First ascent of Lyahyul peak (Bhabhya himal) achieved in Darchula

Darchula: The 6,396-meter-high Lyahyul Peak (Bhabhya Himal) in the Api Himal region has been successfully climbed for the first time.

According to Api Himal Rural Municipality, a team of instructors and trainees participating in a professional mountain guide training program in the Api Himal region reached the summit of Bhabhya Himal on Thursday.

A seven-member team led the successful ascent. Training instructors Lal Bahadur Jirel, Ramkaji Tiwari, and Rakesh Raj Tamang, along with trainees Suryaman Tamang, Suraj Tamang, Gribun Yonjan, and Dali Sherpa, scaled the peak.

Located to the right of Api Himal (7,131m) in Api Himal-1, Bhabhya Himal’s first ascent marks an important step in promoting mountaineering and tourism in the Far West. The rural municipality emphasized that efforts are underway to develop tourism infrastructure, including trekking trails, accommodation facilities, and other support structures, to attract climbers and visitors.

The former federal government had previously announced that 97 mountains in the Far West and Karnali regions would be open for climbing without fees for two years, further encouraging exploration and mountaineering.