ll go nowhere. No matter what happens on the mountain, the important thing is to get home to tell the story.”
