Varaha Shikhar, commonly known as Fang, is a prominent peak within the Annapurna mountain range in Nepal's Himalayas. Standing at an impressive 7,647 meters (25,089 feet), it holds the title of the third highest summit within the Annapurna cluster. Interestingly, Varaha Shikhar has garnered less attention from mountaineers, possibly due to its name not featuring "Annapurna."
Located within Gandaki Pradesh province, the peak is shared between Myagdi and Kaski districts. For those in need of assistance on the caravan route from the base camp, police posts can be found at Tatopani and Ghandruk, while an army post lies in Beni and health centers are situated at Tatopani and Ghandruk. Ghalemdi and Himalaya are the closest settlements to each respective base camp.
Trekking up Varaha Shikhar involves two routes – a 10.6 km path via Beni or a 12.6 km trail through Lumle. The entire expedition takes approximately 45 days to complete. Climbing permits are available for different pricing tiers depending on nationality and season – NRs 8,000 in spring, NRs 4,000 in autumn, and NRs 2,000 in winter/summer for Nepali climbers; USD 600 in spring, USD 300 in autumn, and USD 150 in winter/summer for foreign climbers.
To embark on this journey to Varaha Shikhar, one can either fly into Pokhara and drive to Beni or drive directly from Kathmandu to Beni. Another potential starting point is Lumle which can be found along the Pokhara–Beni (Baglung) highway. The entire caravan route consists of Beni-Lete-Thulobugin-Mristi Khola-Base Camp.
Austrian climbers were the first to scale Varaha Shikhar in 1980, and since then, this less-visited peak has presented an intriguing challenge for those looking to conquer the Annapurna range's third tallest summit.