Makalu II | 1974 S Ridge

A Netherlands expedition to Makalu II in 1974 via S Ridge, led by Jean Francois Saltet. Summit reached on 11th October 1974. 9 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 2306
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID MAK274301
Peak ID MAK2
Year 1974
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Netherlands
Leaders Jean Francois Saltet
Sponsor Dutch Kangchungtse Expedition 1974
Success 1 False
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 -
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries India
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1974-09-29
Summit Date 1974-10-11
Summit Time -
Summit Days 12
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 6
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 7200
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 4
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 9
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 1
Total Hired 4
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
O2 Used False
O2 None True
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(29/09,5100m),C1(30/09,5500m),C2(02/10,6100m),C3,C4(11/10,7000m),xxx(11/10,7200m)
Route Notes Tollenaar - 2 Nov 74 Tollenaar arrived today, other's waiting at Tumlingtar for flight. C4 established by Hopster, Banning and Tollenaar and 2 Sherpas on 11 Oct at about 7000m. Went up to 7200m putting in ropes that day but no place for camp above 7000m so descended to there and made camp on 12th. They intended to finish rope up to Makalu Col but by time reached 7200m were exhausted and went down and left job to other 3 (Sharma, Osinga and Reynierse) who reached C4 on 14 Oct at 17:00 and took sleeping pills. Sharma and Osinga slept for 36 hours. Osinga found when he awoke am 16th and found Dr. Reynierse missing leaving in tent his shoes, spectacles and rest of his equipment. Osinga discovered about 150m below camp something that looked like a body. Went down to it quickly and found it the body of Reynierse in totally frozen state. Body buried in glacier on slopes of Makalu II near where found. Too dangerous to take down; memorial stove erected at BC. Death and combination of high altitude, extreme tiredness and sleeping tablets, so climbing immediately abandoned, which was pity because would have made summit since all technical difficulties overcame. But didn't have the heart to continue - too bad. "Everybody wanted to forget that mountain at that moment anyway." Could have been on summit on 17th or 18th. Everything went splendidly well up to that moment, excellent Sherpas and excellent weather. Dutch altitude record established. No illness at all; no avalanches, no incidents until Dr's fall. MP Khanal, MFA - 31 Oct 74 3 persons in tent: Osinga, Sharma, Reynierse C4 23,000 ft - highest camp sleeping on 15 Oct night and on 16th am when others found Ewout didn't get up, friends tried to awake him and he was found dead, had taken, too many sleeping tablets and this could be cause of death. Expedition abandoned leader says to LO writing. Saltet - 9 Sept 74 2 more Dutch and 1 Indian arrive next week and follow Wednesday next week by Schedule to Biratnagar. Others leave this Wednesday 2:00 and in charter Avro to Biratnagar. 18 days to BC so reach 29th or 30th Sept 4 (perhaps 5) high camps 4 Sherpas, 3 kitchen boys and 2 mailrunners Tollenaar - 31 Aug 74 Saltet and other 7 members am, 9 Sept; hope to leave KTM by 12th Sept to Biratnagar. "This mountain is too big for us, but maybe if weather is good we can succeed." Being watched in Netherlands because would be Dutch altitude record: present record set by Jan Boon's expedition. Will attempt French 1954 route, South Ridge Expect take 20 days from Dharan to BC 4 climbing Sherpas including sirdar
Accidents Reynierse died from fall at C4 resulting from overdose of sleeping pills
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2445206
Year 1974
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) s ridge

Members

9 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Jean Francois Saltet M 1920 Netherlands Leader Reeuwinjk, Netherlands Physician Details Other expeditions
Eduard Paul Arthur Hopster M 1940 Netherlands Climber Amsterdam, Netherlands Psychologist Details Other expeditions
Jan H. C. Van Banning M 1942 Netherlands Climber Amsterdam, Netherlands Psychologist Details Other expeditions
Johannes Osinga M 1943 Netherlands Climber Eindhoven, Netherlands Engineer Details Other expeditions
P. A. (Ton) Couperus M - Netherlands Climber Amsterdam, Netherlands Chemical engineer Details Other expeditions
Ewout Reynierse M - Netherlands Climber Amsterdam, Netherlands Physician Details Other expeditions
William A. Korthals-Altes M 1944 Netherlands Climber Rotterdam, Netherlands Economics student Details Other expeditions
L. P. Sharma M 1942 India Climber Uttarkashi, UP, India Colonel (Nehru Mountaineering Institute, Uttarkashi) Details Other expeditions
Herman Tollenaar M 1947 Netherlands Climber Delft, Netherlands Chemical engineering student Details Other expeditions

References

3 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
MAK274301 AAJ Cheney, Michael J. - - 49:195 (1975) -
MAK274301 MM - - - 41:11 (Jan 1975) -
MAK274301 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12197519501/Asia-Nepal-Kangshungatse - - -