

07 April 2009
Makalu Expedition by Helicopter
Mount Makalu (8463m.) was first climbed by a French party in 1955. The peak was first mapped and photographed from the Tibetan side by the 1921 British Everest reconnaissance. Hillary and Shipton photographed mount Makalu during a side trip on the 1951 Everest reconnaissance. Hillary and others approached the peak a year later after the failure of their mount Cho Oyu expedition.
The first attempt on mount Makalu was in 1954 by a US team, mostly from California , who trekked all the way from the Indian border near Biratnagar. At the same time a British team approached the mountain, but this expedition was abandoned when Hillary became seriously ill and had to be evacuated.
In the autumn of 1954 a French team attempted the peak. In the following spring, successfully ascents were made by three teams of French climbers on successive days.
In 1960 a large scientific and mountaineering expedition wintered at the foot of mount Ama Dablam, occupying the Green and Silver buts. In May 1961, the expedition trekked across the Mingbo La and other high passes to the foot off mount Makalu , where they planned to climb the French route, Sickness stopped the expedition, which became a heroic struggle for survival.
The Japanese climbed mount Makalu in 1970, another French team climbed it in 1971 and a Yugoslav expedition reached the summit in 1975. In 1976 Spanish and Czechoslovakian teams joined up near the summit.
Makalu West Face
It is very adventurous route to climb because it is a little bit dangerous as well. The 5 attempts were made before climbing this Mount Makalu Mountain ; then only it was succeeded in the final.
The West Face was successfully summit in 1997. The Russian expedition had taken the route of this West Face of mount Makalu, leaded by Sergey Efimov and climbed the top on 21st of May via the most difficult route. The last part of the route had gone on Parago ridge. Alexei Bolotov, Yuri Ermachek, Dmitri Pavlenko, Igor Bugachevski and Nikolai Jiline had climbed on the top of mount Makalu at this time For this ascent they were awarded the "Gold ice-axe".
The routes are of 4 parts:
The bottom part starts from the base of the West Face at 5,800 meters and climbs to the hanging ice-fall at 6,100 meters to the right part of the ice-fall. The second part extends from the plateau above the ice-fall along 35 to 45 degree elevation's rock up to the 6,500 meters high. The next section is an ice-rock wall, 50 to 55 degrees steep & that extends to 7,400 meters height. The last final section begins 70 to 75 degree elevation's rock pillar, which leads to the west ridge at 8,000 meters height till to the top of the summit.
Ropes are typically fixed from 5800m to 6100m and from 6500 m to 7500m. Camps established by the Russian Team were at the following locations.
The French Route on the West Pillar is an aesthetically stunning line that has been seldom attempted. It is an exceedingly difficult, a very steep pillar that was first successfully ascended in 1971. The crux of the line comes at approximately 7,600m in the area of the Seignior Wall.
The first US team to summit was in 1980, they summit via this West Pillar Route . The team was made up of Jim States , John Roskelley, Kim Momb and Chris Kopczynski. They summit 2 members of the team and put 2 members within 150 feet. They summit without the use of oxygen or Sherpa support.
Itinerary:
04 April 2009 Day 01: Arrival Kathmand & Trasfer to hotel
05 April 2009 Day 02: prepare for expedition
06 April 2009 Day 03: Briefing in Ministry of tourism prepare for expedition
07 April 2009 Day 04: Fly to Tumlingtar - camping
08 April 2009 Day 05: Tumlingtar - Kuwapani
09 April 2009 Day 06. Kuwapani - Chichila
10 April 2009 Day 07: Chichila - Num
11 April 2009 Day 08: Num- Seduwa
12 April 2009 Day 09: Seduwa - Tashigaun
13 April 2009 Day 10: Tashigaun - Khongma La (Danda)
14 April 2009 Day 11: Khongmadanda - Mumfuk
15 April 2009 Day 12: Mumfuk -Yangle Kharak
16 April 2009 Day 13: Yangle Khark -Merak
17 April 2009 Day 14: Merak -Sersung (half day rest) for acclimatize
18 April 2009 Day 15: Sersung - Makalu Base camp
19 April - 20 May 2009 Day 16-47: Climbing Period for Makalu (8463m)
21 May 2009 Day 48: Makalu BC - Mumbuck
22 May 2009 Day 49: Mumbuck - Khongma La (Danda)
23 May 2009 Day 50: Khongma La - Seduwa
24 May 2009 Day 51: Seduwa - Chichila
25 May 2009 Day 52: Chichila - Tumlingtar
26 May 2009 Day 53: Tumlingtar - Kathmandu by flight
27 May 2009 Day 54: Kathmandu
28 May 2009 Day 55: Final Departure
Climbing Equipment List | More Information
Cost:
1 Person, USD 25000.00
2 Persons, Per Person USD 12,500.00
3 Persons, Per Person USD 9,500.00
4 Persons, Per Person USD 8500.00
5 Persons, Per Person USD 7500.00
6-7 Persons, Per Person USD 7000.00
8-12 Persons, Per Person USD 6500.00
Climbing Sherpa guide, Per Sherpa guide USD 2500.00
Cost includes:
Cost not includes:
We provide Kathmandu - Makalu BC - Kathmandu by helicopter above the package