Attempt at Daulhagiri II

Autumn 2022 - Tiphaine Dupérier and Boris Langenstein

We attempted Daulhagiri II (7850m). It is a summit located in the Dolpo massif in western Nepal, which has seen few summiters. The main objective was to ski its Northeast face. An exceptional five-day trek leads to the village of Mukot, the expedition’s base camp.

After some scouting, we spent 6 days in the mountains, making a loop to check all possible accesses. It was also an effective way to acclimate. After crossing a pass at 5780m, the possibility of a summit at 6600m is on our left. A 1200m vertical line is traced between seracs and cliffs. Given the snow conditions, it seems the safest and least exposed to us.

The skiing on this descent is exceptional and offers an atmosphere far beyond our expectations. The bad weather forces us to turn back around 6400m.

The access spotted at the beginning serves as the exit for our loop. We pass at the foot of Daulhagiri II, the summit revealing itself from time to time between the clouds…
Our weather router (Vincent Oliva) predicts 7 days of bad weather with heavy snow accumulations above 5000m. Everything confirms quite quickly and the possibility of making an attempt disappears. Descending into the valley also becomes an inevitable choice. A departure is organized despite the reluctance of the locals. Only one person offers their services and we have to split the team in two: he cannot bring down all the equipment with only two horses.

Landslides mark the return and most trekking groups are evacuated by helicopter. Back in Dunai (the capital of Dolpo), it is possible to take a plane, but flights are fully booked for the next few days.

Failure on this mountain was a fundamental experience for my life as a mountaineer. The scale and complexity of the face make it a very high-level objective. Perfect snow conditions are necessary to consider an ascent. The place is magical and the face magnificent. And I can’t wait to go back!

Text: Tiphaine Dupérier

Photos: Boris Langenstein