Dhaulagiri

Dhaulagiri is the seventh highest mountain in the world. The mountain is part of the Dhaulagiri Himal, a mountain range in north- central Nepal. Dhavali giri is Sanskrit and means white mountain.

The summit of the Dhaulagiri measures 8167m (26,794 feet) above sealevel. Besides its absolute height, the Dhaulagiri is almost unparalleled in the world in terms of rise above local terrain. The mountain towers 7000m over the Kali Gandaki gorge, which is located only 30km to the southeast.

Dhaulagiri, located in central Nepal

Pre first ascent

In 1950, a french expedition led by Maurice Herzog makes the first attempt on the mountain. Because they have difficulty finding a suitable route, they switch their objective to Annapurna, where they succeed in making the first ascent of an 8000 m peak. When the expedition saw Dhaulagiri from a distance, they recorded the following:

"An immense ice pyramid, glittering in the sun like a crystal, rose up more than 23.000 feet above us. The south face, shining blue through the morning mists, was unbelievably lofty, not of this world. We were speechless in face of this tremendous mountain; its name was familiar to us from all our talk about it, but the reality so moved us that we couldn't utter a word. Then slowly the reasons for our being here at all took presedence over our own emotions and our aesthetic response, and we began to examine the gigantic outline from a practical point of view." From Annapurna, Maurice Herzog

Between 1950 and 1960 six expedition attempt to climb the peak without any summit success. Five by the north face, one by the north-east ridge.

First ascent

It was on May 13, 1960 that the Dhaulagiri was first climbed by a Swiss/Austrian expedition, led by Max Eiselin. Kurt Diemberger, Peter Diener, Ernst Forrer, Albin Schelbert, Nyima Dorji and Nawang Dorji were the first to reach the summit of the Dhaulagiri. Ten days later the summit was also reached by Michel Vaucher and Hugo Weber. All followed the Northeast Ridge route, which was first attempted the year before. This was also the first Himalayan climb supported by a fixed-wing aircraft. The aircraft crashed during the approach and was later abandoned on the mountain.

Later ascents

Due to a combination of its reputation of being one of the more difficult 8000m mountains, its clear but very hard lines and extreme beauty, the mountain has attracted a relative large number of very experienced Himalaya climbers.

As a result, most of the faces of the Dhaulagiri have been climbed since 1960. Amongst those expeditions were a number which without any doubt can be called legendary.

A total of 6 attempts have been made by Dutch climbers. The first attempt was made by Henk Nooij in 1990. Three attempts by Bart Vos in 1994, 1995 & 1996. One attempt by Hans van der Meulen and René Rooijakkers in the fall of 2005 and one attempt by Henk Wesselius and Katja Staartjes in the spring of 2006. Although Bart Vos claims to have reached the summit solo in 1996, the claim is controversial. No summit pictures or eye witnesses are known.