Makalu | 2008 SE Ridge

A UK expedition to Makalu in 2008 via SE Ridge, led by Colin Scott. Summit reached on 20th May 2008. 8 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 6065
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID MAKA08112
Peak ID MAKA
Year 2008
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 SE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality UK
Leaders Colin Scott
Sponsor British Services Makalu 2008
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 -
Approach -
Basecamp Date 2008-04-06
Summit Date 2008-05-20
Summit Time -
Summit Days 44
Total Days 55
Termination Date 2008-05-31
Termination Reason 9
Termination Notes Abandoned at 7900m due to lack of time after chest infections recovery
High Point (m) 7900
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 4
Fixed Rope (m) 7000
Total Members 6
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 4
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
O2 Used True
O2 None False
O2 Climb True
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep True
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(06/04,4800m),ABC(12/04,5800m),C1(17/04,6100m),C2(20/04,6700m),C3(02/05,7200m),C4(16/05,7500m),xxx(20/05,7900m)
Route Notes BC at Barun Pokhari (Hillary BC site) ABC at start of SE Ridge C1 on SE Ridge C2 at South Col of SE Ridge C3 on SE Ridge. British Services Makalu 2008, led by Colin Scott - 8 June 2008 The SE Ridge in its entirety is an "awesome route well worth climbing," said Scott, and the team plans to return to it in 2010. "To the South Col it is very narrow, but it is always interesting, a beautiful line." The team climbed Makalu "hugging the ridge" all the way, never going over onto a face. The weather was fine during the first three weeks, but snowfall prevented significant progress in early May. The highest point reached was 7900m, where Haughey, Scott, Ang Dorje and Nima Dorje stashed kit for the team's future C5. The four men had arrived at C4 on the 19th, reached 7900m on the 20th, and then descended to BC on the 22nd to rest. On the 27th, Capleton, Gale and Scott left BC to make another bid for summit, planning to spend one night at ABC and each higher camp, but this push was aborted on the 29th on their way to C2 because they had chest infections. The climb was now finished because the expedition had to leave BC on 6 June, and they now did not have enough time to recover from their chest problems which all of the members had, get to the top and be ready to leave on 6th June. They believe they caught their chest infections from other climbers leaving the mountain, coming through their ABC and stopping to chat and have a cup of tea. They had fixed a total of 7000m of rope from about 5900m on almost all of the route to 7900m, and they would have needed to fix more above there. Oxygen was used by Capleton and Gale sleeping in C3, from C3 to C4 and above, and back to C3. Scott used it in C4 to 7900m to and in C4. Nima Dorje used it in C4 to 7900m to and in C4. Ang Dorje did not use any. Dhillon did not acclimatize well, went no higher than 6400m. Swift was hit in mid-April at 6000m in the back of his neck by a large block from an icefall which struck the muscles in his neck. He left the expedition in late April. Sherpas: Ang Dorje, 18/8/85 (2/5/2042), Tashigaon, Makalu-8, no 8000ers Nima Dorje, 7/10/80 (21/6/2037), Tumlingtar, Makalu, Everest 16/5/06
Accidents Swift hit by block of ice, chest infection
Achievement -
Agency Himalaya Expeditions
Commercial Route False
Standard Route False
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2457515
Year 2008
Summit Success False
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) se ridge

Members

8 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Rupert John Capleton M 1975 UK Climber Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England RAF flight lieutenant Details Other expeditions
Sundeep Dhillon M 1970 UK Climber Wimbledon, London, England Physician Details Other expeditions
Richard Howard (Dick) Gale M 1969 UK Climber Nottingham, E Midlands, England Captain in army engineer Details Other expeditions
Tobias (Toby) Haughey M 1983 UK Climber London, England Lieutenant in Royal Horse Artillery Details Other expeditions
Colin William Scott M 1962 UK Leader Preston, Rutland, England RAF air traffic controller (squadron leader) Details Other expeditions
Darren Michael Swift M 1973 UK Climber Plymouth, Devon, England Royal Marines lance corporal Details Other expeditions
Ang Dorje (Ang Dorchi) Sherpa M 1985 Nepal H-A Worker Tashigaon, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions
Nima Dorje Sherpa M 1980 Nepal H-A Worker Tashigaon, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions

References

1 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
MAKA08112 - - http://www.makalu2008.org (dead link) - - -