KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 19 The Nepali translation of Annapurna Premier 8000, written by French mountaineer Maurice Herzog, was officially launched in Kathmandu on Thursday at a programme jointly organized by the French Embassy in Nepal and the Alliance française Katmandou. The launch was attended by Pokhara Metropolitan City Mayor Dhan Raj Acharya, Nepal Mountaineering Association President Phur Gelje Sherpa, mountaineer Purnima Shrestha, Chairperson of the Maurice Herzog Trekking Trail Tej Gurung, publisher Kunda Dixit, and French Ambassador to Nepal Virginie Corteval, among others. The Nepali edition has been translated by Ashok Shakya and Rijendra Shrestha and published by Fine Print, with financial support from the French Embassy in Nepal. Originally authored by Maurice Herzog, leader of the 1950 Franco-Nepali expedition, Annapurna Premier 8000 documents the first successful ascent of Annapurna, marking the world's first climb of an 8,000-metre peak. Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Corteval expressed hope that Nepali readers would 'enjoy discovering this unique story of an adventure with phenomenal resonance, a unique moment in the history of mountaineering and which forged the friendship that still unites Nepal and France today.' The programme also included readings from the Nepali translation and a discussion on mountaineering and the legacy of Annapurna. The late Sonam Walung Sherpa, the first Nepali to summit Annapurna in 1977, was posthumously honoured during the event.