Varaha Shikhar, also known as Annapurna Fang, is a mountain in
Nepal
Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
.
Description
Varaha Shikhar is a summit in the
Annapurna Himal of the Nepalese
Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...
. It is situated north-northwest of
Pokhara
Pokhara ( ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city located in central Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province. Named the country's "capital of tourism" it is the List of cities in Nepal, second largest city after Kathmandu, with 599,5 ...
in
Gandaki Province
Gandaki Province ( ) ), is one of the seven federal provinces established by the current constitution of Nepal which was promulgated on 20 September 2015. Pokhara is the province's capital city. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region in Southw ...
. It is the third-highest summit of the Annapurna massif,
[ and of the ]Annapurna Conservation Area
Annapurna Conservation Area is Nepal's largest protected area covering in the Annapurna range of the Himalayas. It ranges in elevation from to the peak of Annapurna I at . The conservation area stretches across Manang District, Nepal, Manang, Mu ...
.[ Precipitation runoff from the mountain's west slope drains to the ]Kali Gandaki
The Gandaki River, also known as the Narayani and Gandak, is one of the major rivers in Nepal and a left-bank tributary of the Ganges in India. Its total catchment area is , most of it in Nepal. In the Nepal Himalayas, the Gandaki is notable f ...
, whereas the east slope drains into headwaters of the Modi River
Modi River or Modi Khola is a tributary of Gandaki River in Parbat district of Nepal. It is a snow-fed perennial river originating from Annapurna Mountains and has a catchment area of 675 km². It meets the Kali Gandaki River at Modi Beni of Par ...
. Topographic relief
Terrain (), alternatively relief or topographical relief, is the dimension and shape of a given surface of land. In physical geography, terrain is the lay of the land. This is usually expressed in terms of the elevation, slope, and orientati ...
is significant as the southwest slope rises 4,450 metres (14,600 ft) in .
The first ascent of the summit was achieved on May 17, 1980, by Austrians Sepp Mayerl
Sepp Mayerl, also known as Blasl-Sepp (14 April 1937 − 28 July 2012) was an Austrian mountaineer.
Mayerl was born on 14 April 1937 as the youngest of seven children into a farmer's family in the Tyrolean village of Göriach near Dölsach. ...
and Hermann Neumair, along with Ang Chopal Sherpa of Nepal.[
The peak is also known as Baraha Shikhar, Bharhā Chuli̇̄, and Fang.]
Climate
Based on the Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
, Varaha Shikhar is located in a tundra climate
The tundra climate is a polar climate sub-type located in high latitudes and high mountains. It is classified as ET according to the Köppen climate classification. It is a climate which at least one month has an average temperature high enough ...
zone with cold, snowy winters, and cool summers.orographic lift
Orographic lift occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain. As the air mass gains altitude it quickly cools down adiabatically, which can raise the relative humidity to 100% and cr ...
), causing heavy precipitation in the form of rainfall and snowfall. Mid-June through early-August is the monsoon season. The months of March, April, October, and November offer the most favorable weather for viewing or climbing this peak.''Best time to go to Annapurna''
whereandwhen.net, Retrieved June 8, 2025.
See also
* Geology of the Himalayas
The geology of the Himalayas is a record of the most dramatic and visible creations of the immense mountain range formed by plate tectonic forces and sculpted by weathering and erosion. The Himalayas, which stretch over 2400 km between t ...
Gallery
File:Annapurna peaks, Nepal.jpg, Fang to the right with Annapurna I to left
File:South face of Mount Annapurna (44).JPG, Southwest face
File:AMANECIENDO HACIA EL BARAHA SHIKHAR - panoramio.jpg, Southeast aspect
File:Sun setting over Fang and Annapurna.jpg, Sun setting over Fang and Annapurna
File:Sunlit Annapurna South.jpg, Annapurna Fang to left, Annapurna South centered
File:After sunset annapurna.jpg, Varaha Shikhar is the peak furthest to left
File:Three Distant Peaks (44722483205).jpg, Annapurna I to left with Fang to the right
File:Annapurna Fang se.jpg, Southeast aspect
References
External links
* Annapurna Fang
weather
* Annapurna Fang (photo)
Flickr
{{Portal bar, Mountains, Geography, Geology, Nepal
Mountains of the Gandaki Province
Seven-thousanders of the Himalayas
Kaski District
Mountains of Nepal
Myagdi District