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About Round Dhaulagiri Trek
The round Dhaulagiri Circuit trek takes us clockwise around Dhaulagiri (8,172m), the seventh highest mountain in the world, in about 18 to 23 days depending on the exact route. It is one of the more difficult treks in Nepal – several days we will be walking across glaciers and possibly through the snow in other parts, we will cross 2 passes above 5,000m and spend quite a few days in high altitude.
We offer 2 options for the first part of the trip. The shorter option follows the normal route along Myagdi Khola valley starting from Darbang, which is now connected by road through Beni. The other option starts at Galeshwor (road access also through Beni) and at first follows the Raughat Khola valley (khola means river in the Nepali language) and then cuts across the west to Myagdi Khola valley. Both trail options meet between the villages of Jeltung and Lipse, from where we continue on the normal route gradually up towards Italian Base Camp (3,660m). Between Italian Base Camp and French Pass, we will be walking across Chhonbardan glacier and moraines. Some parts along with that route experience rockfall, so we have to pay extra attention to the local conditions. After crossing the French Pass (5,360m) and enjoying panoramic views of the surrounding mountains we’ll be camping one night in the magnificent Hidden Valley (lies at around 5,100m) which is similar to the landscapes of the Tibetan Plateau. In summertime yak herders also usually stay in the Hidden Valley area. From there we’ll continue across Thapa Pass (5,244m) and start a steep descent down to the Kali Gandaki valley where we’ll meet the Annapurna circuit route at Marpha.