Dhaulagiri Expedition

Mount Dhaulgiri (8,167m) is coined from the Sanskrit word ' Dhavala Giri', meaning White Mountain. It is the seventh highest peak in the world. This mountain is one of the true jewels of the Himalayas. While Cho Oyu is touted by many as an easy 8000er, the "White Mountain" has a reputation of being one of the more technically challenging 8000-meter peaks in the Himalayas. Lack of big commercial expeditions is one of the more alluring qualities of Dhaulagiri as only seasoned mountaineers seem to have interest in this formidable mountain. Babu Chiri Sherpa of Nepal has climbed this peak several times. Some of Babu’s more notable accomplishments were his speed ascent of Everest in 16 hours 56 minutes and his 21 hour 30 minute stay on the summit, without supplemental oxygen. The climb to the peak requires many days of trying on inhospitable landscapes, on perpendicular planes, on frozen sides, on planes swept by lethal avalanches. The unstable weather conditions, with fearsome winds and, way bellow zero temperatures, plus the perilous sicknesses of the mountain, will constitute one more obstacle in the way of the expedition's attempt.

It was in 1949, for the first time, the photos of the mountain by air were taken. French, Swiss, Argentineans and Austrians made attempts to ascent to the peak from 1950 till 1959; however, all attempts on the north side have failed at the 8000 m. mark. The first successful ascents on the mountain were on May 13 and 23, 1960, by the Swiss mountaineer E. Forrer and his team