Dhaulagiri Expedition

Your Dhaulagiri expedition will start with your arrival in the Himalayan Capital, Kathmandu, nestled in the wide Kathmandu Valley. Our expedition representative will receive you at TIA and transfer you to your hotel.

Spend your first evening relaxing and resting from jet lag, and enjoy the evening atmosphere of this beautiful city.

Today, you will meet our Dhaulagiri expedition leader, who will introduce you to your team and also share in-depth details about our Dhaulagiri expedition.

Then, together, we will arrange the climbing permits for the Mt. Dhaulagiri expedition, and then set out to shop for gear essential for the adventure.

Afterward, you can enjoy your free time to explore Kathmandu Durbar Square and Thamel today.

Today, you will see the very important landmarks and monuments of Kathmandu, including the Swayambhunath Monkey Temple, Boudhanath Temple, and Pashupatinath Temple, where you can observe the Nepalese culture before setting forth for your Dhaulagiri climbing adventure.

Make sure to go to bed early since we have a long and early drive ahead of us tomorrow morning.

Today, we will wake up quite early and enjoy a quick breakfast. Then, we will leave the heavy traffic of Kathmandu through Thankot and begin to advance along the Prithvi Highway to Trishuli Bazaar.

A while later, the Mugling-Narayanghat Rajmarga will start to direct us to the Newari mountain town of Bandipur. We will start to see the appreciating images of Annapurna, Ganesh, and Manaslu as the road keeps us progressing further to Pokhara.

Now, the beautiful, calm Myagdi Khola will guide us along its bank to Kushma and Baglung. In around four hours, we will arrive at Beni, where Myagdi unites with the Kali Gandaki River.

Here, a checkpoint will examine our trekking and mountaineering permits essential for the Dhaulagiri expedition. The northward road will now take us through Mangalghat, Singa, Tatopani, Simalchaur, and Babiyachaur before we finally settle at Darbang.

Our main trek of the Dhaulagiri expedition begins today as a walk from Darbang. A little further, we will come across a small checkpost, which will again check our papers and permits.

We will then start following the west bank of Myagdi Khola and climb to Shahashradhara Village. Here, we will cross the Duk River and start ascending steeply to Dharapani (1400 m) through Ratorunga village.

Admiring the beauties of Churen Himal, Annapurna, Dhaulagiri I and II, we will slowly climb to Hille Pokhari. The dense old forest trail will then elevate us through Takam (1670 m) village over the Dhara Khola.

Following the upstream trail over the riverbed, we will ascend through Sibang Village to finally reach the Phaliya Gaon.

As we are now progressing toward the Dhaulagiri base camp, the trail will become increasingly dense. We will pass the water mills of the Ghatti Khola, and from there, the trail will climb for about two hours, leading us to Muri Village.

It is the Magar Village that gives us the magnificent views of Gurja Himal, Dhaulagiri, and Mana Pathi.

From Muri, we will follow the trail that curves along the steep cliff that reaches to 900 m. As we keep on climbing along this canyon, we will finally reach the summit of the Ghorband Dhara (1700 m).

Watching the splendid currents of Dhora Khola below, and Ghustung South in front, we will start navigating a rocky terrain that will elevate us for the next 2 hours.

Meandering the rice plantations of Mahatala and Naura, we will soon reach the Boghara Village, which is also called the Bagar Village. With the comfort and hospitality of the Magar people, we will enjoy the sight of the Manapathi and Dhaulagiri Peaks in the evening.

The Dhaulagiri Base Camp, which will be our home for a few days in our Dhaulagiri expedition, will soon be reached. But before, we will need to leave Boghara and trek upward along the canyon wall to reach Jyardan.

The sloped trail will now elevate us to a ridge that will guide us to Lipshe and then to Lapche Kharka (2310 m). The final 200 m steep climb now separates us from our overnight lodging at Dobang.

A path running inside the bamboo and rhododendron jungle will at first guide us to Chartare. Then, the wide grassy path will go straight towards the stunning clearing terrain of Sallaghari.

