The first ascent of Annapurna’s Diamond Jubilee event begins
Diamond Jubilee Festival, which honors Annapurna’s 75th anniversary, began on Saturday and will conclude on June 4 with cultural performances by French artists. The Nepal Tourist Board, Nepal Mountaineering Association, Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal, and ACAP local tourist development committee host the Maurice Herzog Trail festival, which attracts tourists from outside. In order to assure the success of the celebration, which has brought 14 international visitors—including Herzog’s family—from Pokhara to Myagdi, the locals have tidied the village and constructed welcoming gates. Being the first human to climb an 8,000-meter mountain, Annapurna is particularly significant. Three years before the world’s highest peak was climbed, on June 2, 1950, French climbers Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal, with the help of a Nepali Sherpa team, successfully climbed Sagarmatha.
At the Annapurna Base Camp, the prime minister will unveil life-sized statues honoring Louis Lachenal, Maurice Herzog, and Nepali climber Sonam Wangchuk Sherpa on June 3. The recently constructed Maurice Herzog Trail, which connects the base camp and Narchyang, will also be opened by him, as will an outdoor museum at the base camp. A 30-kilometer marathon will be part of the festivities. A variety of cultural activities, such as open dance performances and traditional dance competitions, will also take place. The Annapurna I Base Camp is hosting this first government-level event, which has pleased the residents of Myagdi, according to Chitra Tilija, a member of the Annapurna Tourism Development Committee.
