Mt. Annapurna IV Expedition

Annapurna IV (7525m) lies in the south of Manang and west to Annapurna II. The peak is relatively easier mountain to climb among all the Annapurnas. Earliest expedition teams in the Himalayas had used Annapurna IV to build up their team to ascend other formidable Himalayan peaks. Earlier expedition to climb this peak failed because of ice above camp I, weather and logistics. Annapurna IV was first climbed in 1955 by a German expedition led by Heinz Steinmetz, via the North Face and Northwest
Ridge. The normal route for climbing the peak is through East Ridge.

Above Camp I the route from Camp 2 to Camp 3 becomes steeper requiring fixed rope on some of the more difficult sections including a bergschrund that has to be crossed. Camp 3 is at an elevation of 20,500 ft and sits at the junction of the North Ridge and Summit Ridge. It sits on the "Dome" of Annapurna IV and affords us an incredible view of the Summit Ridge. At
the crest 6,483m we will place our Camp III. Here the route turns sharp east and follows the Annapurna crest to the summit of Annapurna IV. The summit day above Camp III is long but not too technically difficult. However, there are some steep knife-edged ridges and cornices to negotiate so don’t think this will be easy. Above Camp I the slopes lay back. Glacier travel
skills will come into play as we wind our way to the top of the buttress, establishing around 6,000m (19, 800'). From Camp II we will have spectacular views of the North Face of Annapurna II. From Camp II we continue upward till we reach the east-west crest of the Annapurna Himal. At this point the team will decide whether to place one more camp along
the summit ridge or make summit attempts from Camp 3. The climb along the Summit Ridge affords us beautiful views of the Annapurna Sanctuary. It is a spectacular place to be. The climbing on this section will be very demanding as we will be climbing some steep sections on the Summit Ridge proper as well as traversing some steep slopes below the summit. We may
also encounter some rock on the summit pyramid. After a short stay on the summit we'll descend to our high camp where we will spend the night. The next day we'll descend all the way to Base Camp