Annapurna IV
Annapurna IV is a 7,525-meter (24,688-foot) mountain in Nepal’s Annapurna Himal, rising between Annapurna III and Annapurna II. Although it is one of the world’s highest summits by absolute elevation, it has only about 205 meters (673 feet) of topographic prominence, making it a high subsidiary summit within the larger Annapurna massif rather than a strongly independent mountain.
Its location gives Annapurna IV an important role in the geography and climbing history of the eastern Annapurna range. The mountain’s broad northern slopes and long northwest ridge provided the key to eventually reaching Annapurna II, while its enormous southern wall became a formidable climbing objective in its own right.
Annapurna IV was first climbed on May 30, 1955, by Heinz Steinmetz, Harald Biller, and Jürgen Wellenkamp during a small West German expedition. Their ascent followed a route from the north through the Marsyangdi side of the range, climbing an ice rib, the feature they called the Dome, and the long summit ridge.
Two years later, Charles Evans and Dennis Davis made the second ascent while attempting to find a route onward toward Annapurna II. In 1960, another expedition finally used the broad route pioneered on Annapurna IV to reach Annapurna II’s summit.
Later climbers turned their attention to Annapurna IV’s much steeper faces. Heinz Baumann and Pit Schubert completed the first ascent of the enormous south face in 1976 after a harrowing climb involving dozens of avalanches, severe frostbite, dwindling food, and an epic descent.
⚡ Fast Facts
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Continent | Asia |
| Country | Nepal |
| Province | Gandaki Province |
| Mountain Range | The Himalayas |
| Subrange | Annapurna Himal |
| Mountain Massif | Annapurna Massif |
| Elevation | 7,525 m / 24,688 ft |
| Prominence | Approximately 205 m / 673 ft |
| Isolation | Approximately 3.20 km / 1.99 mi |
| Nearest Higher Neighbor (NHN) | Annapurna II |
| Key Col | Approximately 7,320 m / 24,015 ft |
| Coordinates | Approximately 28.5367° N, 84.0831° E |
| First Ascent | May 30, 1955 |
| First Ascenders | Heinz Steinmetz, Harald Biller, and Jürgen Wellenkamp |
| First-Ascent Expedition | German Nepal Expedition |
| First-Ascent Route | North side via ice rib, Dome, and northwest ridge |
| Second Ascent | May 5, 1957 |
| Second Ascenders | Charles Evans and Dennis Davis |
| First South-Face Ascent | May 18, 1976 |
| South-Face Climbers | Heinz Baumann and Pit Schubert |
| Major North-Face Route | Central Rib, 1987 |
| Protected Area | Annapurna Conservation Area |
| Terrain | Glacier, snow, steep ice, rock, corniced ridges, seracs, and avalanche slopes |
🏔️ Where Is Annapurna IV?
Annapurna IV rises in central Nepal, forming part of the eastern section of the Annapurna massif.
The mountain stands immediately west of Annapurna II and northeast of Annapurna III.
To the west, the Annapurna massif continues through Gangapurna, Annapurna III, several high ridges, and ultimately Annapurna I.
The northern side descends toward the upper Marsyangdi Valley and Manang region, while the southern slopes fall into extremely steep terrain above the valleys and glacier systems leading toward the central Annapurna landscape.
Its position means that Annapurna IV can be seen from parts of the Manang Valley and from high trekking routes in the eastern Annapurna region.
📏 How High Is Annapurna IV?
Annapurna IV reaches 7,525 meters (24,688 feet).
This figure is consistently used by modern topographic mapping, the Himalayan Database, and historical expedition accounts.
At more than 7.5 kilometers above sea level, Annapurna IV is higher than every mountain outside Asia.
Yet its elevation can be misleading when considering its independence.
The summit forms part of a remarkably high ridge connecting it to Annapurna II. The saddle between the two mountains lies at approximately 7,320 meters — only about 205 meters below Annapurna IV’s summit.
That means Annapurna IV is usually excluded from ranked lists that require at least 500 meters of prominence.
It is nevertheless one of the highest named subsidiary summits anywhere in the Himalayas.
📐 Prominence and Isolation
Annapurna IV has approximately 205 meters (673 feet) of topographic prominence.
Its key col lies at roughly 7,320 meters (24,015 feet) on the high ridge toward Annapurna II.
