Maurice Herzog and the First Ascent of Annapurna (1950): The Full Story

• SummitJune 3, 1950, about 2 p.m.
• PeakAnnapurna I, 8,091 m (26,545 ft)
• Summit pairMaurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal
• Bottled oxygenNone
• Herzog's bookAnnapurna (1951), 11 million+ copies
• Herzog's lifeJanuary 15, 1919 to December 13, 2012

Maurice Herzog became a household name in France and a hero around the world after June 3, 1950. On that day, at 2 p.m., he and fellow climber Louis Lachenal did something incredible: they became the first people ever to reach the top of Annapurna I, an 8,091-meter (26,545-foot) peak in the Himalayas. That climb was the first successful ascent of any 8,000-meter peak, a huge milestone in mountaineering. This achievement, coming just a few years after World War II, gave people hope and showed what humans could accomplish against the odds.

Herzog’s story runs well beyond that one climb. He grew up loving mountains, fought bravely in the war, and later became an important figure in the French government and sports. His life was full of adventure, leadership, and even some controversy. Let’s take a closer look at the life of Maurice Herzog, the man who conquered Annapurna.

Growing Up with Mountains and War

Maurice Herzog was born in Lyon, France, on January 15, 1919. Mountains were in his blood. His father was a climber, and the family even had a cabin near Mont Blanc, Europe's highest peak. Growing up surrounded by these giants sparked Maurice's love for climbing.

He studied business in Paris. But like many young men of his time, his life was interrupted by World War II. Herzog didn't stand by. He joined the French Resistance, fighting the German occupation in the Alps. He became a captain and earned the Croix de Guerre, a medal for bravery. After the war ended, Herzog started working for a tire company called Kléber-Colombes. But he never forgot his love for the mountains, spending his free time climbing in the Alps as France recovered from the war.

The Annapurna Adventure: Triumph and Tragedy

By 1950, no one had ever climbed an 8,000-meter peak. The French Alpine Club decided to try, getting rare permission to attempt either Dhaulagiri or Annapurna in Nepal. They chose Maurice Herzog to lead the team. Herzog was a capable amateur climber, and the strongest climbers on the team were three Chamonix guides: Louis Lachenal, Lionel Terray and Gaston Rébuffat. The team also included engineer Jean Couzy and physicist Marcel Schatz, doctor Jacques Oudot, diplomat Francis de Noyelle, filmmaker Marcel Ichac, and a group of Sherpas led by sirdar Ang Tharkay.

Their first target was Dhaulagiri. They explored it through April and into May 1950 and found no route they thought they could climb. With the monsoon season approaching, they made a bold switch: they would try Annapurna instead. This was risky because they knew very little about Annapurna and had little time left.

Working incredibly fast, the team explored Annapurna's north side. After hitting some dead ends, they found a possible route up the North Face. They set up a series of camps climbing higher and higher: Base Camp, then Camps 1 through 5, with Camp 5 perched at about 7,400 meters (over 24,000 feet). The climb was exhausting and dangerous, with constant threats from avalanches, deep snow, and freezing cold. The Sherpas worked tirelessly carrying supplies.

On June 2nd, Herzog and Lachenal reached Camp 5 with Sherpas Ang Tharkay and Sarki. Herzog offered Ang Tharkay a place on the summit attempt. He declined because his feet were starting to freeze, and the two Sherpas went back down. Terray and Rébuffat waited lower on the mountain, ready for a second attempt. At dawn on June 3rd, Herzog and Lachenal started for the summit. They climbed without extra oxygen, struggling through deep snow and biting wind. Near the top, Lachenal worried about his feet freezing in their thin leather boots, because losing toes could end his career as a guide. In Herzog's book, Herzog says he would go on alone and Lachenal answers, "Then I'll follow you." Lachenal's own diary tells this moment differently (see below).

Around 2 p.m., they made it! They stood on top of Annapurna, the first people ever to summit an 8,000-meter peak. Herzog planted the French flag, filled with emotion. But a storm was brewing, and Lachenal knew they needed to get down fast.

The descent turned into a nightmare. Herzog dropped his gloves, a terrible mistake in the intense cold. Both men suffered severe frostbite. A fierce storm hit, trapping them with Terray and Rébuffat (who had climbed up to help) overnight in a snow hole (crevasse) with only one sleeping bag. Terray and Rébuffat became snowblind. Lower down, an avalanche swept Herzog and two Sherpas away, though they were luckily rescued. Getting off the mountain took weeks of agony. Expedition doctor Jacques Oudot carried out amputations in basic conditions during the retreat and on the journey home. Herzog lost most of his fingers and toes, and Lachenal lost all of his toes. They had conquered Annapurna, but the cost was staggering.

