A new trekking route, the Maurice Herzog Trail, has come into operation. The trail starts from Annapurna Rural Municipality-4 Narchyang and leads up to the base camp of the 8,091 metres high Mt Annapurna.

The trekking route was brought into operation targeting the Visit Nepal Year 2020. The trekking route has been named after French citizen Maurice who was the first person to climb the peak 70 years back.

Annapurna rural municipality chair Dam Bahadur Pun said they have brought the new trekking route into operation targeting the Visit Year to attract trekkers who want to try new route to the base camp of the 10th highest peak in the world.

Chief Minister at the Gandaki state Prithvi Subba Gurung had released the map of the trekking route while opening a tourism festival here recently.

A total of Rs 15 million has been spent to construct the infrastructures on the route.

Herzog was a French mountaineer and administrator who was born in Lyon, France. He led the 1950 Annapurna expedition that first climbed a peak over 8000m, Annapurna, in 1950.