Dhaulagiri, whose name means White Mountain, is the seventh highest mountain in the world. It is an enormous Himalayan massif, located in north central Nepal. It is the highest mountain located entirely within Nepal. After its discovery by the western world in 1808, it replaced Ecuador's Chimborazo (20,561 ft.) as the postulated highest mountain in the world. It maintained this standing for nearly 30 years, until the discovery of Kangchenjunga (28,169 ft.), which was then falsely believed to be the world's highest mountain.
Dhaulagiri's crest stretches for thirty miles, lending structure to an otherwise tangled topography of twisting ridges, glaciers, and ice falls. Along the main crest, several pyramid-shaped peaks rise. Four of these summits, numbered from east to west, rise above 25,000 feet.
In 1960, the Swiss/Austrian expedition who first reached the summit did so despite their airplane having crashed during the approach. This was the first Himalayan climb supported by an airplane, although the plane was subsequently abandoned on the mountain.
Dhaulagiri was first climbed on May 13, 1960 by Kurt Diemberger, Peter Diener, Ernst Forrer, Albin Schelbert, Nima Dorji and Nawang Dorji of a Swiss/Austrian expedition. This was also the first Himalayan climb supported by an airplane which also crashed during the approach. The airplane, a Pilatus PC-6, was later abandoned on the mountain. |
