Annapurna Season Opens

Nepal’s spring climbing season is underway on Annapurna I, where summit teams have already reached the top of the 8,091-meter peak. (myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com) Nepal’s Department of Tourism has issued 27 permits to climbers from four expedition teams for Annapurna this season, according to Nepali media reports published April 19. The department has collected about Rs 12.49 million in permit revenue from those climbs. (english.khabarhub.com) One expedition led by Lakpa Sherpa of Seven Summit Treks put 12 climbers on the summit, including seven Nepalis and five foreign climbers. In a separate ascent, a Sherpa guide and two clients from the Netherlands and Australia reached the top at 10:15 a.m. Saturday, Tej Bahadur Gurung of Maurice Herzog Trek said. (english.khabarhub.com) Annapurna I is the world’s 10th-highest mountain, and Nepal’s spring window is the main season for guided expeditions on the country’s 8,000-meter peaks. The first successful climbs on Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and Makalu over April 17-18 marked the start of that window for 2026. (ntb.gov.np) (thehimalayantimes.com) The early Annapurna traffic also fits a broader buildup across Nepal’s climbing season. By March 26, authorities had issued 82 permits for spring expeditions nationwide, with Annapurna I and Ama Dablam leading early demand. (fiscalnepal.com) Last spring, 66 climbers received Annapurna permits, compared with 27 so far this season as of April 19. Permit totals typically keep rising as teams arrive at base camp and wait for weather and route-fixing work before summit pushes. (english.khabarhub.com) (english.ratopati.com) Annapurna carries an outsized reputation even among 8,000-meter mountains. Nepal Tourism Board says the peak was the first eight-thousander ever climbed, in 1950, and climbing databases track it as one of the Himalaya’s most dangerous major summits. (ntb.gov.np) (www.himalayandatabase.com) For now, the clearest signal is at base camp and on the route above it: teams are moving, permits are still being issued, and Annapurna’s spring season has begun. (myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com)