The Dhaulagiri massif in Nepal extends 120 km (70 mi) from the Kaligandaki River west to the Bheri. It’s the seventh highest mountain in the world at 8,167 metres (26,795 ft) above sea level, and the highest mountain within the borders of a single country (Nepal). It was first climbed on May 13, 1960 by a Swiss/Austrian/Nepali expedition. The mountain's name is dhaulāgirī in Nepali. This comes from Sanskrit where dhawala means dazzling, white, beautiful and giri means mountain. Dhaulagiri I is also the highest point of the Gandaki river basin. In 1808 A.D. survey computations showed it to be the highest mountain yet surveyed. This lasted until 1838 when Kangchenjunga took its place, followed by Mount Everest in 1858. Most ascents have followed the northeast ridge route of the first ascent, but climbs have been made from most directions. As of 2007 there had been 358 successful ascents and 58 fatalities, which is a summit to fatality rate of 16.2%.
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