Dhaulagiri Base Camp Trek – Travel Blog, Dhaulagiri base camp trek is one of the challenging treks in Nepal that takes you around Mt. Dhaulagiri, a beautiful mountain that rises tall at an elevation of 8167 meters. Talking about its grandeur, Dhaulagiri Himal makes its place in the club of eight thousand meters and is the seventh-highest peak in the world. Lying in the north-central region of Nepal, northwest to Pokhara, the trek to Dhaulagiri Himal starts from the deepest gorge of the world i.e. Kaligandaki gorge, and climbs up through the remote sections of the Dhaulagiri region to cross two high passes namely French pass and Thapa Pass at an elevation of 5240 meters and 5155 meters respectively. The name Dhaulagiri is derived from two Sanskrit words – Dhavala and Giri. Dhavala means white and Giri means mountain. So, Dhaulagiri refers to the white mountain.
Dhaulagiri Base Camp Trek is a rewarding adventure that showers you with some fascinating views of mountains in the Annapurna ranges. The lush and tranquil landscapes, dense alpine forests, rivers, waterfalls, hot springs, glaciers, high mountain passes, and snowcapped mountains, the features sum up to make Dhaulagiri Base Camp Trek an impressive journey full of natural wonders. Besides, the off-beaten track, remoteness of the region, traditional people, their culture, tradition, and lifestyle is a different aspect that one gets to learn about during this trek.
Dhaulagiri Base Camp Trek starts with a scenic drive from Kathmandu to Darbang via Beni. From here, the trail runs over the bridge of Myagdi Khola and climbs up through different villages and settlement areas to Sibang. Enjoying the views of mountains on sight, the trail climbs up via Boghara and Dobang to the Italian Base Camp. From the Italian Base Camp, one can relish some close-up views of the Dhaulagiri Himal. Further, the trail climbs up across a glaciated section of Chhonbaradan glacier to Glacier Base Camp. Finally, a tough climb up and you will find yourself at Dhaulagiri Base Camp, the base camp of the world’s seventh highest mountain. The base camp of Dhaulagiri Himal offers some stunning views of Dhaulagiri I, Dhaulagiri II, Dhaulagiri III, Dhaulagiri IV, and Dhaulagiri V. The more challenging part of the trip is up ahead! One needs to cross two high passes namely the French pass and the Thapa pass to complete this trek. After crossing the pass, the trail drops down to Yak Kharka and continues to Jomsom. From Jomsom, a flight to Pokhara and a sightseeing tour around the Pokhara city wraps up the interesting journey of Dhaulagiri Base Camp Trek.
The difficulty level of any trek is determined in terms of daily walking hours, the number of trekking days, maximum altitude during the trek, terrain, and remoteness of the route. Considering all these factors, Dhaulagiri Base Camp Trek is categorized under a difficulty grade level of a strenuous trek. It is one of the most challenging trekking adventures in the Himalayas of Nepal. We require at least 20 days for this trek. Throughout the trekking days, we will be walking along a remote terrain that traverses from the lower sub-tropical region to high altitude mountain passes and glaciated areas. The high altitude region and difficult terrain are a challenge in itself. Further, Dhaulagiri Base Camp is a camping trek where we stay in personal tents, cook food on our own. We will be aloof of all kinds of facilities that might be a basic need in our day to day normal. One should not ignore the risks that persist in the Dhaulagiri Base Camp trek. During the trek, there remains a risk of unforeseen circumstances like bad weather, ill health, altitude sickness, and many more.
Not everyone is capable of reaching up to the top, it needs passion, dedication, and hard work! The same goes with the Dhaulagiri Base Camp Trek. Dhaulagiri Base Camp Trek is not an easy trek, it’s amongst the strenuous ones. It will test your strength, dedication, and endurance capacity. But in the end, it will be worth it. The trek is specially designed for risk-takers who love challenges and thrill to their adventure. The difficult, remote, and high altitude terrain is not for the novice trekkers but for the experts who are longing for more!
Having said that, Dhaulagiri Base Camp Trek is a strenuous trek, it is not a trek that is tough to achieve. A physically fit, experienced, and sincere trekker with willpower and endurance capacity can easily accomplish the trek. But the only thing is, one should not take this trek for granted. There are some useful considerations that might help you accomplish this trek easily. The considerations are pointed out below:
In general, Spring (March to May) and Autumn (September to November) are known to be the best time for Dhaulagiri Base Camp Trek. Highlighted by the features such as clear weather, dry atmosphere, and outstanding visibility, spring and autumn are undoubtedly a great time to trek and relish the magnificence of mountains and outstanding landscapes. Monsoon and winter are not considered good to carry out the trek. During monsoon, the weather is wet and cloudy. Visibility gets nil and the trail is slippery with an alarming danger of disasters and accidents. During winter, the extreme cold and thick snowfall make trekking impossible.
So, are you ready for this rejuvenating adventure to the high passes of Nepal? Dhaulagiri Base Camp Trek is an opportunity to applaud the beauty of the Himalayas and relish the high altitude terrain of Nepal in the most adventurous and challenging way possible. For more details regarding the trek, go through the package on our website https://himalecotreks.com/dhaulagiri-base-camp-trek-2021/. In case of any queries, remember your reliable travel companion Himal Eco Treks at info@himalecotreks.com
Kathmandu
Nayabazar-16, Nepal
Roman Mueller
German