Makalu | 2008 Makalu La-NW Ridge

A Italy expedition to Makalu in 2008 via Makalu La-NW Ridge, led by Simone Moro. Summit reached on 9th February 2009. 2 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 6266
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID MAKA08401
Peak ID MAKA
Year 2008
Season 4
Host Country 1
Route 1 Makalu La-NW Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Italy
Leaders Simone Moro
Sponsor Makalu Winter Expedition 2008
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 111
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries Kazakhstan
Approach Helicopter Kathmandu to Hillary BC at 4800m
Basecamp Date 2009-01-20
Summit Date 2009-02-09
Summit Time 1353
Summit Days 20
Total Days 23
Termination Date 2009-02-12
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8485
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 1
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 2
Summit Members 2
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(20/01,5680m),Biv1(21/01,6100m),Biv2(22/01,6800m),Biv3(08/02,7600m),Smt(09/02)
Route Notes BC near start Chago Glacier in gully for protection from wind Biv at level area of Chago Glacier C2 at steep part of Chago Glacier. Makalu Winter Expedition 2008/2009, led by Simone Moro - 15 Febuary 2009 After acclimatization trekking in Khumbu, the two-man expedition flew by helicopter on 16 Jan from Kathmandu to Hillary BC at 4800m (actually it is not at the site of Hillary's camp but slightly below it; helicopters can't land at the actual camp's site but need the more level area below.) On 20 January, they made their BC near the start of the Chago Glacier at 5680m in a gully that protected them from the wind. They began acclimatizing on Makalu immediately: on the 21st they bivouacked at 6100m on a level area of the glacier and on the 22nd they established a camp (which they called C2) at 6800m went on up to 7050m, then descended to BC. On 29 January they returned to 6800m, and on the 30th they climbed one of the technically most difficult sections. Most Makalu expeditions climb to the Makalu La for their next high camp by a a slightly circuitous route in an area of large rocks where they are in the sun and can find fixed ropes left by previous teams. Moro and Urubko used a couloir on a direct line; this is out of the sunlight, but it gives protection from the wind and can be climbed much faster. These routes diverge at 7000m. The two men bivouacked at 7350m, 50m below the Makalu La in order to stay out of the wind that sweeps across the La. This day's climb was a recce to make sure that, as they had thought, the couloir was the better choice. It was. They returned to BC on the 31st. On 4 February they ran from BC to 6800m bivvy site in one hour and nine minutes, and they ran back to BC in just 28 minutes. Finally they made their push to the summit. This time they took three and a half hours to reach 6800m and bivouacked there with their gear on 7 Febuary. On the 8th they took the tent and all gear to 7600m and bivoaucked there. On the 9th they left the bivouac at 5:30 am, were on the summit at 1:53 pm and back at the bivouac at 5:34 pm. On the 10th they were in BC with all their gear and rubbish, plus some Korean rubbish; they had left the bivouac at 8:15 am and returned to BC at 1:00 pm. They descended so quickly because the weather forecaster told them by satellite phone from Salzburg, Austria that a hurricane was headed their way. It came on the afternoon of the 10th and the next day there was heavy snowfall. They were in the Hillary BC on the 12th and Kathmandu on the 13th. "We have beeen lucky and brave," said Moro. On the final day's ascent to the summit, they were always roped together and one member belayed the other as they progressed. The wind speed at the top was 90-100 km per hour with gusts up to 120 km/hr.
Accidents Nothing serious: Moro slight frostbite on one foot
Achievement 1st winter ascent of Makalu
Agency Cho Oyu Trekking
Commercial Route False
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2457780
Year 2008
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) makalu la-nw ridge

Members

2 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Simone Moro M 1967 Italy Leader Ponterancia, Bergamo, Italy Alpinist Details Other expeditions
Denis Viktorovich Urubko M 1973 Kazakhstan Climber Almaty (Alma-Ata), Kazakhstan Alpinist with Kazakhstani army's central sports club Details Other expeditions

References

7 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
MAKA08401 - - http://www.russianclimb.com/makalu_winter_2009/winter_makalu_2009_en.html - - -
MAKA08401 AAJ Moro, Simone The Roar of the Wind - 83:72-77 (2009) -
MAKA08401 JAN Urubko, Denis Makalu: the First Winter Ascent and Cho Oyu: the Southeast Face - 11:93-98 (July 2010) -
MAKA08401 - Moro, Simone In Eiseskalte Malik, Munich - -
MAKA08401 - Moro, Simone The Call of the Ice Mountaineers Books, Seattle - -
MAKA08401 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12200907200/Roar-of-the-Wind-The-First-Winter-Ascent-of-Makalu - - -
MAKA08401 - - http://jac.or.jp/english/images/vol11/jan-vol11-93-98.pdf - - -