Gangapurna Explained

Gangapurna
Elevation M:7455
Country:Nepal
State:Gandaki Province
State Type:Province
District:Kaski and Manang
Range:Annapurna
First Ascent:6 May 1965
Coordinates:28.605°N 83.9633°W
Map:Nepal Gandaki Province#Nepal

Gangapurna is a mountain in Gandaki Province, Nepal. It is part of the Annapurna mountain range in north-central Nepal at an elevation of and with the prominence of . It was first ascended in 1965 by a German expedition via its south face and east ridge. Gangapurna is entirely located in the Annapurna Conservation Area.

Geography

Gangapurna is located at the border of Annapurna Rural Municipality, Kaski and Nesyang Rural Municipality, Manang in Gandaki Province at above sea level and its prominence is .[1] [2] It is part of the Annapurna mountain range in north-central Nepal, and Gangapurna is on the main ridge that connects Annapurna I to Gangapurna and Annapurna III.[3] [4] The main peak of the mountain range, Annapurna I Main, is the tenth highest mountain in the world at above sea level.[5]

The mountain is named after Ganga, the Hindu goddess who is a personification of the river Ganges.[6] Gangapurna entirely lies in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal's largest protected area established in 1985,[7] which also encompasses Annapurna Sanctuary and is known for several trekking routes including Annapurna Circuit.[8] [9] The glaciers of Gangapurna, Annapurna IV, Khangsar Kang, and Glacier Dom create Gangapurna Lake,[10] and the glaciers of the mountain have been melting extensively due to climate change.[11] [12] [13] The base camp is located at .[14]

Climbing history

On 6 May 1965, Gangapurna was first climbed by Erich Reismueller, Ang Temba Sherpa, and Phu Dorjee Sherpa during a German expedition via its south face and east ridge.[15] A Japanese expedition managed a second ascent in 1971 before avalanches killed eight members over a two-day period, the single worst climbing disaster in the Annapurna Himal to date.[16] Another Japanese party succeeded without major incident in 1974.[17]

In 1981, Canadian James Blench and John Lauchlan climbed the mountain using the Alpine style which is considered to be a "remarkable achievement for the era".[18] In 1988, Gudmundur Petursson led an Icelandic expedition via its east ridge, due to a three-day thunderstorm that added 50 cm of snow to the mountain every day and it posed a threat of an avalanche, they abandoned the expedition after reaching .[19] In 1992, Timothy Brill led an American expedition to climb Gangapurna in winter from the south ridge, however, they only got to .[20] The same year, there were two unsuccessful expeditions led by Spanish mountaineer Francisco Jose Palacios. In 2017, three Korean climbers climbed Gangapurna using a newly discovered south face route, and won a "Special Mention" at the 2017 Piolet d'Or.

Neighbouring peaks

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Gangapurna. 13 December 2021. Nepal Himal Peak Profile.
  2. Web site: Gangapurna. 2021-12-13. Peakbagger.
  3. Book: Gurung, Harka B.. Vignettes of Nepal. 1980. Sajha Prakashan. 229. en. 5 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211118212048/https://books.google.com/books?id=bRRuAAAAMAAJ&newbks=0. 18 November 2021. live.
  4. Book: Shirahata, Shirō. Nepal Himalaya. 1983. Heian International. 978-0-89346-220-8. 220. en.
  5. Book: Western. David. Natural Connections: Perspectives In Community-Based Conservation. Wright. Michael. 2013-03-19. Island Press. 978-1-61091-094-1. 264. en.
  6. Book: Bezruchka, Stephen. Trekking in Nepal: A Traveler's Guide. 1997. The Mountaineers Books. 978-0-89886-535-6. 186. en. 5 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211205184520/https://books.google.com/books?id=TFa-ant72OgC&newbks=0. 5 December 2021. live.
  7. Book: Singh. R. B.. Environmental Geography of South Asia: Contributions Toward a Future Earth Initiative. Prokop. Pawel. 13 October 2015. Springer. 978-4-431-55741-8. 274. en.
  8. Book: Gurung, Manaslu. Women and Development in the Third World: A Case Study from Ghandruk, Nepal. 2004. WWF Nepal Program Office. 76. en.
  9. Book: Western. David. Natural Connections: Perspectives In Community-Based Conservation. Wright. Michael. 19 March 2013. Island Press. 978-1-61091-094-1. 263. en.
  10. Web site: Neupane. Tufan. 3 September 2020. Forests replace glaciers in the Himalaya. 13 December 2021. Nepali Times. en-US.
  11. Web site: Rana. Ramji. 8 October 2018. Gangapurna Lake rapidly becoming shallower. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20211205182715/https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/gangapurna-lake-rapidly-becoming-shallower. 5 December 2021. 5 December 2021. The Himalayan Times. en.
  12. Book: Huettmann, Falk. Protection of the Three Poles. 26 April 2012. Springer Science & Business Media. 978-4-431-54005-2. 17. en. 5 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211205184635/https://books.google.com/books?id=cPgf5NTcwg4C&newbks=0. 5 December 2021. live.
  13. Book: Oestigaard, Terje. Death and Life-giving Waters: Cremation, Caste, and Cosmogony in Karmic Traditions. 2005. Archaeopress. 978-1-84171-698-5. 158. en. 5 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211120222738/https://books.google.com/books?id=PCpmAAAAMAAJ&newbks=0. 20 November 2021. live.
  14. Book: Club. American Alpine. 1995 American Alpine Journal. Carter. H. Adams. The Mountaineers Books. 978-1-933056-42-5. 253. en.
  15. Book: Isserman. Maurice. Fallen Giants: A History of Himalayan Mountaineering from the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes. Weaver. Stewart Angas. Molenaar. Dee. 1 January 2010. Yale University Press. 978-0-300-16420-6. 521. en.
  16. Book: Club, American Alpine. American Alpine Journal, 1982. 2000. Mountaineers Books. 978-0-930410-15-5. 233. en.
  17. Web site: Gangapurna, 1974. 13 December 2021. The Himalayan Journal. en.
  18. Web site: Gangapurna, South Face Direct, Korean Way; Gangapurna West, South Face (Almost to Summit). 13 December 2021. AAC Publications.
  19. Book: 1988 American Alpine Journal. The Mountaineers Books. 978-1-933056-35-7. 218. en.
  20. Book: 1992 American Alpine Journal. The Mountaineers Books. 978-1-933056-39-5. 216–217. en.

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