The sanctuary no outsider entered until 1956
For the Gurung villages below, the sanctuary was a sacred place. They believed it held gold and treasures left by the nagas, the serpent gods, and was home to deities from Hindu, Buddhist and older traditions. Herders took animals to its summer pastures, but villagers forbade carrying eggs or meat inside, and until recently women and so-called untouchables were barred from entering.
Outsiders came late. In 1950 Maurice Herzog's French team made the first ascent of Annapurna I, the first 8,000 m peak ever climbed, but from the north, via the Kali Gandaki. The sanctuary itself was first entered in 1956 by Colonel Jimmy Roberts, who spent days forcing a way up the gorge while scouting Machhapuchhre. In 1970 a British expedition led by Chris Bonington climbed Annapurna's huge south face from here, Dougal Haston and Don Whillans reaching the top.
Trekkers followed the climbers. Chhomrong's Gurung families built lodges up the valley at Sinuwa, Bamboo, Dovan, Himalaya, Deurali and the two base camps, and the route became one of Nepal's most popular. Because the sanctuary is enclosed by such high walls, it gets only around seven hours of direct sunlight a day even in midsummer. Nights at base camp are cold, and mornings, when the first sun hits Annapurna I, are the reason to come.
