Machhapuchhre

Interesting facts

Wilfrid Noyce told the story of the 1957 attempt in his 1958 book Climbing the Fish's Tail, still the only published account of an authorised climb on the peak.

The New Zealand climber Bill Denz is reported to have reached the summit illegally in the early 1980s, though the ascent has never been confirmed.

Although dwarfed by its Annapurna neighbours, the peak has a topographic prominence of about 1,233 metres.

At its southern foot stands Mardi Himal, 5,587 metres high and separated from it by a col at about 5,200 metres; it was first climbed in 1961 by Basil Goodfellow.

Out of reverence for the sanctuary beneath the mountain, Gurung custom long forbade carrying eggs or meat into the basin.

Why it is worth it

Machhapuchhre, the "fish's tail" in Nepali, is the mountain that defines the skyline of Pokhara. At 6,993 metres it is lower than its neighbours in the Annapurna massif, but it stands at the end of a long spur thrust south from the main range, rising almost straight out of low, green foothills. That enormous vertical relief over a short distance, together with its steep pyramidal form, makes it one of the most striking peaks in the Himalaya. Seen from the south it has the silhouette that earns it the nickname "Matterhorn of Nepal"; from other angles its double summit resembles the forked tail of a fish.

The mountain is sacred. For the Gurung people and the villagers of Chhomrong it is the home of the god Shiva, and local tradition held that the plume of snow blowing off its summit was the smoke of his incense. The only documented attempt on it came in 1957, when a British expedition led by Jimmy Roberts pushed up the north ridge; Wilfrid Noyce and David Cox reached a point roughly 50 metres below the top but, under the terms of their permit from King Mahendra, did not set foot on the summit. No permits have been issued since, and the peak is regarded as officially unclimbed, although there are unconfirmed reports of an illicit ascent in the early 1980s.

Machhapuchhre forms the eastern gatepost of the Annapurna Sanctuary, a glacial amphitheatre above 4,000 metres ringed by peaks mostly over 7,000 metres, reached through the narrow gorge of the Modi Khola between Machhapuchhre and Hiunchuli. Roberts's 1956 reconnaissance was the first time outsiders entered the basin, and the name "Sanctuary" comes from the book about the 1957 expedition. Today the trek to Annapurna Base Camp passes directly beneath the mountain and its own base camp, through rhododendron and bamboo forest on the way up. The area is part of the Annapurna Conservation Area.

Getting there

The peak rises about 25 km north of Pokhara, and it dominates the northern skyline of the town. Pokhara International Airport (PHH), opened in 2023, has taken over most flights from the old domestic airport (PKR). Treks into the Sanctuary climb from the foothills through the village of Chhomrong and up the Modi Khola gorge.

Machhapuchhre

Interesting facts

Why it is worth it

Getting there

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