Dhaulagiri Circuit

Information

Distance

101.0 km

Duration

18–24 days

Max elevation

5,360 m

Country

Nepal (NP)

Difficulty

Sangat berat — trek terpencil dengan pendakian glasial, dua pass di atas 5.000 m, dan berkemah penuh tanpa teahouse di bagian tinggi; hanya untuk pendaki berpengalaman.

Best Season

Maret–Mei (pra-monsun) & pertengahan September–November (pasca-monsun)

Permits & Fees

ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Permit) + izin area terlarang Dhaulagiri; wajib melalui agen terdaftar dengan pemandu, tanpa pendakian mandiri.

Description

The Dhaulagiri Circuit is one of Nepal's most demanding treks, encircling the Dhaulagiri I massif (8,167 m) in the Dhaulagiri Himal of Myagdi district. The roughly 101 km route starts at Darbang, follows the Myagdi Khola valley to the Italian Base Camp and Dhaulagiri Base Camp, then crosses the French Pass (~5,360 m) into the Hidden Valley before descending over the Dhampus Pass to Marpha in the Kali Gandaki valley. Much of the trail has no teahouses, so it runs as a fully self-supported camping expedition with glacier travel and two passes above 5,000 m. Its remoteness, altitude, and weather risk demand careful acclimatization, an experienced guide, and a restricted-area permit; the best windows are pre-monsoon (March–May) and post-monsoon (mid-September–November).

Trail Highlights

Mengelilingi Dhaulagiri I (8.167 m, puncak tertinggi ke-7 dunia dan yang tertinggi sepenuhnya berada dalam satu negara), melewati Italian Base Camp, Dhaulagiri Base Camp (~4.700 m), Glacier Camp, French Pass (~5.360 m), dan turun ke Hidden Valley sebelum menyeberang Dhampus/Thapa Pass menuju lembah Kali Gandaki di Marpha; panorama Tukuche Peak, Nilgiri, dan Annapurna.