Dhaulagiri Himal First Ascent Anniversary Celebrated in Mudi

Myagdi. It has been 66 years since human footsteps first touched Dhaulagiri Himal. The 8,167-meter-high Dhaulagiri Himal falls within the geography of Mudi in Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality-4 of Myagdi.

Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality Chairman Prem Prasad Pun informed that for the first time this year, the Dhaulagiri Himal, the seventh highest in the world, has started celebrating its ascent anniversary in Mudi since Tuesday.

“Due to lack of access and initiative, Dhaulagiri ascent anniversaries were previously celebrated in Pokhara and Kathmandu,” he said, “This ascent anniversary is being organized at the relevant location for the first time to promote the identity of Dhaulagiri Himal and convey a message from Myagdi.”

On May 13, 1960, Austria's Kurt Diemberger made the first successful ascent of this peak. Along with Diemberger, Peter Diener, Ernst Forrer, Albin Schelbert, Nima Dorje, and Nawang Dorje were the first to reach the summit of Dhaulagiri.

The anniversary is being celebrated in Mudi at the foot of Dhaulagiri, organized by the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) Gandaki in coordination with the Ministry of Tourism and Industry, Gandaki Province and the Nepal Tourism Board, Gandaki Province.

Guests including Gandaki Province Minister of Tourism and Industry Yashoda Rimal, Province Assembly member elected from Myagdi 1 (1) Resham Bahadur Jugjali, Dhaulagiri Chairman Prem Prasad Pun, Malika Chairman Beg Prasad Gurubja, Dhaulagiri Vice-Chairman Resham Punmagar, Ministry of Tourism Deputy Secretary Tikaram Poudel, Tourism Board Gandaki Chief Maniraj Lamichhane, and TAAN Gandaki Chairman Krishna Acharya were welcomed with musical instruments by the local residents.

Mudi Ward Chairman Yam Prasad Gharti said that the guests, who reached the headquarters of the rural municipality, Muna, by vehicle, then trekked to Mudi. According to him, the residents of Mudi are happy that their demand to celebrate the Dhaulagiri ascent anniversary in the relevant geography has been fulfilled.

TAAN Gandaki Chairman Krishna Acharya said that an honor and interaction program for Dhaulagiri climbers was organized in Mudi on Wednesday on the occasion of the ascent anniversary. “Climbing Dhaulagiri Himal is also considered risky,” he said, “The topography and climate here are unique, and the weather changes every half hour, making Dhaulagiri climbing considered adventurous in mountaineering.”

The government has collected a royalty fee of Rs 13,454,550 for climbing Dhaulagiri Himal this season. A total of 30 people, including 18 men and 12 women in four groups, have received permission to climb Dhaulagiri for this season, said Nisha Thapa Raut, Director of the Department of Tourism.

In the previous season, 36 people had received permission to climb this peak. According to the records of the Department of Tourism, more than 700 people have climbed Dhaulagiri Himal in the last 66 years.

Nepal Tourism Board Gandaki Province Chief Maniraj Lamichhane said that all stakeholders should seriously consider that Dhaulagiri Himal has not been utilized as expected from a tourism perspective. He said that the 66th Dhaulagiri anniversary is being celebrated in Mudi village here with the objective of promoting tourism in the connected villages along with the peak. He stated that the attraction for trekking on the Dhaulagiri circuit trek along with climbing this peak needs to be increased.