The trail will now change distinctly into a rocky and muddy trail as we proceed upward to the Chhonbarban Glacier. Before long, we will arrive at Italian Base Camp, which is also called Upper Vungini.

Setting up the tent below the west face of Dhaulagiri, we will watch the magnificent snowy walls of Dhaulagiri I, II, III, IV, and V, along with Tukuche Peak.

We have planned a rest day at the Italian Base Camp so we can prepare for the next stage of our Dhaulagiri expedition and prevent AMS. If you like, you can ask our guide to take you to the American Base Camp or Ice Cave for further acclimatization.

It’s time that we head towards our permanent home for the next few days in our Dhaulagiri expedition, to its base camp. First, our path crosses the rugged slope of Pakhoban Ridge (4700 m) and then descends along the rocky and icy trail to Swiss Base Camp (3770 m).

Now, the glacial terrain of Chhonbarban canyon will lead us along one of the most technical sections before we reach the base camp. With the help of the ropes and handrails, we will cross this section and reach Glacier Camp, aka French Camp (4940 m).

Glancing at the west and north face of Dhaulagiri, we will keep ascending the rocky outcrop of the Chhonbarban glacier, being mindful of crevasses.

In around 4 or 5 hours, we will be setting up our permanent tent at the Dhaulagiri Base Camp. Our fatigue will be reduced by the evening glow of Dhaulagiri I, II, III, IV, V, and VI, as well as Tukuche and Sita Chuchura.

From now on, our progress over the days will rely on the weather and the health of each climber. So, we can’t plan every detail of the Dhaulagiri expedition, and our expedition leader will have the right to decide every step hourly and daily.

We will spend a few days at the Dhaulagiri Base Camp, where our Sherpa team will hold a puja ceremony for the success of our Dhaulagiri expedition. These few days will also help us acclimatize and allow us to train and practice our mountaineering skills.

Our lead guide may also decide to take you on a rotation ascent between the advanced camps and the base camp of Mount Dhaulagiri before we finally attempt the summit.

Each climber will have a one-on-one guide, which means each one of you will get one Sherpa guide for extra security at the time of attacking the Dhaulagiri Summit.

From the base camp, we will make four advanced camps before attempting the summit attack following the northeast ridge. The following are the stages that we will follow:

Trek from Base Camp to Camp I (5400 m), 4 to 5 hours

Ascending from the base camp of Dhaulagiri to its advanced Camp I will be moderately tough and short. Traversing the icy limestone terrain, we will first climb over a steep rock tower called the Eiger Wall.

This wall separates the northern face of Dhaulagiri from its northeast spur. Afterward, we will climb an icefall from the base of the Eiger wall and head upward towards the ridge known as Jacob’s Ladder.

It is a moderate rock and ice cliff with a gradient of 35 to 40 degrees, which we need to cross with the help of fixed ropes. It will take around two hours to navigate this ridge, after which we will continue our ascent along the glacier moraine.

Camp I of the summit is situated right below the Northeast Col on a rugged mountainside.

Trek from Camp I to Camp II (6400 m), 2 to 3 hours

The trail between Camp I and Camp II is one of the hardest sections, not because of the technicality but because of the altitude, which will begin to take a toll on our bodies.

This section will require us to gain 1000 m elevation traversing along icy and rocky terrain. There will also be a few steep stretches of hard ice that can incline at gradients of up to 40 degrees over 50-60 meter distances. These sections are the most demanding of the ascent.

Once we cross them, we will be camping at Camp II just above the snow terrace.

Trek from Camp II to Camp III (7400 m), 4 to 5 hours

Yet another 1000 m vertical ascent awaits this day, which is more technical and challenging. The majority of the trail consists of an icy slope with a steepness of approximately 35-40 degrees.

However, our Sherpa guide will secure the entire path with fixed ropes. Still, extra caution is needed as this section is more exposed and prone to sudden avalanches.

