Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek

Overview

Dhaulagiri — the White Mountain — rises to 8,167m as the world's seventh-highest peak, and yet almost no one circles it. The Dhaulagiri Circuit is Nepal's most demanding and least-travelled major trek: a full loop around one of Earth's giants through terrain so remote that your team carries all food, fuel, and camping equipment from the Myagdi Valley to the Kali Gandaki, with no teahouses or supply points in between. Fewer than 200 trekkers complete this route per year. The circuit begins in the subtropical Myagdi Valley — banana groves and rice paddies below, the white mass of Dhaulagiri visible above — and climbs relentlessly for six days through virgin forest, remote herder settlements, and the stone-and-ice world of the upper Dhaulagiri massif. The Italian Base Camp and Dhaulagiri Base Camp sit beneath the mountain's staggering south face, a wall of ice so vertical and enormous it defies comprehension. Acclimatization at 4,750m prepares you for the expedition's crux: the French Pass at 5,360m, a high-altitude crossing over loose moraine and potentially icy terrain that opens onto the surreal Hidden Valley — a high plateau cradled between ridges, silent and utterly empty. The descent from Hidden Valley brings you back to civilization through Yak Kharka, Marpha, and the Kali Gandaki gorge — the same gorge trekked on the Jomsom-Muktinath route, but now reached from above after 10 days of complete wilderness. The contrast between the remote camping world and the apple orchards of Marpha is as dramatic a transition as trekking offers. For experienced high-altitude mountaineers and wilderness trekkers prepared to camp in sub-zero conditions for extended periods, the Dhaulagiri Circuit is the ultimate Annapurna region challenge.

Highlights

Best Time to Trek Dhaulagiri Circuit

Difficulty & Fitness

Frequently Asked Questions