Api, also known as Api Himal, is the highest peak in the Yoka Pahar section of the Gurans Himal, a subrange of the western

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 located in Darchula District of

Sudurpashchim Province Sudurpashchim Province () is one of the seven Provinces of Nepal, provinces established by the Constitution of Nepal, new constitution of Nepal which was adopted on 20 September 2015. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north, ...

, in the far northwestern region of

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 ...

, near the country's international border. Standing at an elevation of 7,132 metres (23,399 ft), Api is known for its dramatic rise from the surrounding terrain, making it one of the most prominent peaks in the region despite being relatively less frequented by climbers. It is a little-known peak in a rarely visited part of the Himalayas, but it rises dramatically over the low surrounding terrain.

Notable features

Although low in elevation among the major mountains of Nepal, Api is exceptional in its rise above local terrain; the surrounding valleys are significantly lower than those surrounding most higher Himalayan peaks. Api peak's south face rises above its base.

Climbing history

The Api region was visited by Westerners in 1899, 1905 and 1936, but the peak was not attempted until 1953 on a visit by W. H. Murray a Scottish Mountaineer with John Tyson. This attempt was unsuccessful, as was another, by

Italians Italians (, ) are a European peoples, European ethnic group native to the Italian geographical region. Italians share a common Italian culture, culture, History of Italy, history, Cultural heritage, ancestry and Italian language, language. ...

, in 1954 which resulted in the death of two expedition members. The first ascent of Api occurred in 1960. The Doshisha Alpine Society of

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

successfully completed the Northwest Face route attempted by the 1954 party. In 1980, a British

Army Mountaineering Association The British Army Mountaineering Association (AMA) is the Sports governing body, governing body for climbing competitions and the representative body for mountaineering in the British Army. It is a member of the British Mountaineering Council and ...

expedition made an attempt to climb the peak by the south face reaching within a few hundred metres of the summit. On 24 December 1983, Polish climbers Tadeusz Piotrowski and Andrzej Bieluń made the first winter ascent. Bieluń had reached the summit first alone but did not return to camp. The Himalayan Index lists three more ascents of the peak, in 1978, 1996, and 2001.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Api (Mountain) Seven-thousanders of the Himalayas Mountains of the Sudurpashchim Province