Makalu | 2004 E Ridge (to 6100m)

A France expedition to Makalu in 2004 via E Ridge (to 6100m), led by Christian Trommsdorff. Summit reached on 29th May 2004. 3 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 4649
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID MAKA04107
Peak ID MAKA
Year 2004
Season 1
Host Country 2
Route 1 E Ridge (to 6100m)
Route 2 SE Ridge
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality France
Leaders Christian Trommsdorff
Sponsor French East Ridge Makalu Expedition
Success 1 False
Success 2 True
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 -
Ascent 2 84th
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach Via Kharta
Basecamp Date 2004-04-21
Summit Date 2004-05-29
Summit Time 1415
Summit Days 38
Total Days 41
Termination Date 2004-06-01
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8485
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 1
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 3
Summit Members 1
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 0
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired True
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(21/04,4570m),C1(26/04,5800m),Biv(08/05,5700m),Biv(09/05,6700m),Biv(12/05,7300m);Biv(23/05,6100m),C1(26/05,6700m),Biv(28/05,7600m),Smt(29/05)
Route Notes BC at Saktekang and North Glacier C1 at East Ridge Biv at SE Ridge Biv at SE Ridge Biv at SE Ridge C1 on SE Ridge Biv on at 7600m in eastern cwm. From BC went to East Ridge (Japanese NE Ridge) up at 6100m on 2nd May; stopped because snowfall every day morning had to remake trail everyday. Back to BC on 3rd with all gear. All 4 high altitude, tents and all but 1 stove stolen from BC, so went over to SE Ridge via South Col 5600m high down into Nepal and joined British at C1. At 5700m and biv there on 8th May and biv at British C2 at 6700m. From here French helped fix ropes and established C3 at 7300m on 12 May. Back to BC in Tibet in 14th because this had been acclimatization climb and to prepare for summit push. Waited for good weather forecast. Up from BC 22nd May to 5700m on SE Ridge (base of SE Ridge) while Graziani bived at 6100m next to British intermediate camp. Trommsdorff and Wagnon joined Graziani on 25th May at 6100m. 26th Wagnon to 6700m, 27th to C3 at 7300m, 28th to 7600m via ridge down into Eest (Cwm) and slept there at British C4. 29th Graziani to top at 4:30 pm CST (2:15 NST) (all left C4 at 8:35 am). Trommsdorff stopped 8100m because terrain above very steep and exposed and he was too tired to make safe return; Wagnon stopped at 8250m for same reasons (both also stopped because had had bad night, both wind storm and not proper tent). All slept in C4 that night. 30th to 6100m and found their food, gear, clothes and ropes above had been removed; slept there in poor tent and no food and drink. 31st up to beginning of rope left, took it down and used it to get down to C1 at 5700m, where deposit there including video camera stolen, saw no food and drink still. Down to BC, getting drinking water from stream and in BC at 9:00 pm Chinese time. Left BC 1 June. This team's access to East Ridge new route and to C1 on East Ridge.
Accidents -
Achievement New approach to East Ridge
Agency Thamserku Trekking
Commercial Route False
Standard Route False
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2456059
Year 2004
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) e ridge (to 6100m)

Members

3 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Yannick Marcel Graziani M 1973 France Climber Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Christian Trommsdorff M 1964 France Leader Les Houches, Haute-Savoie, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Patrick Wagnon M 1969 France Climber Grenoble, Isere, France Glacier researcher & alpine guide Details Other expeditions

References

5 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
MAKA04107 HIGH - - - 262:8 (Sep 2004) -
MAKA04107 CLIM - - - 4:93-94 (Jun 2005) -
MAKA04107 AAJ Wagnon, Patrick - - 79:399 (2005) -
MAKA04107 - - http://christian.trommsdorff.org - - -
MAKA04107 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12200539900/Asia-Nepal-Khumbu-Region-Mahalangur-East-Makalu-Section-Makalu-Southeast-Ridge-Ascent - - -