Makalu | 2014 Makalu La-NW Ridge
A New Zealand expedition to Makalu in 2014 via Makalu La-NW Ridge, led by Russell Brice, Suzanne Huesser. Summit reached on 25th May 2014. 18 members recorded.
Expedition Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| ID | 8448 |
| Imported | 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634 |
| Expedition ID | MAKA14122 |
| Peak ID | MAKA |
| Year | 2014 |
| Season | 1 |
| Host Country | 1 |
| Route 1 | Makalu La-NW Ridge |
| Route 2 | - |
| Route 3 | - |
| Route 4 | - |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Leaders | Russell Brice, Suzanne Huesser |
| Sponsor | Himalayan Experience (Himex) Makalu Expedition 2014 |
| Success 1 | True |
| Success 2 | False |
| Success 3 | False |
| Success 4 | False |
| Ascent 1 | - |
| Ascent 2 | - |
| Ascent 3 | - |
| Ascent 4 | - |
| Claimed | False |
| Disputed | False |
| Countries | France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland, USA |
| Approach | Everest BC->Pheriche |
| Basecamp Date | 2014-04-17 |
| Summit Date | 2014-05-25 |
| Summit Time | 0400 |
| Summit Days | 38 |
| Total Days | 41 |
| Termination Date | 2014-05-28 |
| Termination Reason | 1 |
| Termination Notes | - |
| High Point (m) | 8485 |
| Traverse | False |
| Ski | False |
| Paraglide | False |
| Camps | 4 |
| Fixed Rope (m) | 0 |
| Total Members | 11 |
| Summit Members | 7 |
| Member Deaths | 0 |
| Total Hired | 7 |
| Summit Hired | 6 |
| Hired Deaths | 0 |
| No Hired | False |
| O2 Used | True |
| O2 None | False |
| O2 Climb | True |
| O2 Descent | False |
| O2 Sleep | False |
| O2 Medical | False |
| O2 Taken | False |
| O2 Unknown | False |
| Other Summits | - |
| Campsites | BC(17/04,5650m),C1(21/04,6065m),C2(23/04,6626m),C3(29/04,7400m),C4(24/05,7590m),Smt(25/05) |
| Route Notes | BC -- ABC 17/04 5650m C1 21/04 6065m C2 23/04 6626m (directly below Makalu La) C3 29/04 7400m C4 24/05 7590m Smt 25/05 by Baranov, Tashi Chhiring, Sand, Pemba Gyalzen at 4 am; by Ishikawa, Schmitz and Pasang Chhiring at 4:15 am; by Rene Bergsma and Chumba at 4:45 am; by Bierling, Huesser, Chhebi Bhote and Lakpa Nuru at 5 am. First summit attempt started on 15 May from ABC. All members and Sherpas reached C2 and stayed the night, which was very windy. The following morning 16 May was too windy to climb up to C3 (Makalu La) and Seven Summit Sherpas were unable to fix rope from bottom of French Couloirs to summit due to high winds. Everyone descended to ABC. Second summit attempt started on 22 May from BC. Reached C4 on 24 May in good, but windy weather. Summit team left C4 at 10 pm on 24 May. Good conditions on the way. Sketchy rope fixing in French Couloirs and on summit ridge. Good views from the summit and members spent an average of about 20 to 30 minutes on the top. All members returned to C4 between 7 am and 9 am. Huesser had a cough all the way through expedition, which turned into pneumonia on the way down from the summit. She descended al the way to ABC, where she arrived at about 8 pm. Ishikawa, Baranov, Sand and all Sherpas also descended to ABC, where they arrived at 5 pm. Bierling, Bergsma and Schmitz spent the night at C2, where they arrived at 5 pm. They descended to ABC on 26 May. Casagrande reached C2 on 23 April. He skied with Baranov from C2 to crampon point. He was employed as Baranov's skiing guide; however, the two disagreed about the skiing conditions on the mountain. Casagrande was not happy with the conditions, but Baranov wanted to continue skiing, so Baranov told Casagrande that he would no longer need him. Casagrande left ABC by helicopter on the morning of 25 April. Smith decided that mountain was too hard for him and took helicopter to Kathmandu on 17 May. His high point was 7200m below the second rock band on 30 April. Schneider was the expedition doctor and never intended to leave ABC. Oxygen: Taken and used from C3 to summit to C3 by members, apart from Huesser, who used it all the way down to ABC Sherpas: Lopsang Temba, 1968, Khumjung, Khumbu Tashi Chhiring, 8/5/1990, Khumjung, Khumbu Pasang Chhiring, 2040/7/5, Khumjung, Khumbu, South Col with Bangladeshis in 2006 Chumba Sherpa, 2045/1/9,Jubing-6, 1st 8000er Chhebi Bhote, 30/9/74, Hatiya-3, Makalu Lakpa Nuru, 1962, Phortse, Khumjung |
| Accidents | - |
| Achievement | - |
| Agency | Mountain Experience |
| Commercial Route | False |
| Standard Route | True |
| Primary Route | False |
| Primary Member | False |
| Primary Reference | False |
| Primary ID | - |
| Checksum | 2459762 |
| Year | 2014 |
| Summit Success | True |
| O2 Summary | Used |
| Route (lowercase) | makalu la-nw ridge |
Members
18 recorded members.