The 1950 Expedition Day by Day

Dates below follow the main published accounts. A few, especially during the retreat, are approximate.

Who Was on the 1950 Annapurna Team

Life After the Summit: Fame, Politics, and a Famous Book

Returning home, the team received heroes’ welcomes. In Nepal, they were received by Prime Minister Mohan Shumsher JB Rana. Back in France, President Vincent Auriol invited them to the Élysée Palace in Paris. Herzog had become a national icon.

While recovering in the hospital, which took many months, he dictated the story of the expedition. His book, Annapurna: First Conquest of an 8000-meter Peak, came out in 1951. It became a worldwide bestseller and had sold more than 11 million copies by 2000, more than any other mountaineering book. The royalties went to French mountaineering, which had funded the expedition, so the book never made Herzog rich. It inspired people everywhere with its tale of adventure and endurance, ending with the famous line, "there are other Annapurnas in the lives of men." The expedition was also captured in the film ‘Victory on the Annapurna’, directed by team member Marcel Ichac and released in 1953.

His fame opened doors. In 1958, under Charles de Gaulle, he became France's High Commissioner for Youth and Sport, a post later raised to Secretary of State, and he held it until the mid-1960s. Herzog worked to improve sports programs and facilities across the country. Later, from 1968 to 1977, he served as the mayor of Chamonix, the famous town at the base of Mont Blanc. He was also a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 1970 to 1995 and then an honorary member. Even though his injuries meant he couldn't do serious climbing anymore, he remained a powerful symbol of the Annapurna achievement for the rest of his life.

A Lasting Legacy (and Some Questions)

The 1950 Annapurna climb changed mountaineering forever. It proved that 8,000-meter peaks could be climbed, kicking off the "Golden Age" of Himalayan climbing that saw Everest and other giants conquered soon after. It was a huge boost for France after the war. Herzog's book, Annapurna, was key to spreading the story and making it legendary.

The 8,000ers Climbed After Annapurna

Annapurna came first. Every other 8,000-meter peak had its first ascent within the next 14 years.

However, over time, some questions arose about the story Herzog told. Lachenal's diaries first appeared in 1956 as Carnets du vertige, edited by Herzog's brother Gérard, and passages about Annapurna were cut or rewritten. A fuller edition came out in 1996, and a more complicated picture emerged. Some felt Herzog's book focused too much on his own role and perhaps didn't fully capture the views or contributions of others, especially Lachenal, who had serious doubts near the summit. David Roberts' book True Summit (2000) set these accounts side by side. While Herzog's leadership and the team's incredible achievement are undeniable, history now recognizes that the story had more layers than his famous book revealed.

Also Read: Francys Arsentiev - The Sleeping Beauty of Mount Everest

Remembering Annapurna: 75 Years Later

On June 3, 2025, Nepal and the climbing world marked the 75th anniversary of that first ascent. The French Embassy and Alliance Française ran a program of events through the year. In Pokhara, the International Mountain Museum unveiled statues of Herzog, sirdar Ang Tharkay and Walung Sonam Sherpa, the first Nepali to summit Annapurna, at a ceremony co-organised with the Nepal Mountaineering Association.

A photo exhibition, Summit of Friendship: 75 Years of Annapurna Ascent, opened at Alliance Française in Kathmandu in April 2025. A Nepali translation of Herzog's book followed in December 2025, and the French ambassador later visited Annapurna Base Camp to pay tribute to the climbers. It was a time to remember the bravery of 1950, but also to think about how climbing has changed and the importance of protecting the Himalayas for the future.

Today, trekkers reach the foot of the same mountain on the Annapurna Base Camp trek or circle the massif on the Annapurna Circuit, walking through the country the 1950 expedition opened up.

A Life of Peaks and Valleys

Maurice Herzog died on December 13, 2012, at age 93. His life was one of incredible highs and deep lows. The Annapurna climb made him a legend, but he was also a war hero, a politician, and a sports leader. While debates about the details of the Annapurna story continue, the sheer courage shown by Herzog and his team remains inspiring.

Their 1950 expedition opened up the world's highest mountains and left a lasting mark on the spirit of adventure. Maurice Herzog is remembered as the climber who reached the first 8,000-meter summit, and as a man whose long life held war, politics, sport and a story still argued over.

Maurice Herzog and Annapurna: FAQs