KATHMANDU, APRIL 6
Climbers from the Seven Summit Treks and Imagine Nepal team have successfully reached the summit of Annapurna I (8,091 metres) marking the first 8000-meter summit of the Spring 2025 climbing season this morning.
Climbers Phinjo Dorjee Sherpa, Dipan Gurung, Cesar Chinchay of Peru and Zhao YiYi of China stood atop the world's 10th highest peak at 10:10 AM today, marking the first 8000 metres ascent of the season.
According to Imagine Nepal, the summit was achieved on the second attempt after the previous venture on March 26 was called off due to extreme weather conditions above 7,500 meters. The expedition had begun on March 10, comprising a team of eight Chinese climbers and ten experienced Sherpas.
Mount Annapurna I, the 10th highest peak in the world, is known for its technical difficulty and avalanche-prone slopes, making this successful summit a noteworthy achievement early in the spring season.
As of April 2nd, the Department of Tourism has issued 66 permits to climbers looking to scale Annapurna I this season including 49 male and 17 female. The DoT so far has collected around Rs 16 million in royalties from issuing permits to Annapurna I alone.
Likewise, around 27 permits have been issued for Mt Sagarmatha, 15 each for Mt Lhotse (8,516 metres) and Makalu I (8,463 metres) among other peaks by the department collecting over Rs 65 million in royalties.
According to Aarti Neupane, although activities around the Everest Base Camp has increased, strong winds and dry conditions have delayed the route-setting progress at the Khumbu Icefall section. The team of SPCC with Icefall doctors have been on standby hoping for a more favourable weather going forward.
