May 2, 2014

The South Face of Annapurna 1

IMG guide Jenni Pfafman reports that her team successfully reached Annapurna Base Camp this morning.  They had rain overnight, but the weather cleared for them and they were able to get the big views that they were hoping for.

Annapurna is the world’s tenth highest mountain and was the first 8000m peak climbed.  The South Face of Annapurna represents an important chapter of Himalayan history, as one of the first big technical walls on an 8000m peak climbed in Nepal back in 1970, by the famous British climber Don Whillans and Scottish climber Dougal Haston, on an expedition led by Chris Bonnington.

After their visit to Base Camp, Jenni and the team descended back to Machapuchare BC and  then continued down to the settlement of Himalaya, deep in the bamboo and rhododendron jungle of the Modi Khola gorge.  Tomorrow they head back to Chomrung.  Well done, team!

Eric Simonson

May 1, 2014

Annapurna Sanctuary map

IMG guide Jenni Fogle reports that today the team trekked up the narrowing valley past Hinku Cave and Deurali (where the climbing route for Hiunchuli starts).  Now, for the night, they are at the “Machapuchare Base Camp” site at over 12,000 feet, ensconced in a small lodge.   This is the point where the valley splits, with the left fork continuing to Annapurna Base Camp and the right fork going up towards Annapurna 3 and Gangapurna.  Tomorrow early in the morning they are planning to hike up to Annapurna Base Camp, to get the morning views and good light for photos.  From the ABC site the whole amphitheater of the Annapurna peaks surround you, with the immense South Face of Annapurna 1 front  and center.  It is a remarkable mountain vista.

Eric Simonson

April 30, 2014

IMG guide Jenni Pfafman was able to send some team pictures from Chomrong before they entered the deep Modi Khola valley leading to Annapurna Base Camp.  It is unlikely that they will be able to send more photos after this, as the cell phone/internet service ends (they have the sat phone for emergency).

Today the team continued the trek, ascending through dense bamboo and rhododendron forests to the small settlement of Dovan (about 8500 ft).  They are now deep in the valley, with walls rising over 12,000 feet above them on either side (compare that to El Capitan in Yosemite, which only rises about

3000 feet!).  Far above, they can hear avalanches from Hiunchuli and Machapuchare, echoing off the walls.  Wild!!

Eric Simonson

April 29, 2014

IMG guide Jenni Pfafman reports that the Annapurna trekkers reached Chomrong today, a beautiful little Gurung village perched high above the Modi Khola river valley.  The “trail” that they are following is comprised of tens of thousands of stone steps, which have been installed over the centuries by the local people to facilitate travel.   From Chomrong the team gets a great view of Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, and Machapuchare (the “Fishtail”).   Machapuchare is a sacred peak in Nepal, and it has been climbed only once in 1957 by the British via the north ridge to within a few meters of the summit.  Since then, it has been off limits to climbers.

Eric Simonson

April 28, 2014

IMG guide Jenni Pfafman reports that the team had a good first day on the trail yesterday, climbing up through the hardwood forests to Dhampus.  Today, the team crossed the ridge into the Modi Khola river valley, and continued on through the forests and terraced hill-country to the village of Landrung, at about 1700m.  The tidy villages in this area are populated by the Gurung people, who inhabit the south side of the Annapurna area.  The team are just starting to get their first close up views of the mountains, farther up the valley.  The two big guardian peaks of the Annapurna Sanctuary are Hiunchuli (6441m) and Machapuchare (6993m), which tower over ten thousand feet on either side of the valley entrance to the Sanctuary, and mark the beginning of the rugged trekking that will take the team up to Base Camp.  It all brings back fond memories to me…I climbed Hiunchuli in 1981 and again in 1983…on a couple of my early Himalayan trips.

Eric Simonson