After a demanding climb, you will finally reach Camp III, situated along the mountain ridge to the west. Congratulations, the toughest segment of the Dhaulagiri Expedition is now over.

Trek from Camp III to Camp IV (7500 m), 2 to 3 hours

Camp IV will be our final base before the ultimate push to the summit, which lies just 100 meters above Camp III. While most of the expedition launches their summit attack from Camp III, we will establish Camp IV to enhance our comfort and readiness before making our ascent to the peak.

Dhaulagiri 8167 m Summit Ascent, 10 to 12 hours

We will begin our Dhaulagiri Summit attempt between 11 to 12 PM. The entire route to the summit from Camp IV is characterized by a steep climb up an icy slope, with inclines that range from 35 to even 50 degrees in certain areas.

Our guide will fix the entire trail from Camp IV with 900 m-long fixed rope. At first, we will ascend the icy slope to a serac, then we will climb over this serac along a steep, icy slope that can incline up to 50 degrees.

The final stretch will then ascend us to the summit ridge, after which we will encounter the false or lower peak of the summit. From here, our ascent will take place along the exposed ridge till we reach the 8167 m altitude of the peak.

Be prepared to be the witness of one of the most astounding panoramas in the world. In front of you will be the Dhaulagiri II, III, IV, V, Annapurna I, Fishtail, Nilgiri, Tukuche, high glaciers, and the lonely stretch of the Hidden Valley.

Now, we will head straight down to Camp II via Camp III for our overnight stay.

Trek from Camp II to Dhaulagiri Base Camp, 5 to 6 hours

Today, we will proceed with our descent to the base camp of Dhaulagiri via Camp I, thus completing our Dhaulagiri expedition.

Attention

We have set aside a few contingency days in between, as the Dhaulagiri climbing adventure may not go as planned, and the days could be significantly impacted by the weather and the health of the climbers.

After we gather and dispose of our garbage, we will get ready to head back down from Dhaulagiri Base Camp to civilization. We will take the trail that goes northeast from Dhaulagiri.

Then, once again, we will trek along the glacial terrain of the Chhonbarban Glacier and veer left. After ascending the sharp edge and scree, we will reach a very wide plateau from where we will take the route that goes west.

This route will lead us upward over the French Pass, which is named after the successful effort put in by the 1950 French team that included Lionel Terray, Gaston Rebuffat, and Luis Lachenal.

We will now head down from the pass along its northeast spur and cross the large ridge. The trail will become easier as we descend to the Hidden Valley surrounded on all sides by Sita Chuchura, Tashi Kang, and Tukuche, along with gigantic Dhaulagiri.

We have yet another major climb to tackle before our Dhaulagiri expedition finally eases. From Hidden Valley, the trail will ascend for two more hours over the gigantic Dhampus Pass, where we can look straight at the Dhampus Peak.

We will now have to overcome the 1500 m sharp descent from the pass before we can be back in the subtropical climate of the Kali Gandaki Valley.

We will once again set up our tent this time in between the green surroundings of Yak Kharka.

Our descent will continue to Marpha today, which also marks the end of the trekking segment of our Dhaulagiri expedition and our return to lower altitudes.

From Yak Kharka, the trail descends through Alubari, leading us to the apple orchards of Marpha in Kali Gandaki.

From Marpha, we will travel through Jomsom, Tatopani, and Ghasa to Beni. From here, we will be out of the Dhaulagiri Conservation Area, from where the Pokhara Baglung Highway will lead us directly to the beautiful tourist town of Pokhara.

An early morning short flight will transfer us back to the comforting setting of Kathmandu today.

You will have a day off in Kathmandu when you can relax or explore the places you missed before. In the evening, we will organize a farewell dinner for you, and we will also award you with your Dhaulagiri climbing certificate.

Today, you will return to your homeland with the remarkable memory of your Dhaulagiri expedition, one of the most difficult yet rewarding expeditions of your life. Life Himalaya will arrange a private airport transfer for you.