The Dhaulagiri Himal lies south of the Tibet/Nepal border and the culminating high point at its eastern end is Dhaulagiri l. The seventh highest mountain in the world. Dhaulagiri towers in solitary splendor. This magnificent peak rises as a giant shoulder of shining ice and snow.

It gets its name from the Sanskrit word "Dhavala" which means 'white' and 'giri' which means mountain. It was first climbed by K. Diemberger, P. Diener, M. Dorji, E. Forrer, A. Schelbert & N. Dorji in 1960. This mountain was first sighted by the British surveyors in India in the early 1800s but reminded virtually unknown until a Swiss aerial survey in 1949.

This White Mountain was first climbed in 1960 by the Swiss following the Northeast ridge. Five ridges buttress Dhaulagiri l and even up until the early 1980's only the Northeast ridge had been successfully climbed. Dhaulagiri is considered the most interesting peak among the eight thousanders. Today there are more than six different routes established with variations, and the possibility of more.