Its true topographic isolation is approximately 3.20 kilometers (1.99 miles).
Higher terrain is found very quickly toward Annapurna II, which reaches approximately 7,937 meters.
This modest prominence explains why Annapurna IV may be omitted from some lists of the world’s highest independent mountains despite its remarkable absolute elevation.
The mountain is best understood as one of the major named summits forming the enormous eastern Annapurna ridge system.
🏔️ Annapurna IV and Annapurna II
The relationship between Annapurna IV and Annapurna II is unusually important in Himalayan climbing history.
The two summits are connected by a long, high ridge.
Annapurna IV forms the western end of this ridge, while Annapurna II rises in a much larger summit pyramid farther east.
Early climbers realized that reaching the shoulder of Annapurna IV might provide the safest approach to Annapurna II.
This idea influenced several expeditions.
H. W. Tilman explored the route during the 1950 Annapurna expedition.
Japanese parties returned in 1952 and 1953.
The 1955 Germans finally climbed Annapurna IV.
Charles Evans and Dennis Davis repeated the route in 1957 while explicitly hoping to continue toward Annapurna II.
Their attempt failed, but the route was now clearly established.
In 1960, an expedition led by Jimmy Roberts used the same general approach to make the first ascent of Annapurna II.
📜 H. W. Tilman’s 1950 Attempt
Annapurna IV’s early climbing history began during the period when mountaineers were still trying to understand the overall geography of the Annapurna massif.
In 1950, British explorer H. W. Tilman investigated Annapurna IV from the north.
The expedition included climbers such as Charles Evans and Bill Packard.
Tilman identified a relatively safe line climbing from the Marsyangdi side toward a snow feature later called the Dome.
The route led onto the main ridge of the Annapurna massif.
The party climbed high on the mountain but stopped roughly 500 feet below the summit.
Although unsuccessful, their reconnaissance established the basic line that later expeditions would follow.
Tilman’s route became the foundation for nearly every early attempt on Annapurna IV.
🇯🇵 The 1952 Japanese Attempt
Japanese climbers attempted the mountain in 1952.
They followed the northern approach but were stopped much lower than Tilman’s high point.
The route was still poorly understood, and the lower ice features presented major problems.
The expedition nevertheless added useful information about the mountain.
Japanese climbers returned again the following year with a stronger attempt.
🇯🇵 The 1953 Attempt
A Japanese expedition led by Toshio Imanishi attempted Annapurna IV after the monsoon in 1953.
The party initially considered the southern side but decided it was impractical for transporting expedition supplies.
On October 10, they turned their attention to the north face.
Base Camp was established at approximately 14,750 feet.
The climbers then placed camps progressively higher at approximately 16,400, 19,000, 20,350, 22,300, and 23,600 feet.
By early November, Imanishi, Fujihira, and Sherpa Da Namgyal were positioned at their highest camp and ready to attempt the summit.
Then a storm trapped them.
On November 4, their tent collapsed or failed in the severe weather.
The climbers were forced to retreat.
They had come remarkably close.
🇩🇪 The 1955 German Expedition
The successful expedition arrived in Nepal two years later.
The German Nepal Expedition was organized by the Deutsche Himalaja Stiftung in cooperation with the German Alpine Club.
It consisted of only four European climbers:
Heinz Steinmetz, who served as leader, Fritz Lobbichler, Harald Biller, and Jürgen Wellenkamp.
The expedition left Kathmandu on April 26 with a huge caravan of approximately 126 porters.
The journey toward the Annapurna range took them through the difficult Marsyangdi Gorge.
On May 13, the team established Base Camp in the Sabzi Chu, a small side valley leading toward Annapurna IV.
Good glacier conditions encouraged them to begin climbing immediately.
🧊 Following Tilman’s Route
The Germans followed the basic route pioneered by Tilman.
They climbed an ice rib toward the Dome, which provided access to the main ridge.
Camp I was established on May 19 at approximately 17,850 feet.
Above them stood a difficult ice bulge.
The same obstacle had caused significant trouble for previous expeditions.
Conditions were somewhat better in 1955.
An ice chimney allowed the climbers to traverse left around the overhanging upper section.
It still took approximately two hours of hard work to make the passage climbable.
