Warren Eva has made history as the first South African to summit the treacherous Mount Annapurna, cementing his place among the world’s elite mountaineers after conquering one of the most dangerous peaks on earth.
Nepal (07 April 2025) – South African mountaineer Warren Eva has just reached the summit of Mount Annapurna, making him the first South African ever to stand on top of one of the most dangerous mountains in the world.
This monumental achievement is not just a personal victory but a powerful story of determination, courage and heart.
After conquering K2 – the world’s second highest peak – in 2022, Warren and fellow climber John Black became the first all-South African team to do so. That climb alone was nothing short of historic. K2, often referred to as the Savage Mountain, is notorious for its treacherous terrain and brutal weather. Only 377 people had ever stood on its summit before. On that day in July, the number climbed to 379… and two of those were proudly South African.
Now, Warren’s name has once again been etched into mountaineering history.
This time for summiting Mount Annapurna I in Nepal. At over 8,000 metres, Annapurna is infamous for its staggering fatality rate, once considered the most dangerous of all the 8000ers. But danger was never the goal, purpose was.
The daring duo – Warren and John – had originally planned to make their summit attempt at the end of April. But in true adventurer style, they made a bold, last-minute decision to begin their final push sooner than expected. A metre of snow was forecast to fall early the following week, which would’ve made the mountain impassable for the rest of the season. Their window was closing. It was now or never.
They’re also using their incredible journey to raise funds for Food 4 Hope, with the climb already bringing in an inspiring R57,000 to support the cause.
“There’s been very little snow until now, which has left the ice exposed, making some parts of the route more dangerous,” Warren shared in an update from base camp. “We’ve had high winds all week, and now we’re facing a meter of snow by Monday. If we don’t go now, we may not get another chance.”
They went.
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And this morning, Pioneer Expeditions and Annapurna 2025 confirmed the news we were all holding our breath for… Warren Eva has successfully summited Mount Annapurna. The joy, the awe, the goosebumps!
“At 5:23 AM (SA time) on Monday, 7 April 2025, Warren Eva reached the summit of Annapurna – Standing tall at 8091M (26 545ft) above sea level, the 10th highest mountain in the world. We are immensely proud of his achievement on one of the world’s most challenging 8000m peaks.”
John unfortunately made the tough decision to call off his summit attempt and returned to Camp 3. He is safe, strong, and in good spirits. More details around his decision will be shared in time, but what’s clear is that he is beyond proud of Warren for pushing through and reaching the top.
This achievement lifts the South African flag even higher on the global stage. It reminds us that courage, resilience and unity can take us to unimaginable heights, quite literally.
From Benoni to the top of the world… this is what good things are made of.
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