| Name | Sex | Year of Birth | Citizenship | Status | Residence | Occupation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sergei Baranov | M | 1969 | Russia | Climber | Moscow, Russia | Banker | Details Other expeditions |
| Renee Michael Bergsma | M | 1957 | Netherlands | Climber | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Pharmacist | Details Other expeditions |
| Barbara Susanne (Billi) Bierling | F | 1967 | Germany | Climber | Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany | Journalist | Details Other expeditions |
| Julien Casagrande | M | 1986 | France | Climber | Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France | Alpine guide | Details Other expeditions |
| Suzanne Katharina Huesser | F | 1967 | Switzerland | Deputy Leader | Visperterminen, Valais, Switzerland | Alpine guide | Details Other expeditions |
| Naoki Ishikawa | M | 1977 | Japan | Climber | Tokyo, Japan | Photographer | Details Other expeditions |
| Heidi Schott Sand | F | 1966 | Germany | Climber | Stuttgart, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany | Artist | Details Other expeditions |
| Joseph B. Schneider | M | 1975 | USA | Exp Doctor | Northampton, Massachusetts | Physician | Details Other expeditions |
| Jacob Francis Schmitz | M | 1975 | USA | Climber | Bend, Oregon | Alpine guide | Details Other expeditions |
| Stuart Gregory Smith | M | 1959 | USA | Climber | Waco, Texas | Attorney | Details Other expeditions |
| Lobsang Temba (Lupsang Temba) Sherpa | M | 1968 | Nepal | Sirdar | Khumjung, Khumbu | - | Details Other expeditions |
| Tashi Chhiring (Tashi Tshering) Sherpa | M | 1990 | Nepal | H-A Worker | Khumjung, Khumbu | - | Details Other expeditions |
| Pasang Chhiring Sherpa | M | 1983 | Nepal | H-A Worker | Khumjung, Khumbu | - | Details Other expeditions |
| Pemba Gyalzen Sherpa | M | 1973 | Nepal | H-A Worker | Khumjung, Khumbu | - | Details Other expeditions |
| Chumba (Chhungba) Sherpa | M | 1988 | Nepal | H-A Worker | Jubing-3, Solukhumbu | - | Details Other expeditions |
| Chhebi Bhote | M | 1974 | Nepal | H-A Worker | Hungung, Hatiya-1, Makalu-Barun | - | Details Other expeditions |
| Lakpa Nuru Sherpa | M | 1962 | Nepal | H-A Worker | Khumjung/Phortse, Khumbu | - | Details Other expeditions |
| Russell Reginald Brice | M | 1952 | New Zealand | Leader | Argentiere, Haute-Savoie, France | Alpine guide | Details Other expeditions |
References
1 recorded references.
| Expedition ID | Journal | Author | Title | Publisher | Citation | Yak 94 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAKA14122 | - | - | http://himalayanexperience.com/newsletters/makalu-2014 | - | - | - |