Dhaulagiri

About this tour

Situated in the north central region of Nepal, Mt. Dhaulagiri is the seventh highest mountain in the world. The mountain got its name from the Sanskrit world “Dhavala (white) + Giri (Mountain). After its discovery by the western world in 1808, it replaced Ecuador’s Chimborazo (20,561 feet) as the postulated highest mountain in the world and maintained its standing for nearly 30 years until the discovery of Mt. Kanchenjunga (28,169 ft.) which was then falsely believed to be the world’s highest mountain. Mt. Dhaulagiri was first sighted by the British surveyors in India in the early 1800s but reminded virtually unknown until a Swiss aerial survey in 1949. Dhaulagiri’s crest stretches for thirty miles, lending structure to an otherwise tangled topography of twisting ridges, glaciers, and ice falls. Along the main crest, several pyramid-shaped peaks rise. Four of these summits, numbered from east to west, rise above 25,000 feet.

This White Mountain was first climbed in 1960 by the Swiss following the Northeast ridge. Dhaulagiri 1st is buttressed by five ridges and even up until the early 1980’s only the Northeast ridge had been successfully climbed. Dhaulagiri is considered the most interesting peak among the eight thousanders. There are more than six different routes established with variations, and the possibility of more. Mt. Dhaulagiri is considered the most interesting peak among the eight thou sanders. In this moment there are more than six different routes established with variations, and the possibility of more.

Technical Requirement: – This Mountain is one of the worlds 14 above 8000der high mountains, demanding the best quality of technical equipments and highly motivated technically sound climbing team. It has typical weather conditions which is very difficult to predict. The wind velocity is tremendous in this area, almost from afternoon to the dawn it is windy continuously .There are high passes to cross like French pass (5360m) and Dhampus pass ( 5258m) to reach Base Camp. The Base Camp is located at the height of 4740m. on Chhonbardan glacier below rocky knob.

Dhaulagiri was first climbed on May 13, 1960 by Kurt Diemberger, Peter Diener, Ernst Forrer, Albin Schelbert, Nyima Dorji and Nawang Dorji, members of a Swiss/Austrian expedition. The expedition leader was Max Eiselin; they used the Northeast Ridge route which had been reconnoitered one year earlier by an Austrian expedition led by Fritz Moravec. This was also the first Himalayan climb supported by a fixed-wing aircraft. The aircraft, a Pilatus PC-6, crashed during an approach and was later abandoned in “Hidden Valley” north of the mountain.

The vast majority of ascents to date have been via the first ascent route, which is the “Normal Route” on the mountain. However ascents have been made from almost every direction. Other peaks in the Dhaulagiri Himal.