Dhaulagiri Trekking

Dhaulagiri is the worlds 7^th tallest mountain above sea level. It is the highest mountain wholly owned by Nepal and the 6^th tallest mountain within Nepal. Its highest peak overlooks the Annapurna mountain range at 26,795 feet. You can first see Dhaulagiri from the top of Poon Hill or from over Thorung La Pass. This article contains entertaining and useful information regarding Dhaulagiri trekking.

Dhaulagiri mountain range

There are 15 prominent peaks in the Dhaulagiri mountain range. Dhaulagiri I-Dhaulagiri V are the highest. These peaks are named in order from highest to lowest. Dhaulagiri II reaches a height of 25,430 feet. Dhaulagiri III reaches a height of 25,311 feet. The 4^th tallest peak in the range is Dhaulagiri IV at 25,135 feet. And finally, the lowest of the 5 is Dhaulagiri V at 24,992 feet.

Brief History

Dhaulagiri I was recognized as the world’s tallest mountain due to a survey error in 1808. It remained the world’s tallest mountain for 30 years until 1830 when Kangchenjunga was given that honor. Mount Everest claimed the position in 1858.

Dhaulagiri I was first officially summited on May 13, 1960 by a Swiss, Austrian, and Nepali team. Since then, there have been nearly 400 Dhaulagiri trekking summits. From 1954 to 2009, there have been 62 fatalities while attempting a summit. The summit to fatality rate is about 16%, however the current year to year fatality rate is much lower (less than 4%).

Dhaulagiri trekking routs

There are 9 Dhaulagiri trekking routes. Of these 9, The north east ridge route is the most commonly scaled.

Routes and when they were 1^st used for a successful summit.

1. North east ridge, in 1960
2. South west in 1978
3. South east ridge in 1978
4. East face, north east ridge in 1980
5. North face, northwest ridge in 1982
6. West face, northwest ridge in 1984
7. Southwest pillar in 1988
8. West face in 1991
9. North face in 1993

Best time to go

May is regarded as the best month to summit Dhaulagiri. October is the second-best time to summit the mountain. 90% of all summits occur within these two months. This is due to great weather conditions. The pictures in this article were taken in April, which hints to the weather condition.