Babar Ali becomes first Bangladeshi to climb Mount Annapurna I

Mountaineer Babar Ali became the first Bangladeshi to summit Mount Annapurna I of the Himalaya Mountains as he reached the 8,091-metre mount on 7 April. He was accompanied by guide Phurba Ongel Sherpa.

Expedition manager Forhan Zaman and Nepal-based mountaineering expedition company Makalu Adventure managing director Mohan Lamsa confirmed the news to Prothom Alo.

Babar Ali, who is a physician, is one of the founders and general secretary of the Chattogram-based trekking club Vertical Dreamers.

He became the first Bangladeshi to summit the world’s highest Mount Everest and fourth highest Mount Lhotse in a single expedition in 2024.

The Mount Annapurna I is the world’s tenth highest mountain, but often considered dangerous for mountaineers due to the high death rate of climbers.

To conquer this mountain, Babar Ali went to Nepal on 24 March and arrived in the Annapurna basecamp from Kathmandu via Pokhara on 28 March after taking necessary preparations. He stayed rested for a day. After that, he stayed at the camp 1 at a height of 5,200 metres for two nights and at the camp 2 at a height of 5,700 metres for a night to adopt with the environment. He them returned to the base camp on 2 April.

Vertical Dreamers, organiser of Babar Ali’s expedition, said mountaineers wait at basecamps to adopt with the height, and Babar Ali learned from the weather forecast that weather will remain favourable until 6 April.

So he started claiming again on 3 April as per the plan and he arrived in the camp 1 on that day and in the camp 3 in the following day. Meanwhile, a blizzard struck the mountain, but Babar Ali claimed to the camp 3 at a height of 6,500 metres amid hostile weather.

Usually, mountaineers took the summit push after camping at a height of 7,400 metres, but Babar Ali did so from the camp 3 on the night of 6 April considering the weather condition.

“Babar Ali added a new chapter in the history of mountaineering of Bangladesh by summiting Annapurna I. This success is a reflection of his hard work and relentless perseverance. This achievement will open a new door to the mountaineering of Bangladesh,” expedition manager Forhan Zaman said.

Farhan Zaman said Babar Ali would try to descend to the campo 2 on Monday and is likely to arrive in the basecamp on Tuesday.

Visual Knitwears Limited, Visual Eco Stylewear Limited, ADF Agro, Flight Expert, Everest Pharmaceuticals Limited and Blue Jay sponsored Babar Ali's Annapurna-1 expedition.