Annapurna III (Nepali: अन्नपूर्ण ३) is a mountain in the Annapurna mountain range located in Nepal, and at 7,555 metres (24,787 ft) tall, it is the 42nd highest mountain in the world and the third highest peak of the Annapurna mountain range (Annapurna Fang is technically taller at 7,647 metres (25,089 ft), but lacks the prominence to be considered a fully independent peak).
| Annapurna III | |
|---|---|
 Annapurna III | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 7,555 m (24,787 ft)[1] |
| Prominence | 703 m (2,306 ft) |
| Parent peak | Annapurna I |
| Isolation | 14.04 km (8.72 mi) |
| Listing | List of mountains in Nepal |
| Coordinates | 28°35′8″N 83°59′22″E / 28.58556°N 83.98944°E |
| Geography | |
  Annapurna III | |
| Parent range | Annapurna Himal |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 6 May 1961[2] |
| Easiest route | snow/ice climb |
Features edit
Located directly south of Manang village, Annapurna III is the easternmost peak within the Annapurna Sanctuary, though not the range itself. To the west, it is connected to the slightly shorter Gangapurna by a col at 6,860 metres (22,510 ft), with a glacial cirque beneath the North and East Faces of these respective mountains emptying out via an icefall to Gangapurna Lake in the Marsyangdi river valley. The southern aspects of Annapurna III are accessible only through steep valleys and are renowned by climbers for their technical difficulty, most famously the spur known as the "Southeast Ridge", which rises steeply from the gorge of the Seti River to connect to the South Ridge proper.
History edit
It was first ascended 6 May 1961 by an Indian expedition led by Capt. Mohan Singh Kohli via the Northeast Face.[2] The summit party comprised Mohan Kohli, Sonam Gyatso, and Sonam Girmi.[3] A Japanese Women's expedition led by Junko Tabei succeeded in putting the first women on top on 19 May 1970.[4]
Several teams had attempted to summit Annapurna III via the southeast ridge, with all efforts prior to 2021 ending in failure.[5] The first attempt up this ridge was in 1981 by Nick Colton and Tim Leach who reached about 1000 feet below the peak before turning around. Twice in 2010, Pete Benson, Nick Bullock, and Matt Helliker unsuccessfully attempted the southeast ridge. Their first attempt started at the southeast pillar, and the second attempt started at the east ridge where the team began by flying a helicopter into basecamp to save time.[6] In 2016, David Lama filmed a documentary of his unsuccessful attempt up the southeast ridge along with Hansjörg Auer and Alex Blümel winning the UIAA awarded the Best Climbing Film.[7][8]
The first ascent of the southeast ridge ascent was made on 6th November 2021 by Mykyta Balabanov, Vyacheslav Polezhayko and Mykhailo Fomin. The route was considered one of the unfinished challenges in the Himalayas and is about 2,800-3,000 meters on a vertical face whose crux emerges in the form of a technically demanding chimney shown in the video of the 2016 attempt. It was the second attempt by this Ukrainian expedition, the first one being in 2019. They won a "Special Jury Award" at the 2022 Piolet d'Or for their ascent.[9][10]
References edit
- ^ Annapurna: Tilicho & Naar-Phu (Map). 1:125,000. Kathmandu: Himalayan Map Pvt. Ltd. 2009. § C4. ISBN 9799993-323074.
- ^ a b Kohli, Mohan S. (1964). "Annapurna III, 1961". Himalayan Journal. 25. The Himalayan Club. Archived from the original on 7 June 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
- ^ Kohli, Manmohan singh (16 November 2009). "My extreme moment". Hindustantimes. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ Miyazaki, Eiko (1970). "Japanese Women's Annapurna III Expedition, 1970". Himalayan Journal. 30. The Himalayan Club. Archived from the original on 5 July 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
- ^ "Annapurna III Unclimbed: the David Lama, Hansjörg Auer and Alex Blümel climbing documentary". PlanetMountain.com. December 22, 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-12-22. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
- ^ Griffin, Lindsay (November 25, 2011). "Annapurna III and Kyashar - British attempts". www.thebmc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
- ^ "ANNAPURNA III – UNCLIMBED SCOOPS UIAA PRIZE – UIAA". May 8, 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-10-10. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
- ^ Schmoll, Jochen, Annapurna III - Unclimbed (Short, Sport), Hansjörg Auer, Alex Blümel, David Lama, Drehxtrem, Red Bull Media House, retrieved 2021-01-07
- ^ Walsh, Anthony (19 October 2022). "Alpinism's Highest Honors Announced: The 2022 Piolets d'Or Recipients". Climbing. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "The Piolets d'Or 2022 list of significant ascents". PlanetMountain. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
External links edit
- Annapurna III – Unclimbed, a short documentary by David Lama
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