MYAGDI: Today marks 66 years since the first successful human ascent of Mount Dhaulagiri.
The 8,167-metre Dhaulagiri, the world’s seventh-highest peak, lies in Ward No. 4 of Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality in Myagdi district. Chairperson of Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality, Prem Prasad Pun, said that Dhaulagiri Climbing Day is being observed in Mudi for the first time this year.
“Due to limited access and lack of initiative, previous editions of Dhaulagiri Climbing Day were held in Pokhara and Kathmandu,” he said. “This year, the program is being organized at the base of the mountain itself to promote its identity and highlight its presence in Myagdi.”
On May 13, 1960, Austrian climber Kurt Diemberger successfully reached the summit of Dhaulagiri for the first time. He was accompanied by Peter Diener, Albin Schelbert, Nima Dorje, and Nawang Dorje.
The event is being organized at the foothills of Dhaulagiri by the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) Gandaki, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Industry of Gandaki Province, Nepal Tourism Board Gandaki Province, and Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality.
Gandaki Province Minister for Tourism and Industry Yashoda Rimal, Provincial Assembly member Resham Bahadur Jugjali, Dhaulagiri Chairperson Prem Prasad Pun, Malika Rural Municipality Chair Beg Prasad Garbuja, Vice Chair Resham Pun Magar, Ministry Undersecretary Tikaram Poudel, Nepal Tourism Board Gandaki Chief Maniraj Lamichhane, and TAAN Gandaki Chair Krishna Acharya were among those welcomed by locals with traditional music and drums.
Ward Chairperson of Mudi, Yam Prasad Gharti, said guests arrived in Muna, the rural municipality centre, by vehicle and then trekked to Mudi. He added that locals were pleased that their long-standing demand to observe Climbing Day in the area had finally been fulfilled.
On the occasion, a program was also held in Mudi to honour and interact with Dhaulagiri climbers, said TAAN Gandaki Chair Krishna Acharya. He noted that climbing Dhaulagiri remains highly challenging due to its difficult terrain and rapidly changing weather conditions, which can shift within minutes.
According to the Department of Tourism, the government has collected Rs 13.454 crore in climbing permit fees this season. A total of 30 climbers—18 men and 12 women—have received permits to scale Dhaulagiri in four separate teams this year.
Last season, 36 climbers had obtained permits for the expedition. Department records show that more than 700 people have successfully summited Dhaulagiri over the past 66 years.
Nepal Tourism Board Gandaki Chief Maniraj Lamichhane said all stakeholders must work seriously to better utilise Dhaulagiri as a tourism destination.
He added that the 66th Dhaulagiri Day being observed in Mudi aims to promote tourism in the surrounding villages and strengthen the appeal of the Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek, alongside mountaineering activities.
Comment