Mathias, son of Maurice Herzog, follows father's steps up to Annapurna base camp

MYAGDI, Oct 29: Mathias Herzog, son of the legendary Maurice Herzog—who made history with the first ascent of the Annapurna Peak—recently trekked to the base camp of the peak, following in his father's footsteps from 75 years ago.

Mathias arrived in Narchyang, a part of Annapurna rural municipality-4, last Friday before setting out for the base camp on Saturday. Maurice Herzog, along with his expedition team, had successfully reached atop the summit of Annapurna (8,091 meters) on June 3, 1950, three years before the first ascent of the Sagarmatha.

Following his trek, Mathias expressed his commitment to promoting the peak, which he described as enriched by natural beauty. Tej Gurung who accompanied Mathias during the trek said that Annapurna, once revered as the oldest peak in Nepal, has become relatively unknown.

During his visit, Mathias laid a wreath at the bust of his father, placed near the Panchakunda Pond at the base camp, and took a group photo. He also spent some time in meditation. He was amazed to learn that his father had traversed a rocky, uncharted route to reach the camp which was not developed as of today, according to Gurung. 

Mathias pledged to return for a family trek next year with his 82-year-old mother and promised to translate his father's book, 'The Annapurna', into Nepali and other languages. The trekking route to Annapurna base camp via Narchyang has been named the Maurice Herzog Trail in honor of the pioneering climber.

The Annapurna base camp can be accessed from Pokhare Bagar, the center of Annapurna rural municipality, with a 22-km motorable route to Homkhola, followed by a 21-km trek to the base camp.