The terrain was considered too dangerous to protect the Sherpas adequately.
From that point onward, the German climbers carried their own expedition loads.
🏕️ Camp II and the Dome
The team established Camp II at approximately 20,000 feet.
The next objective was the Dome.
An ice corridor provided access to the snow feature and eventually to a large plateau on the main ridge.
On May 25, Camp III was placed at approximately 21,200 feet at the foot of the summit ridge.
The expedition hoped to launch the summit attack almost immediately.
A local storm intervened.
The climbers were trapped in their tents for approximately two days and nights.
When the weather finally improved, Fritz Lobbichler was too exhausted to continue beyond the ice wall below the Dome.
He remained behind.
Steinmetz, Biller, and Wellenkamp continued upward.
🧗 The Summit Ridge
The three climbers occupied Camp III on May 29.
The summit remained roughly 3,500 vertical feet above them.
Rather than establish another high camp, they chose to attempt the entire remaining climb in a single push.
They left at first light on May 30 carrying emergency bivouac equipment and food.
The summit ridge proved considerably harder than expected.
The climbers encountered technical snow and ice terrain requiring belays and careful route-finding.
Conditions were fortunately good.
Firm snow and ice allowed relatively efficient progress.
Around noon, the climbers saw the mountain’s rocky summit pyramid for the first time.
They rested at approximately 23,300 feet before continuing.
🏆 First Ascent — May 30, 1955
Steinmetz, Biller, and Wellenkamp left their bivouac equipment behind and climbed toward the summit.
The final section took almost the entire afternoon.
Terrain that appeared short from below proved deceptively long at altitude.
At approximately 5:30 p.m., all three climbers reached the summit of Annapurna IV.
They planted Nepalese and German pennants on an ice axe and left a small Madonna figure on the mountain.
Darkness was already approaching.
The climbers knew they could not return safely to Camp III that night.
They descended to the point where their bivouac equipment had been cached.
There, at approximately 23,300 feet, they dug into the wall of a crevasse and spent the night in bitter cold.
The following days were devoted to evacuating the camps and descending safely.
🧗 Second Ascent — 1957
Annapurna IV received its second ascent only two years later.
British climbers Charles Evans and Dennis Davis arrived in spring 1957 with only four Sherpas.
Their primary objective was actually Annapurna II.
Evans already knew the terrain because he had participated in Tilman’s 1950 reconnaissance.
The pair followed the established route from the north.
On May 5, 1957, Evans and Davis reached the summit of Annapurna IV from a high camp around 23,000 feet.
The summit climb itself took only several hours.
Their greater ambition was to continue toward Annapurna II.
🏔️ Attempting the Ridge to Annapurna II
After returning to Base Camp and waiting for better weather, Evans and Davis climbed back toward their highest camp.
On May 16, they set off toward Annapurna II with Sherpas and supplies intended for another camp on the connecting ridge.
The terrain proved far more complicated than expected.
The ridge dropped substantially before rising toward Annapurna II.
Progress was painfully slow.
With unsettled weather building, the team concluded that continuing would be too dangerous.
They retreated.
Although the 1957 attempt failed, it provided valuable information later used by Jimmy Roberts’ 1960 expedition.
🏆 The Road to Annapurna II
In 1960, Annapurna IV again played a critical role in Himalayan climbing history.
A joint British, Nepalese, and Indian Services expedition led by J. O. M. “Jimmy” Roberts attempted Annapurna II.
The team followed the northern approach pioneered on Annapurna IV.
Camps were established progressively higher along the familiar route.
Instead of climbing all the way to Annapurna IV’s summit, the expedition used the high shoulder and ridge system to move toward Annapurna II.
After crossing the long connecting ridge, Richard Grant, Chris Bonington, and Ang Nyima Sherpa reached Annapurna II’s summit on May 17.
Members of the expedition subsequently climbed Annapurna IV as well.
Thus, the repeated exploration of Annapurna IV during the 1950s directly contributed to the first ascent of the much higher mountain next door.
🧱 The South Face
For early expeditions, Annapurna IV’s southern side appeared almost impossible.
The face rises dramatically from relatively low glacier terrain.
Early German and Japanese observers concluded that the combination of extreme steepness and continual avalanches made the wall impractical.
