The south face of Annapurna was first climbed in 1970 by Don Whillans and Dougal Haston, members of a British expedition led by Chris Bonington which included the alpinist Ian Clough, who was killed by a falling ice-pillar during the descent.

In 1978 an expedition led by Arlene Blum became the first American team to climb Annapurna I. The expedition was also remarkable for being composed entirely of women. Sadly, Alison Chadwick-Onyszkiewicz and Vera Watson died during this climb.

On 3 February 1987, Jerzy Kukuczka and Artur Hajzer, a Polish climber, made the first ascent of an eight-thousander in winter.

The Annapurna peaks are among the world's most dangerous mountains to climb, with a fatality rate of 40%.[1] As of 2005, only 103 successful summits have been made, for the loss of 56 lives, many to the avalanches for which the mountain is known.

The other peaks
Annapurna II, the eastern anchor of the range, was first climbed in 1960 by a British/Indian/Nepalese team led by Jimmy Roberts, via the West Ridge, approached from the north. The summit party comprised Richard Grant, Chris Bonington, and Sherpa Ang Nyima. In terms of elevation, isolation (distance to a higher summit, namely Annapurna I, 30.5 km) and prominence (2,437 m), Annapurna II does not rank far behind Annapurna I. It is a fully independent peak, despite the close association with Annapurna I which its name seems to imply.

Annapurna III was first climbed in 1961 by an Indian expedition led by Mohan Kohli, via the Northeast Face. The summit party comprised Mohan Kohli, Sonam Gyatso, and Sonam Girmi.

Annapurna IV, near Annapurna II, was first climbed in 1955 by a German expedition led by Heinz Steinmetz, via the North Face and Northwest Ridge. The summit party comprised Steinmetz, Harald Biller, and Jürgen Wellenkamp.

Gangapurna was first climbed in 1965 by a German expedition led by Günther Hauser, via the East Ridge. The summit party comprised 11 members of the expedition.

Annapurna South (also known as Annapurna Dakshin, or Moditse) was first climbed in 1964 by a Japanese expedition, via the North Ridge. The summit party comprised S. Uyeo and Mingma Tsering.

Machapuchare (6993m) is another important peak of the Annapurna Himal, though it just misses the 7000m mark.

Tilicho lake is one of the highest lakes in the world.[1] It is 4,949m high in the Annapurna range of the Himalayas in Nepal.[2] Another source lists Lake Tilicho as being 4,919 meters high(16,138 feet).[3]

Mountain lakes are known to geographers as tarns if they are caused by glacial activity. Tarns are found mostly in the upper reaches of the Himalaya, above 5,500 metres.[3] Due to the extremely inhospitable surrounding terrain and the difficulties associated with reaching the area, this lake is rarely visited by outsiders.

The Gandaki River, also known as the Kali Gandaki and the Gandak, is a tributary of the Ganges River. It rises in the Himalayas in the Mustang District region of Nepal, near the border with Tibet, where it is known as the Narayani. It flows southward through a steep gorge known as the Kali Gandaki Gorge, between the mountains Dhaulagiri (8167 m) to the west and Annapurna (8091 m) to the east. South of the gorge the river makes a right-angle turn and runs east for a time until turning sharply to the southwest. The river later curves back towards the southeast as it enters India. The river flows southwest across the Gangetic plain of Bihar state, eventually merging with the Ganges near at Hajipur Patna.

If one measures the depth of a canyon by the difference between the river height and the heights of the highest peaks on either side, the Kali Gandaki Gorge is the world's deepest. The portion of the river between the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna massifs is at an elevation of between 1300 metres and 2600 metres[1], 5500 to 6800 metres lower than the two peaks.