TheDhaulagirimassif inNepal extends 120 km (70 mi) from theKaligandaki River west to theBheri. This massif is bounded on the north and southwest by tributaries of theBheri River and on the southeast by theMyagdi Khola. The range lies 40 miles (65 km) northwest of Annapurna and is located in Myagdi District of Nepal.[2]
Dhaulagiri (धौलागिरी) is theNepali name for the mountain which comes fromSanskrit where धवल (dhawala) means dazzling, white, beautiful[3] and गिरि (giri) means mountain.[4]
Despite deriving its name from Dhaulagiri I, which stands alone immediately due east of 5,355m French Pass, the rest of the Dhaulagiri Himal is a fully independent massif in its own right. The next-highest summit,Dhaulagiri II, is the 30th-highest mountain on Earth. Most of the named 7,000-metre peaks are on a ridge extending WNW.[5] In order they are Dhaulagiris II, III, V, IV, Junction Peak, Churens East, Central and West, Putha Hiunchuli, and Hiunchuli Patan. False Junction Peak, Dhaulagiri VI and Gurja are on a ridge extending south from Junction Peak.[6] The British Alpine Club's[7] Himalayan Index lists 37 more peaks over 6,000 m.[8]
6,182mPota Himal (FinnMap sheet 2883-01 "Chhedhul Gumba") stands north of the main ridge between Churen and Putha Hiunchuli. Pota has been informally renamedPeak Hawley afterElizabeth Hawley, a notable expedition chronicler and Kathmandu-based reporter.
Hiunchuli Patan at the western end nearest the Bheri River is locally called Sisne or Murkatta Himal. It was an iconic landmark to insurgents based inRukum andRolpa districts during the 1996–2006Nepal Civil War.
‡ The status of Churen Himal's three peaks is unclear and sources differ on their heights.[9][10][11] The coordinates, heights and prominence values above are derived from the Finnmap.[11] The first ascent data is from Neate,[9] but it is unclear if the first ascent of Churen Himal East was actually an ascent of the highest of the three peaks, as Neate lists Churen Himal Central as a 7,320 m subpeak of Churen Himal East.
Churen attempt from north by Japanese Nihon University expedition. Climbed Hangde (~6600m), Tongu (~6250m), P6265 during approach/acclimation through Hidden Valley; also Kantokal (~6500m) north of Putha Hiunchili.[17]
Churen and Dh.VI attempt from south byJ. O. M. Roberts, thinking he was on Dh.IV due to inaccurate maps. Climbed a lower peak (6,529m) near Gurja, naming itGhustang after the stream draining the cirque they climbed in.[18]
1963
Dh.II attempt by Austrian expedition, reaching 7,000m[13]
Japanese expedition to Dh.II delayed two months by heavy snow in approach passes. Lost two porters to avalanche, then another porter was injured in a fall and needed evacuation. This left too little food to continue.[20]
J. O. M. Roberts leads British R.A.F. expedition to Dh.VI, still believing it was Dh.IV. Defeated by late monsoon, then early winter storms creating excessive avalanche risk.[21]
1969
Dh.IV attempt by Austrian Alpine Club. Five Austrians and one Nepali disappear, may have summited.[22]
Dh.V attempted by pre- and post-monsoon Japanese expeditions. Both ended by fatal accidents.[31]
1972 – Dh.IV attempted twice by Japanese expeditions. First attempt abandoned when a climber fell ill and died at 6200m. Second expedition climbed via crest from west, found route too long at high elevation (7,000m+). Climbed Dh.VI and Junction Peak.[32]
1973
first ascent of Dh.III on 20 October by German expedition.[33]
Dh.IV attempted by Austrians who reached 7250m on N face, then by British who quit after two deaths.[34]
1974
Dh.IV attempt by British R.A.F. expedition abandoned after three Sherpas killed by falling ice.[35]
In Mukut section: ascents of Parbat Rinchen 6200m, Parbat Talpari 6248m, West Himparkhal 6248m, East Himparkhal 6227m, Tashi Kang III 6157m[36]
1975
Dh.IV climbed 9 May by S. Kawazu and E. Yusuda, who died on descent, bringing death toll on Dh.IV to 14. (Compared with 13deaths on Mount Everest before it was successfully climbed in 1953.) Another Japanese expedition in October puts ten on summit without loss of life.[37]
Dh.V climbed by M. Morioka and Pembu Tsering Sherpa on Japanese expedition.[38]
1979 – Japanese traverse Dh.II, III and V along 7,150m+ crest. Expedition led by a woman.[39]
2008 – First ascent of Peak Hawley (AKA Pota Himal; named afterElizabeth Hawley[40]). Solo climb byFrançois Damilano following expedition climb of Putha Hiunchuli.[41]
2013 – First ascent of Hiunchuli Patan (known locally as Sisne or Murkatta Himal). Nepalese expedition led by Man Bahadur Khatri.[42]
^Roberts, J.O.M (1956) [1955]."Round about Dhaulagiri".The Himalayan Journal.19. New Delhi: Himalayan Club. Archived fromthe original on 16 August 2011. Retrieved21 April 2011.
^American Alpine Journal.14 (38). American Alpine Club:227–8. 1963.{{cite journal}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)
^Hiroshi Sugita (1966)."Dhaulagiri II".Himalayan Journal.27. New Delhi: Himalayan Club. Archived fromthe original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved21 April 2011.
^Roberts, J. O. M.; Cheney, M. J. (1971)."Climbs and Regional Notes – Nepal"(PDF).Alpine Journal.76. London: Alpine Club: 229. Retrieved21 April 2011.
^Yamamoto, Ryozo (1972)."First ascent of Churen Himal"(PDF).Alpine Journal.77. London: Alpine Club:105–9. Retrieved21 April 2011.
^Huber, Franz (1972)."Dhaulagiri 2"(PDF).Alpine Journal.77. London: Alpine Club:168–9. Retrieved21 April 2011.
^Huber, Franz (1972)."Dhaulagiri II, 1971".Himalayan Journal.31. Himalayan Club. Retrieved19 February 2023.
^Graf, Leo (1971)."Dhaulagiri IV, 1969".Himalayan Journal.31. New Delhi: Himalayan Club. Retrieved30 October 2024.
^Roberts, J. O. M.; Cheney, M. J. (1972)."Notes 1971 (Asia, Nepal)"(PDF).Alpine Journal.78. London: Alpine Club:248–9. Archived fromthe original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved21 April 2011.
^Lawford, Robert (1973)."Notes 1972 Asia"(PDF).Alpine Journal.78. London: Alpine Club: 241. Retrieved21 April 2011.
^Schreckenbach, Klaus; Gizycki, Peter von (1974)."Dhaulagiri III"(PDF).Alpine Journal.79. London: Alpine Club:198–201. Retrieved21 April 2011.
^Michiko Takahashi (1980)."Dhaulagiri II, III and V Traverse"(PDF).American Alpine Journal.22 (54). American Alpine Club:630–1. Retrieved21 April 2011.
^Dougal MacDonald (10 July 2008)."Newly Climbed Peak Named for Elizabeth Hawley".Climbing. Retrieved14 March 2019.The French ice climber François Damilano has named a newly climbed peak in Nepal after Elizabeth Hawley, the longtime chronicler of mountaineering in the Himalaya. Damilano made a solo first ascent of Peak Hawley (6,182 meters) in the Dhaulagiri Group in early May.
