Dhaulagiri, mountain massif of the Himalayas in west-central Nepal. It is situated on the western side of the deep Kali (Kali Gandak) River gorge, about 40 miles (65 km) northwest of Annapurna. Many of Dhaulagiri’s snow- and glacier-covered peaks exceed 25,000 feet (7,620 metres), including Dhaulagiri I, II, III, and IV. The tallest, Dhaulagiri I, reaches an elevation of 26,795 feet (8,167 metres) and is the world’s seventh highest mountain. With a south wall that rises vertically some 15,000 feet (4,600 metres), the peak’s steep sides and bitterly cold climate prevented an ascent to the top until May 13, 1960, when a Swiss expedition led by Max Eiselin reached the summit. The name of the peak is derived from two Sanskrit words meaning “white mountain.”