Dhaulagiri Iधौलागिरी
The 'White Mountain' — the highest peak entirely within Nepal after Manaslu's neighbour ranking is settled by border lines: Dhaulagiri I is the seventh-highest mountain on Earth and rises in one of the world's deepest contrasts, 7,000 m above the Kali Gandaki gorge it shares with Annapurna.
Height
8,167 m
World rank
#7
among the world's highest mountains
First ascent
1960
13 May 1960
District
Myagdi
Gandaki Province
- Border
- Entirely in Nepal
- Standard route
- Northeast Ridge
13 May 1960
Summit party
Kurt Diemberger (Austria), Peter Diener (Germany), Ernst Forrer & Albin Schelbert (Switzerland), Nawang Dorje & Nima Dorje Sherpa (Nepal)
Swiss–Austrian expedition led by Max Eiselin
The first expedition supported by a fixed-wing aircraft — the Pilatus Porter 'Yeti' landed loads at 5,750 m before crashing (without casualties).
What the record shows
Dhaulagiri was reckoned the world's highest mountain from 1808 until Kanchenjunga superseded it in surveys around 1838.
It was the last classic Nepali 8,000er to be climbed (1960) — after seven failed expeditions, including the 1950 French team that diverted to make history on Annapurna instead.
Across the Kali Gandaki — the world's deepest gorge by some measures — Dhaulagiri and Annapurna I stand barely 34 km apart.
Firsts & records
First winter ascent: 21 January 1985 — Andrzej Czok & Jerzy Kukuczka (Poland)
Safety record
Fatality rate ≈3% of attempts in Himalayan Database-derived compilations; its avalanche-prone slopes have caused repeated multi-death seasons.
Fatality 'rates' are summits-to-deaths ratios that shift as traffic grows — the year of each figure is stated.
Most visitors experience this region not by climbing but on foot: Nepal's trekking routes reach base camps and viewpoints beneath Dhaulagiri I without the technical risks of the summit.
The peak in context
The highlighted marker is this mountain; the others show all eight of Nepal's eight-thousanders.
Dhaulagiri I — frequently asked
How tall is Dhaulagiri I?+
Dhaulagiri I is 8,167 m high, making it the 7th-highest mountain in the world. It lies in the Dhaulagiri Himal on the Nepali side, entirely within Nepal.
When was Dhaulagiri I first climbed, and by whom?+
Dhaulagiri I was first summited on 13 May 1960 by Kurt Diemberger (Austria), Peter Diener (Germany), Ernst Forrer & Albin Schelbert (Switzerland), Nawang Dorje & Nima Dorje Sherpa (Nepal), as part of the Swiss–Austrian expedition led by Max Eiselin.
How dangerous is Dhaulagiri I?+
Fatality rate ≈3% of attempts in Himalayan Database-derived compilations; its avalanche-prone slopes have caused repeated multi-death seasons.
Where is Dhaulagiri I located in Nepal?+
Dhaulagiri I sits in Myagdi district of Gandaki Province. The standard climbing line is the Northeast Ridge.
Sources & data note
Profile of Dhaulagiri I compiled from the listed sources. Heights follow UIAA-accepted surveys; ascent and fatality statistics derive from Himalayan Database compilations and are dated in the text.