For years, climbers continued using the northern approach.
That changed in 1976.
A West German expedition led by Pit Schubert arrived with the specific objective of making the first ascent of the south face.
The group included Heinz Baumann, Werner Goltzsche, Ernst Mahner, Udo Pohlke, Karl van Saamek, Rüdiger Steuer, and Schubert.
The terrain immediately justified the warnings given by earlier climbers.
⚠️ Sixty Avalanches in a Day
The southern approach was extraordinarily dangerous.
Base Camp was established at approximately 3,600 meters, with Camp I around 4,100 meters and Camp II near 5,020 meters.
Between the camps, the climbers were exposed to frequent avalanches.
At one point they counted approximately 60 avalanches in a single day.
Several members considered the risk excessive.
With the monsoon approaching, Pit Schubert and Heinz Baumann decided to continue as a small team in a much lighter style.
On May 10, they left Camp II and began what was intended to be a rapid summit push.
The mountain had other plans.
🧗 A 2,500-Meter Summit Push
Schubert and Baumann had approximately 2,500 vertical meters remaining above Camp II.
They climbed for days through steep snow and ice.
Radio contact with the lower camps eventually failed.
By approximately 6,800 meters they found a small platform suitable for a tent.
The summit appeared deceptively close.
It was not.
The climbers had originally planned a four-day ascent and two-day descent.
Their attempt stretched much longer.
Food and fuel became increasingly scarce.
⚠️ Avalanche and Frostbite
During a summit attempt around May 16–17, Schubert triggered a slab avalanche.
He was engulfed by the snow.
Baumann managed to locate and excavate him.
Schubert’s legs had been buried long enough for his feet to become badly frozen.
Despite this, he decided to continue.
The pair climbed toward what appeared to be the summit and reached a high point.
Only then did they discover that the true top was still roughly 150 meters away.
Fog and a snowstorm forced them back.
The weather deteriorated.
For days, they were without radio communication and had little food remaining.
🏆 First Ascent of the South Face
Schubert and Baumann made another attempt.
They carried almost nothing.
Between them they shared one pair of crampons, meaning each climber wore a single crampon.
They also carried a bivouac sack and minimal clothing.
Unable to reach the summit ridge that day, they dug a snow cave.
Before sunrise the following morning, they resumed climbing.
After reaching the ridge and climbing several additional rope lengths, they finally arrived on Annapurna IV’s tiny summit around noon on May 18, 1976.
There was barely enough room for them to sit.
After approximately 20 minutes, they began descending.
Their ordeal was still far from finished.
🧊 The Epic Descent
Schubert’s feet were badly frostbitten.
As the two descended, another avalanche swept over them.
They escaped but shortly afterward both fell into a crevasse almost simultaneously.
Their rucksacks caught on a ledge or lip, preventing them from falling farther.
When they finally reached Camp II, they discovered it largely abandoned.
Their teammates had assumed the pair was lost after days without communication.
Fixed ropes had also disappeared from lower sections of the route.
With his badly injured feet, Schubert was forced to descend much of the terrain on his knees.
The two eventually reached civilization.
Schubert later required hospital treatment and the amputation of several toes.
Their climb remains one of the most dramatic episodes in Annapurna IV’s history.
🧗 The North Face
The northern side remained the mountain’s more frequently used climbing area.
By the 1980s, expeditions were experimenting with routes that differed from the original line.
A particularly important ascent came in 1987, when an American expedition climbed the central rib of the north face.
The route followed an extremely exposed crest.
At several points the ridge dropped thousands of feet almost vertically toward the glacier.
The climbers encountered steep ice, snowfields, and a roughly 100-foot vertical ice wall.
🇺🇸 Central Rib — 1987
The expedition established several camps on the north face.
Higher climbing involved fixed ropes through steep and exposed terrain.
Tim Schinhofen and Pemba Norbu Sherpa continued from the highest established camp toward the summit.
They climbed past steep snowfields and onto the summit plateau.
On October 10, they reached the summit at approximately 3:15 p.m.
Schinhofen became the first American recorded to reach Annapurna IV’s summit.
Their line was a new route through the central rib of the north face.
The climb showed that significant new technical possibilities remained even on the side first explored nearly four decades earlier.
🏔️ The Normal Route
By the late 20th century, the north face and northwest ridge had become the mountain’s most established route.
