Pokhara, 6 June — The International Mountain Museum in Pokhara has added a significant piece of mountaineering history to its collection: the ice axe used by French mountaineer Maurice Herzog during the first successful ascent of Annapurna I in 1950. This legendary tool, credited with marking a new era in the history of mountaineering, will now be on permanent display at the museum, offering visitors a rare glimpse into a pivotal moment in Himalayan exploration.
The historic ice axe was handed over to the museum on Thursday by Matthias Herzog, son of Maurice Herzog, who brought it from the Olympic Museum in Switzerland. Matthias, accompanied by his family, visited Nepal to mark the 75th anniversary of the first ascent of Annapurna. Positioned near a window that offers a direct view of Annapurna, the display is intended to allow visitors to visually and emotionally connect the artifact with the majestic peak it once conquered. “This is the most fitting place for the ice axe,” Matthias said, “because from here, it feels like Annapurna herself is smiling.”
Adding to the significance of the occasion, statues of Maurice Herzog, Ang Tharkay Sherpa, and Walung Sonam Sherpa were also unveiled. Herzog led the historic expedition, while Ang Tharkay was the first Nepali to join the team, and Walung Sonam served as the chief Sherpa, playing a crucial role in the expedition’s success.
The event also featured the unveiling of the Nepali edition of Herzog’s world-renowned book Annapurna, which has sold over ten million copies in more than twenty languages. Alongside the new exhibits, a permanent audio-visual and photographic display dedicated to the Annapurna expedition was inaugurated, allowing visitors to experience the triumphs and struggles of the historic climb.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Beduram Bhusal, emphasized Nepal’s identity as a land of Buddha, Vedas, and the Himalayas. He warned of the growing environmental threats to mountain ecosystems and pledged to establish a botanical garden within the museum premises in coordination with the provincial government. Gandaki Province’s Minister for Forests and Environment, Bhesh Bahadur Paudel, echoed this commitment, announcing that work on the garden would begin this year.
French Ambassador Virginie Cortes, along with prominent mountaineers including Purnima Shrestha and Mingma G Sherpa—one of the few climbers to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks—also spoke at the event. The museum, which currently attracts over 200,000 visitors annually from more than 100 countries, is undergoing digital transformation with support from JICA. Nepal Mountaineering Association President Nima Nuru Sherpa announced the creation of a dedicated Maurice Herzog Wall and plans to host an annual mountaineering competition every June 3.
As part of World Environment Day celebrations, tree plantation activities were held in the museum compound, reinforcing its evolving role not just as a repository of artifacts, but as a living monument to courage, history, and inspiration. The International Mountain Museum now stands as a place where stories carved from ice and endurance speak to every visitor.
