Qatari Princess Sheikha Asma Al Thani Conquers Annapurna, Becomes First Qatari Woman to Summit the Tenth Highest Peak

Kathmandu: On Saturday, April 15, 2023, Qatari Princess Sheikha Asma Al Thani achieved a significant milestone in her mountaineering career by summiting the tenth highest peak in the world, Annapurna I. The princess, accompanied by a team of elite Sherpas led by renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, reached the summit at 4 pm local time, marking her as the first Qatari woman to accomplish this feat. The 8,091-meter high Annapurna I is located in Annapurna Rural Municipality-4 of Myagdi, Nepal.

The expedition was organized by Elite Expedition, whose director, Mingma David Sherpa, proudly announced Thani’s success. Alongside Thani, fellow climbers Anna Gutu from America and Alasdair Scott McKenzie from France also successfully reached the peak. The team supporting the climbers included Mingmatenji Sherpa, Dorchi Sherpa, and Tejan Gurung, who all successfully summited Annapurna as well.

Princess Al Thani, a doctor and head of the Qatar Olympic Committee, has an impressive climbing resume, having previously conquered Mount Everest, Dhawalagiri, Kanchanjunga, Lhotse, Amadablam, Manaslu, and K2.

She arrived in Myagdi on February 22, 2023, to begin her quest to climb Annapurna I. Lok Bahadur Fagami, Ward President of Annapurna Rural Municipality-4 Narchang, expressed optimism that Thani’s achievement would bolster tourism in the region and attract more visitors.

This year’s spring climbing season on Annapurna I kicked off on Saturday morning, with three Nepalese, one Pakistani, and one Australian mountaineer also reaching the summit under the guidance of Pasangnurbu Sherpa of Seven Summit Trek. The Department of Tourism, Nepal has granted climbing permits to 45 individuals in five separate groups this year.

Annapurna I was first conquered in 1950 by French climber Maurice Herzog, marking a significant milestone in the history of mountaineering. Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa followed suit by summiting the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, in 1953, just three years later.