A French expedition in 1986 described the lower portion as the most technical section.
Approximately 500 meters of rope were fixed through a steep spur.
Higher on the mountain, the route followed the long snow ridge toward the summit.
When snow was firm, the upper section could be relatively straightforward.
Fresh snow changed the situation completely.
Wind slabs and avalanches could trap climbers high on the mountain.
This combination of a technical lower face and a long exposed upper ridge remains characteristic of Annapurna IV’s northern routes.
⚠️ The 1996 Tragedy
Annapurna IV’s hazards were demonstrated again in 1996.
A large American expedition was attempting the mountain from the north.
Heavy snowfall hit the region.
At approximately 5,400 meters, climbers Richard Davidson and Debbie Marshall were sleeping in a tent at the first high-altitude camp.
During the night of October 3–4, at least a meter of fresh snow accumulated.
The weight collapsed their tent.
Both climbers suffocated.
The accident occurred relatively low on the mountain and did not involve an avalanche or technical fall.
It illustrated another danger of Himalayan expeditions: extreme snowfall can become deadly even at camp.
🧗 Alex Lowe and Conrad Anker
The same year, Alex Lowe and Conrad Anker were in the Annapurna region preparing for an attempt on the still-unclimbed southeast ridge of Annapurna III.
They used Annapurna IV for acclimatization.
The pair climbed a route on the southern side and reached approximately 7,200 meters.
Heavy snowfall then trapped them in a snow cave for roughly a week.
By the time they descended, conditions on Annapurna III had deteriorated so badly that their main objective was abandoned.
Their route on Annapurna IV would become relevant decades later when another team explored similar terrain.
🇺🇦 Annapurna IV as Acclimatization
In 2019 and 2021, Ukrainian climbers Nikita Balabanov, Mikhail Fomin, and Viacheslav Polezhaiko used Annapurna IV while preparing to attempt the legendary southeast ridge of Annapurna III.
In 2019, they reached approximately 6,900 meters before stopping.
They returned in 2021.
Their southern approach involved a difficult rock barrier near 6,200 meters before joining the established northwest ridge.
The team eventually completed an ascent of Annapurna IV as part of its acclimatization program.
Later examination revealed that Alex Lowe and Conrad Anker had climbed a similar line to approximately 7,200 meters in 1996.
The Ukrainians subsequently went on to complete the historic first ascent of Annapurna III’s southeast ridge in November 2021.
Annapurna IV had once again served as a stepping stone toward one of its more difficult neighbors.
🧊 Glaciers and Terrain
Annapurna IV has dramatically different terrain on its northern and southern sides.
The north contains broad glaciers, snowfields, ice ribs, steep ice walls, and the long northwest summit ridge.
The south is far steeper.
Its enormous face rises thousands of meters through avalanche gullies, icefalls, snowfields, and rock.
Seracs and crevasses complicate both approaches.
Fresh snowfall can quickly transform apparently manageable terrain into a serious avalanche hazard.
Wind is another major concern on the upper ridge.
The exposed crest between Annapurna IV and Annapurna II is frequently swept by powerful winds, producing hard ice in some places and dangerous wind slabs in others.
🌦️ Climate and Weather
Annapurna IV occupies a striking climatic transition.
The southern side of the Annapurna massif receives heavy precipitation from the South Asian monsoon.
The Manang side immediately north of the range lies within a strong Himalayan rain shadow.
This means the lower northern valleys can be relatively dry even while enormous amounts of snow accumulate on Annapurna IV’s upper slopes.
Spring and autumn generally provide the main climbing seasons.
The 1955 first ascent took place shortly before the summer monsoon.
The climbers already observed signs of monsoon weather soon afterward.
Autumn often offers clearer skies, but heavy post-monsoon snowfall can be dangerous, as the 1996 tragedy demonstrated.
Winter introduces extreme cold and powerful winds on the summit ridge.
🌿 Flora and Fauna
Annapurna IV lies within the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal’s largest protected conservation landscape.
The mountain’s upper slopes consist almost entirely of glacier ice, permanent snow, exposed rock, and high-altitude scree.
There is essentially no vegetation near the summit.
Far below, ecological conditions differ dramatically between the two sides of the massif.
