Conquering the Impossible: Annapurna's First Ascent

In 1950, two French climbers stood at the base of Annapurna, staring up at what

the world called impossible. Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal were about to attempt

something no human had ever done: conquer an 8,000-meter peak. The odds were stacked against them.

The mountain was unmapped, the weather brutal, and the altitude could kill them

in minutes. But they climbed anyway. Step by frozen step, they pushed through

blizzards and thin air that made every breath feel like fire. And then,

they did it. They reached the summit. The descent nearly killed them.

Frostbite claimed their fingers and toes. But they survived. And more importantly,