Preparation underway for Dhaulagiri ascent for spring season

By Thakur Prasad Acharya,Myagdi, May 4: Preparations are underway to ascend Mount Dhaulagiri during this spring season. A team of Sherpas is making arrangements to summit the 8,167-metre-high Dhaulagiri, located in Mudi of Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality-4 in Myagdi district.

The Sherpa team is engaged in route preparation and rope fixing for the ascent. Team leader Lakpa Sherpa informed that a group of six Sherpas has reached Camp-3, located at an altitude of 7,100 metres.

He said, “While establishing the route to the summit of Dhaulagiri, the Sherpas and climbers in the team have reached Camp-3. The team is expected to complete the route-making and rope-fixing tasks within a day or two. After that, climbers will head toward the summit,” he added.

Thaneshwar Guragai, manager at Seven Summit Treks, said that once the team completes the route and rope fixing to the summit, climbers currently at base camp will begin their ascent.

According to him, 18 climbers from various countries, along with support Sherpas from Seven Summit Treks, have already reached base camp for the Dhaulagiri climb. He said that climbing Dhaulagiri is considered highly challenging due to frequent weather changes.

Climbers have reported that unstable weather conditions make summiting Dhaulagiri particularly difficult. The Department of Tourism said that this season, 15 foreign climbers, six women and nine men in two separate groups, have obtained permits for the climb, excluding support Sherpas.