Southern valleys support wetter forests containing rhododendron, oak, bamboo, fir, and other Himalayan vegetation.
North of the crest, the Manang region is considerably drier.
Open pine and juniper woodlands transition into alpine grasslands and cold high-altitude steppe.
🐾 Wildlife
The wider Annapurna Conservation Area supports a remarkable variety of Himalayan wildlife.
Blue sheep, or bharal, inhabit high rocky slopes.
These animals are among the principal prey of the snow leopard, which survives in remote portions of the conservation area.
Other mammals include Himalayan tahr, musk deer, and numerous smaller high-altitude species.
Birdlife includes the Himalayan monal, blood pheasant, koklass pheasant, choughs, and large soaring raptors.
The mountain’s upper slopes are too extreme for most wildlife, but the glaciers and snowfields provide meltwater for ecosystems far below.
🏘️ The Manang Side
The northern approach to Annapurna IV is closely associated with the Manang Valley.
Early expeditions described the area as Manangbhot.
The Marsyangdi River cuts a dramatic valley along the northern edge of the Annapurna massif.
Modern trekkers know this landscape as one of the most spectacular sections of the Annapurna Circuit.
The valley’s relatively dry climate, Tibetan-influenced villages, Buddhist monuments, and enormous mountains create a landscape very different from the wetter southern foothills.
Annapurna II and IV dominate portions of the skyline.
Although trekkers remain far below the technical climbing routes, the Manang side provides a clear view of the geography that shaped the early expeditions.
🥾 Seeing Annapurna IV
Annapurna IV is not as immediately recognizable as Machapuchare or Annapurna South from Pokhara.
Its best-known views come from the eastern and northern Annapurna region.
Sections of the Annapurna Circuit around Pisang, Humde, and Manang provide views toward the mountain and neighboring Annapurna II.
From some angles, Annapurna II dominates so strongly that Annapurna IV can appear to be merely a shoulder or high subsidiary summit.
This impression reflects the mountain’s low prominence.
From the south, however, Annapurna IV’s huge face reveals a completely different personality.
It rises thousands of meters above glacier valleys in an enormous wall that early climbers considered almost unclimbable.
🪨 Geology
Annapurna IV formed through the continuing collision between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
India’s northward movement compressed and thickened the crust, creating the Himalayan mountain chain.
The Annapurna region contains complex sequences of sedimentary and metamorphic rocks uplifted along major fault systems.
Glaciers have played a major role in shaping the modern mountain.
They carved steep valleys, cirques, ridges, and basins around the massif.
Avalanches, rockfall, freeze-thaw weathering, and glacier movement continue changing the landscape today.
The steep southern relief is especially dramatic because rivers and glaciers have cut deeply into terrain that continues to be uplifted tectonically.
🏔️ Nearby Mountains
Annapurna II rises immediately east of Annapurna IV to 7,937 meters and is its nearest higher neighbor.
Annapurna III lies southwest and reaches approximately 7,555 meters.
Gangapurna rises farther west to 7,455 meters.
Annapurna I dominates the greater massif at 8,091 meters.
Annapurna Dakshin rises on the southwestern side of the range.
Machapuchare stands farther south and forms one of Nepal’s most famous mountain silhouettes.
Lamjung Himal rises southeast of Annapurna IV and marks the eastern continuation of the Annapurna range.
🧭 Can Annapurna IV Be Climbed Today?
Yes. Annapurna IV remains a recognized mountaineering objective in Nepal.
Expeditions require the appropriate Nepalese government authorization.
The north-face and northwest-ridge system is the most established general climbing line, although it should not be interpreted as an easy normal route.
The lower terrain includes steep glacier and ice climbing.
The upper ridge is long and exposed.
Avalanches, serac collapse, crevasses, high winds, extreme cold, and deep snowfall all present serious hazards.
The south face is a significantly more technical and dangerous objective.
Annapurna IV receives relatively little commercial climbing traffic compared with Everest, Manaslu, Ama Dablam, or other popular expedition peaks.
Any attempt remains a serious high-altitude undertaking.
⭐ Why Annapurna IV Is Remarkable
Annapurna IV is easy to overlook when looking at the numbers.
At 7,525 meters it is one of the highest mountains on Earth, yet its prominence is only about 205 meters.
