The french Annapurna expedition
in 1950 had permission to climb
either Annapurna or Dhulagiri
but decided on Annapurna after
a reconnaissance of Dhulagiri.
A Swiss party failed in 1953
as did a Argentinian group in
1954. After four more expeditions
had failed, eight members of
a Swiss expedition reached the
summit in 1960. The climb followed
a circuitous route around the
mountain from Tukuche, over
Dhampus Pass and French Col,
to Approach the summit from
the NorthEast Col. The expedition
was supplied by a Swiss Pilatus
Porter Aircraft, the Yeti which
landed on the North-east Col
at 5977m. Near the end of the
expedition the plane crashed
near Dhampus Pass and the Pilots,
Including the famous Emil Wick,
walked down the mountain to
Tukuche.
Tragedy struck
in 1969 when a avalanche killed
seven members of a US expedition
on the east Dhaulagiri Glacier.
The peak was
climbed by the Japanese in 1970,
the Americans in 1973 and the
Italians in 1976. Captain Emil
Wick airdropped Supplies to
the US expedition from a pilatus
porter aircraft.
Among the delicacies
he dropped were two bottles
of wine and a live chicken.
The Sherpas would not allow
the Chicken to be killed on
the mountain, so it became the
expedition pet. It wdas carried,
snow-blind and crippled with
frostbitten feet, to Marpha,
where it finally ended up in
the cooking pot.
