Pepper conquers dangerous Annapurna-I

KATHMANDU, April 14: Against all odds and challenges on Annapurna-I, Australian Allie Pepper reached the summit of one the world’s most dangerous and tenth highest mountains this afternoon without using supplementary oxygen.
She stood atop the mountain at 12:07 pm (Nepali time) along with her guide Mikel Sherpa and Nima Sherpa. Allie said, “What an amazing view” from the top of Mount Annapurna-I.
Inching closer to her goal with the Annapurna-I now off her list, Allie now has 11 out of 14 eight-thousand-meter peaks to climb before July 2025. According to Seven Summit Treks company, Allie has now so far summited Broad Peak in July 2023, Manaslu in September 2023, and Annapurna-I on Sunday and is poised to complete her objective on time.

Motivated by her success on Annapurna-I, Pepper has locked her sights on Kanchenjunga and Makalu for her next challenge. Undeterred by the risks that lie ahead, Pepper expresses her readiness to embark on her mission which started in mid-2023. With meticulous preparation, unwavering determination, and optimal acclimatization, Pepper anticipates another triumphant summit shortly, weather permitting.

Following her return to lower camps from the summit; Allie said, “We successfully climbed the dangerous Annapurna-I after passing different kinds of challenges each day. Finally, our team reached the summit and I am beyond happy. With 11 more eight-thousanders yet to climb to complete my dream of climbing all 14 eight-thousander peaks without supplemental oxygen by mid-2025, I will be heading to Kanchenjunga and Makalu next. We have acclimatized and feel strong, so we will move straight to the base camp of Mount Kanchenjunga. If the weather holds, I could have another true summit achievement very soon,” she shared.

According to Seven Summit Treks company, Pepper is Sydney-based mountaineer Allie has now summited three of the 14 eight-thousanders, Broad Peak in July 2023 and Manaslu in September 2023. With herself-imposed challenge of completing the task within 2 years, she has until July 2025 to summit the remaining 11 highest mountains in the world.

For her next expedition, Pepper will head to Pakistan to climb Nanga Parbat, which is the ninth-highest mountain on Earth, and Mount K2, the world’s second-highest mountain. Likewise, this Autumn season, the team aims to climb Mount Shishapangma, the world’s 14th-highest mountain, and Mount Cho Oyu, the world’s sixth-highest mountain.

Similarly, Pepper aims to scale Gasherbrum-II, the world’s 13th-highest mountain; Gasherbrum-I the 11 th highest mountain in the world; Dhaulagiri the seventh-highest mountain in the world; Lhotse the world’s fourth-highest mountain in the world; and finally Mount Everest in 2025.

The 8000ers are in the Himalayas and Karakoram mountain ranges in Asia. Summiting all 14 peaks, through the so-called death zones without the use of additional oxygen, is a staggering challenge and one of the most demanding achievements ever attempted in mountaineering history. As Allie Pepper embarks on her quest to conquer the highest peaks on Earth, her journey symbolizes the triumph of the human spirit over adversity. With each summit, she reaffirms her commitment to excellence and inspires countless women and individuals to climb their mountains in life.