Continued high winds and coming snow have killed the last hopes for David Goettler and Herve Barmasse on Dhaulagiri. They hoped for a weather window long enough to summit in a single alpine-style push. But the wind shows no sign of diminishing, and now they have to leave before heavy snowfall traps them in Base Camp.
![Dhaulagiri long-term weather forecast](https://s3.amazonaws.com/www.explorersweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/21173059/fore-j21.jpeg)
Forecast shown by David Goettler on social media, by Mountain-forecast.com
“We have decided to stop this time,” Goettler wrote. “Nevertheless, we have learned a lot and I am [still] convinced that it is possible to climb an 8,000’er alpine style in winter.”
![Climbers on the rocky ground of the French pass, Dhaulagiri in background.](https://s3.amazonaws.com/www.explorersweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/05164908/herve-david-frenchpass.jpg)
Herve Barmasse (in red) and David Goettler (in yellow) at the French Pass, with Dhaulagiri in the background.
That’s winter
The two climbers were attempting an extremely difficult feat: an 8,000m peak in winter, alpine style, by a two-man team. They had planned to wait in Base Camp until the end of January, but the weather has not given them a chance.
In a recent ExWeb interview with ace Polish winter climber Adam Bielecki (to be posted soon), he smiled and said regarding the pair’s Dhaulagiri experience: “That is exactly what winter is about!”
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/www.explorersweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/21164135/Dhaula-bc-barmasse-01-700x700.jpg)
Goettler (right) and crew in the team’s Base Camp, facing the rocky cliff known as the “Little Eiger.” Photo: Herve Barmasse