Makalu | 2014 SE Ridge

A UK expedition to Makalu in 2014 via SE Ridge, led by Colin Scott. Summit reached on 22nd October 2014. 14 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 8621
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID MAKA14301
Peak ID MAKA
Year 2014
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 SE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality UK
Leaders Colin Scott
Sponsor British Tri-Service Makalu Southeast Ridge Expedition
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 By air to Tumlingtar, by road to Num, trek to Tashigaon->Kongma
Basecamp Date 2014-08-20
Summit Date 2014-10-22
Summit Time -
Summit Days 63
Total Days 70
Termination Date 2014-10-29
Termination Reason 8
Termination Notes Abandoned at 7800m due to breakdown in Sherpa cooperation
High Point (m) 7800
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 4
Fixed Rope (m) 6000
Total Members 8
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 6
Summit Hired 0
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(20/09,4800m),ABC(24/09,5800m),C1(26/09,6100m),C3(12/10,7200m),C4(22/10,7800m),xxx(22/10,7800m)
Route Notes This was Scott's fourth expedition to attempt to climb Makalu's SE Ridge all the way from the start of the ridge to the summit, staying on the ridge all the way. If successful, this would be the first ascent of the entire length of this narrow, difficult ridge. They had good weather almost all the time they were on the mountain and were able to establish successively higher camps along the ridge in good order. There was one brief spell of bad weather with heavy snowfall, but mild winds; they retreated to BC on 8-9 October, but established C3 at 7200m on the 12th and proceeded to stock C3 for carries to their final camp, C4. But by now they had the help of only one Sherpa to fix the line to C4. Two members, Scott and Steel, plus Pechhumbe Sherpa, climbed to the site for C4 at 7800m on the 22nd and pitched a tent there, but returned to sleep in C3; Scott and Steel hoped to occupy C4 the next day. The plan was to occupy C4 and finally make their summit bid from there, but the tent was never occupied and the summit bid never launched. They were not defeated as so many teams on other mountains were by bad weather. What defeated them was the failure of their team of Makalu-area Sherpas to stay the course. Their Sherpas came from one family, but they were busy now with what appeared to be a squabble for power within the family involving Pechhumbe and his brother Nima Dorje, the sirdar. (Scott believed Nima Dorje was "not completely honest" with the other Sherpas about their individual earnings.) The brothers were no longer willing to go up to the highest camp with supplies -- to continue the climb. Scott and Steel wanted them to stay just one more day to stock C4, but they refused to do so. The weather forecast was for the period of good weather to end when fierce winds would blow up from the 25th making it impossible to mount another summit bid. It was now or never. It was never; the climb was abandoned on the 25th because of the "breakdown in Sherpa cooperation." The team left BC on the 29th. Oxygen was used from C3 to C4 site and back to C3 by members and Sherpa. The team's only casualty was a cousin of Pechhumbe, also named Nima Dorje, who twisted his knee on his way to C2 on 2 October. He left BC by helicopter to Kathmandu. Sherpas: Nima Dorje (sirdar), 17/3/81, Tashigaon, Makalu, Everest X3 Pechhumbe, 22/9/87, Tashigaon, Makalu, Everest X3, Annapurna X1, Makalu X2, Manaslu X1
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency Himalayan Ecstasy Treks
Commercial Route False
Standard Route False
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2459912
Year 2014
Summit Success False
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) se ridge

Members

14 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Christopher Charles (Chris) Andrews M 1987 UK Climber Oxted, Surrey, England Reserve army soldier Details Other expeditions
Jonathan Richard (Jon) Naylor M 1971 UK Climber Oakham, Rutland, England Air force Details Other expeditions
Paul William (Chip) Rafferty M 1951 UK BC Member Thirsk, N Yorkshire, England Mountain bike instructor Details Other expeditions
Colin William Scott M 1962 UK Leader Bourne, Lincoln, England Air force officer Details Other expeditions
Gareth David Steel M 1980 UK Climber Cardiff, Wales Veterinarian Details Other expeditions
Carl James Stubbs M 1980 UK Climber Uphollan, Lancashire, England Aircraft technician Details Other expeditions
Timothy Benjamin Taylor M 1981 UK BC Photographer Southampton, Hampshire, England Photographer Details Other expeditions
Pechhumbe (Chumbe) Sherpa M 1987 Nepal H-A Worker Tashigaon, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions
Nima Dorje Sherpa M 1980 Nepal Sirdar Tashigaon, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions
Lhakpa Nurbu Sherpa M 1983 Nepal H-A Worker Tashigaon, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions
Dorchi (Halung Dorje) Sherpa M 1989 Nepal H-A Worker Makalu-5, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions
Nima (Ngima) Sherpa M 1977 Nepal H-A Worker Nurbugaon, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions
Nurbu Sherpa M 1979 Nepal H-A Worker Sedua, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions
Richard Howard (Dick) Gale M 1969 UK Climbing Leader Chilwell, Nottingham, E Midlands, England Captain Royal Engineers Details Other expeditions

References

1 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
MAKA14301 - - http://www.makalu2014.com - - -