Dhaka, April 7 (V7N) -Babar Ali has become the first Bangladeshi to reach the summit of Annapurna I, an 8,091-metre peak in the Himalayas. 

 

He reached the top early on Monday, accompanied by guide Furba Angel Sherpa.

The successful ascent was confirmed to Prothom Alo by expedition manager Farhan Zaman and Mohan Lamsal, owner of Makalu Adventure, the Nepali agency overseeing the expedition.

A physician by profession, Babar is a co-founder and general secretary of Vertical Dreamers, a mountaineering club based in Chittagong. 

Last year, he became the first Bangladeshi to summit both Mount Everest and Lhotse during a single expedition.

Though Annapurna I is the 10th highest mountain in the world, it is considered one of the most dangerous due to its high fatality rate. 

Babar left for Nepal on March 24 and reached Annapurna Base Camp via Kathmandu and Pokhara on March 28, following acclimatization and preparation.

He spent two nights at Camp 1 (5,200m) and one night at Camp 2 (5,700m) before returning to base camp on Wednesday for final rest and planning. 

According to his team, climbers typically wait for a favourable weather window at base camp. 

Babar resumed his summit push on Thursday after learning that suitable conditions would persist until Sunday.

Despite facing snowstorms during his ascent, he pushed on from Camp 3 (6,500m), bypassing the typical final camp at 7,400m, and began his final summit push on the night of Sunday.

“This is a historic moment for Bangladeshi mountaineering,” said expedition manager Farhan Zaman. “Babar’s dedication and resilience have paved the way for a new era in our country’s climbing community.”

Babar is expected to descend to Camp 2 later in the day and may return to base camp by Tuesday.

 

END/MSS/AJ