Overview

Near to the Annapurna South is the beautiful Hiunchuli Peak, lying at an altitude of 6,441 meters. Though climbing this peak is not technically difficult, there are other drawbacks of this trekking route such as its vulnerability to rock falls and complexity in route finding, that make it a less preferred trekking option.

Discovered by Col. Jimmy Roberts, Hiunchuli is one of the three major trekking peaks within the Annapurna Sanctuary. Its eastern face overlooks the Modi Khola and guards the entrance to the Annapurna Sanctuary. An American Peace Corps Expedition, via the southeast face, first climbed Hiunchuli in October 1971.

Lying at a remote location, Hiunchuli, still remains an unknown route approached by only a few trekkers. The trekking trail passes through steep and dense bamboo forest, menaced by unseen dangers of the hanging glaciers. From the north, the mountain rises steeply above the moraines of the Annapurna South Glacier in a series of shabby buttresses and an ill-defined and complicated North Ridge. These in turn lead to a final triangle of fluted ice that forms the summit. The summit is bounded on the east by a ridge that rises in an icy parabola, from which a steep couloirs descends towards the moraines above the lodges at base camp. Considered as one of the most complex climbs, the trek to the Hiunchuli Peak requires technicality and experience.