Dhaulagiri, the White Mountain was first climbed by the Swiss in 1960. Its name is derived from Sanskrit “Dhavala- meaning white” and Giri meaning mountain – The White Mountain. It is an enormous Himalaya massif located in North Central Nepal. It was first sighted by the British surveyors in India in the early 1800s and it was considered as the highest peak in the world until 1848 AD. Later, it was mapped by one of the secret Indian surveyors in 1873 AD; however the region remained largely unknown until a Swiss aerial survey in 1949. The French Annapurna Expedition, led by Mr Herzog in 1950, had permission to climb either Dhaulagiri or Annapurna but decided on Annapurna after a reconnaissance of Dhaulagiri. A Swiss team failed to climb in 1953 as did an Argentine group one year later.
After four more expeditions, eight members of a Swiss expedition reached the summit in 1960. The climb followed a circuitous route around the mountain from Tukuche, over Dhampus pass and French Col to approach the summit from the North – East Col. The peak was then climbed by two Japanese in the 1970s, the American in 1973 and the Italians in 1976. There has been many attempts made by various mountaineering expedition teams and recently an Italian team has successfully climbed the mountain during the spring season 2006. The Indian climbers have many grand successful climbing trips to Nepal Himalayan peaks in the recent past but they have not climbed Dhaulagiri as yet.
This is the perfect trip for those who want a more intense experience of the mountains. You will trek deep into the Dhaulagiri region, providing more spectacular views of Mt Dhaulagiri, Throng Peak, Annapurna I and Kali Gandaki, the world’s deepest gorge. We may encounter semi wild yak herds, Mountain sheep or the elusive snow leopard in the remote valleys of this region.
After a short flight from Kathmandu, Pokhara & Jomsom, you will spend the first few days of our expedition walking through cultivated fields connecting mountain villages, enjoying the shops, tea houses and normal everyday lifestyles of the Gurung, Chhetri and Magar peoples. You will walk along cobblestone paths, over suspension bridges and through dense forests, taking in the vistas of some of the world’s most beautiful mountains. We will continue to explore and fully absorb the beauty of the surrounding peaks. We will climb over the glaciated French pass and Dhampus pass and then descend a winding trail to Yak Kharka. You will continue through mountain villages, enjoying the Hot Springs at the Tatopani and views of the majestic peaks of Annapurna (8091m) and Machhapuchhare (6997m) as we make our way toward Pokhara while also visiting several Monasteries and religious sites.
