Makalu Expedition (8463m)

Makalu was first climbed by a french paryt in 1955. By 1996, 160 climbers had reached the summit on 125 expeditions;15 climbers have died in the attempt. The peak was first mapped and photographed from the Tibetan side by the 1921 British Everest reconnaissance.

Hillary and Shipton photographed Makalu during a side trip on the 1951 Everest reconnaissance. Hillary and othere approached the peak a year latter after the failure of their Cho Oyu expedition.
The first attempt on 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, successful 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 Ama Dablam, occupying the Green and Silver huts. In May 1961, members of the Expedition trekked across the Mingbo La and other high passes to the foot of makalu, where they planned to climb the French route. Sickness Stopped the Expedition, which became a heroic struggle for survival.

The Japanese climbed 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.