Annapurna II rises only a few kilometers away and more than 400 meters higher.
That close relationship has caused Annapurna IV to spend much of its history in the shadow of its larger neighbors.
Yet its climbing history is remarkably important.
Tilman’s 1950 reconnaissance helped establish one of the first practical routes through the eastern Annapurna massif.
Japanese expeditions pushed the route higher.
Steinmetz, Biller, and Wellenkamp finally reached the summit in 1955 after carrying their own equipment above the lower ice barrier and spending a freezing night in a crevasse.
Evans and Davis repeated the climb in 1957 while trying to solve Annapurna II.
That knowledge helped make the first ascent of Annapurna II possible three years later.
Then, in 1976, Baumann and Schubert climbed a south face earlier expeditions had dismissed as nearly impossible, surviving avalanches, frostbite, hunger, and an extraordinary descent.
Decades later, climbers continued using Annapurna IV to prepare for ambitious routes on Annapurna III.
Its topographic independence may be modest, but its role in the exploration of the Annapurna massif has been anything but minor.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How high is Annapurna IV?
Annapurna IV rises to 7,525 meters (24,688 feet).
Where is Annapurna IV?
It is located in Gandaki Province, Nepal, in the eastern part of the Annapurna Himal.
Is Annapurna IV part of the Annapurna massif?
Yes. It forms part of the high ridge system connecting Annapurna III and Annapurna II.
Who first climbed Annapurna IV?
Heinz Steinmetz, Harald Biller, and Jürgen Wellenkamp made the first ascent.
When was Annapurna IV first climbed?
The summit was first reached on May 30, 1955.
What route did the first ascenders use?
They approached from the north through the Marsyangdi side, climbed an ice rib to the Dome, and followed the long summit ridge.
Who made the second ascent?
Charles Evans and Dennis Davis made the second ascent on May 5, 1957.
Why is Annapurna IV important in the history of Annapurna II?
Early expeditions discovered that the route toward Annapurna IV provided access to the high ridge connecting with Annapurna II. Exploration of this terrain eventually helped enable Annapurna II’s first ascent in 1960.
How prominent is Annapurna IV?
It has only about 205 meters (673 feet) of topographic prominence.
Why is Annapurna IV’s prominence so low?
The saddle connecting it with Annapurna II remains above 7,300 meters, so the summit rises only about 205 meters above its key col.
Is Annapurna IV an independent mountain?
It is an important named summit, but it falls below the 500-meter prominence threshold commonly used to rank the world’s highest independent mountains.
What is Annapurna IV’s nearest higher neighbor?
The nearest higher mountain is Annapurna II.
Has Annapurna IV’s south face been climbed?
Yes. Heinz Baumann and Pit Schubert completed the first ascent of the south face in May 1976.
Why was the 1976 south-face ascent so difficult?
The route was extremely avalanche-prone, and the climbers endured storms, dwindling food, severe frostbite, avalanches, and a dangerous descent.
Has the north face been climbed by routes other than the original line?
Yes. Several routes have been established on the northern side, including a central-rib route climbed in 1987.
Can Annapurna IV still be climbed?
Yes. It remains open to appropriately permitted expeditions in Nepal, but the mountain involves serious technical and objective hazards.
🔗 Related Articles
- Annapurna
- Annapurna II
- Annapurna III
- Annapurna Dakshin
- Gangapurna
- Machapuchare
- The Himalayas
- Highest Peaks of the Himalayas
- Mountains in Nepal: Highest Peaks, Himalayan Ranges, and Trekking Guide
📚 Sources
- Peakbagger — Annapurna IV
- Himalayan Database — First Ascent Timeline
- Himalayan Database — Himalayan Peaks
- Himalayan Club — The German Nepal Expedition, 1955
- American Alpine Club — Annapurna IV, 1953 Japanese Attempt
- American Alpine Club — Annapurna IV, Second Ascent
- American Alpine Club — Annapurna II, 1960
- Himalayan Club — Annapurna IV, First Ascent of the South Face
- American Alpine Club — Annapurna IV, Central Rib of the North Face
- American Alpine Club — Annapurna IV, Attempts and Tragedy
- American Alpine Club — Patience: The Southeast Ridge of Annapurna III
- Mount Everest Foundation — Annapurna II 1957
