Makalu | 2010 Makalu La-NW Ridge

A USA expedition to Makalu in 2010 via Makalu La-NW Ridge, led by Fabrizio Zangrilli. Summit reached on 24th May 2010. 4 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 6808
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID MAKA10109
Peak ID MAKA
Year 2010
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 Makalu La-NW Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality USA
Leaders Fabrizio Zangrilli
Sponsor Field Touring Alpine Makalu Expedition 2010
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 Switzerland
Approach -
Basecamp Date 2010-04-20
Summit Date 2010-05-24
Summit Time -
Summit Days 34
Total Days 36
Termination Date 2010-05-26
Termination Reason 4
Termination Notes Abandoned at 7800m due to bad weather, Brupbacher fear of frostbite
High Point (m) 7800
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 4
Fixed Rope (m) 500
Total Members 3
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 1
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(20/04,5650m),C1(22/04,6400m),C2(23/04,6600m),C3(21/05,7500m),C4(22/05,7650m),xxx(24/05,7800m)
Route Notes C1 at Chago Glacier C2 at beginning of steep wall C3 just above Makalu La on Tibet side. The team was defeated by strong winds. Eight times they got to C2, but each time after spending one night there, they were driven back down. For example, they deposited equipment at C2 on 7 May, but 70 km/hr wind sent them down to BC on the 8th. Finally on 21 May they managed to climb to C3 and sleep there and on the 22nd to occupy C4. On the 23rd they waited in C4 while snow fell. The 24th was summit day. Smith didn't have enough oxygen left to go for the top, and at 6:00 am he left for BC; his Sherpa, Tapche Bhote, descended with him. The other two, Brupbacher and Zangrilli, left at 2:00 am for the summit. But they got no higher than 7800m. They were not using oxygen and were not well acclimatized; it was windy and the temperature was minus 40 degrees Celsius; and Brupbacher, whose nose had been frostbitten on an earlier climb, was afraid of frostbite now again. They turned around at 5:00 am and were back in BC at 4:30 that afternoon. Smith was the only person to use oxygen. He used it in C3 to C4 to C2. (Zangrilli had carried some for him). Brupbacher, Zangrilli and Tapche used none at all. Hired: Tapche Bhote, 24/11/72, Hatiya, Makalu-Barun, Cho Oyu X1
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency Su-Swagatam Treks
Commercial Route False
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2458296
Year 2010
Summit Success False
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) makalu la-nw ridge

Members

4 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Joelle Catherine Brupbacher F 1978 Switzerland Climber Muri, Bern, Switzerland Computer scientist Details Other expeditions
Stuart Gregory Smith M 1959 USA Climber Waco, Texas Attorney Details Other expeditions
Fabrizio John Zangrilli M 1972 USA Leader Boulder, Colorado Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Tapche/Tapchen Bhote M 1972 Nepal H-A Worker Hatiya-3, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions

References

1 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
MAKA10109 - - http://www.fieldtouring.com/blog/?cat=16 - - -