Climbers start coming to climb Dhaulagiri

Myagdi. Tourists have started coming here for mountaineering. Tourists have started coming to climb the world’s seventh (8,167 m) Dhaulagiri mountain.

This mountain falls in Dhawalagiri village municipality-4. The bustle has started after foreign and local climbers, Sherpas, guides, porters and allies started arriving at the base camp.

Climbers who have taken permission to climb the mountain in the autumn have started reaching the base camp by helicopter and on foot.  Indra Singh Sherchan, who is in charge of the local level climbing team, said that the climbers who came through the Seven Summit and Pioneer Trek went to the base camp by helicopter from Babiyachaur.

The climbers boarded the helicopter as the road and footpath were blocked. “A team of 20 people has reached the base camp by helicopter and 20 people on foot,” said Sherchan. Maya Sherpa, who came from the Seven Summit Trek to climb Dhaulagiri said mountaineers from Japan, China, Spain and other countries including a team of Purnima Shrestha have come to climb Mt Dhaulagiri.

“Nepali women have not yet climbed Dhaulagiri,” she said. The team had set the record of the first Nepali woman to climb the Annapurna First Mountain in Myagdi last April. Carlos Soria of Spain, who has entered the 83rd year, has also come to climb Dhaulagiri.

He had tried to climb Dhaulagiri for the 11th time last year. The Department of Tourism had started giving permission for mountaineering from September 30. According to the department, 40 people have paid over Rs 4,2 million as climbing royalty.

Apart from Mount Everest, foreigners who want to climb the 8,000-meter-high mountain have to pay an opening fee of 900 per climber. For other small mountains, you have to pay a minimum of 125 to a maximum of 400.