Makalu | 2016 Makalu La-NW Ridge

A Spain expedition to Makalu in 2016 via Makalu La-NW Ridge, led by Ferran Latorre. Summit reached on 23rd May 2016. 30 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 9057
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID MAKA16101
Peak ID MAKA
Year 2016
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 Makalu La-NW Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Spain
Leaders Ferran Latorre
Sponsor Seven Summit Treks Makalu Expedition 2016
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 Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, India, Italy, Japan, Pakistan, Poland, USA
Approach Tumlingtar->Num->Sedua->Tashigaon->Kauma->Dobato
Basecamp Date 2016-04-20
Summit Date 2016-05-23
Summit Time 1210
Summit Days 33
Total Days 40
Termination Date 2016-05-30
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8485
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 2
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 21
Summit Members 8
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 9
Summit Hired 6
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
O2 Used True
O2 None False
O2 Climb True
O2 Descent True
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(19/04,5100m),ABC(24/04,5700m),C1(25/04,6100m),C2(26/04,6600m),C3(10/05,7500m),C4(22/05,7650m),Smt(23/05)
Route Notes Seven Summit Treks Makalu expedition was a combination of several independent teams (1-2 climbers each). Seven Summits provided transportation, base camp facilities and various levels of high-altitude support (oxygen, high-altitude porters, tents, etc) as required and contracted for by each team. The individual accounts for each team are given below: Ferran Latorre (Spain) Camps: BC(20/04,5100m),ABC(27/04,6400m),C2(05/05,6600m),C3(21/05,7500m),Smt(23/05) Left: 26/05/2016 Hired: 1 Term: Success (12:30 pm) Latorre started his summit push from C3 on 22 May at 8:30 pm. The rope was not fixed from the bottom of the French Couloir. He opened the route from the false summit to the real summit. Lot of snow on the route, the weather was good. Clear day. Spent 10 minutes on the summit with Wenzl, Vajpai and Petrov, then descended to C3 arriving at 7 pm (nearly 23 hours round trip). Martina Bauer (Austria)(Ldr) Reinhard Auzinger (Austria) Christoph Koenig (Austria) Johann Wenzl (Austria) Name: Austrian Makalu Expedition 2016 Camps: BC(19/04,4800m),ABC(24/04,5700m),C2(30/04,6600m),C3(22/05,7500m),Smt(23/05) Left: 26/05/2016 Hired: 2 Term: Success (12:24 pm) On 22 May, Wenzl, Auzinger and Dawa with Latorre set out from C3 at 8 pm; Bauer left at 5:30 pm together with Phurba Sherpa. Weather was snowing, later clear and less wind, snow conditions are good. Latorre fixed some rope and opened the route on the last traverse from the false summit to the real summit. Team spent about 30 minutes on the summit and descended to C3, where they arrived at 7 pm. Auzinger reached C4 site at 7700m. He was not feeling well and turned back and descended to C3, where he spent the night. Bauer reached 8080m on 23 May. She started having breathing problems. Phurba gave her some oxygen and she descended to C3, where she arrived at 11 am. She stayed there to wait for the return of Wenzl and Latorre. She does not think it was altitude-related, but more of an asthmatic attack. Koenig reached 7000m on 12 May. He abandoned the climb as he never really intended to reach the summit. He left BC on 15 May. Oxygen: Not taken, not used by Latorre and Wenzl. Taken and used (medically) from 8080m to C3 by Bauer. Used by Dawa from C4 to top to C4. Sherpas: Dawa Sherpa (1st 8000er) Phurba Sherpa Francesca Raffaelli (Italy) Mario Andrighettoni (Italy) Term: Did climb due to previous shoulder injury to Raffaelli (did not depart from Ktmdu) Lech Flaczynski (Poland) Wojciech Bartlomiej Flaczynski (Poland) Name: Polish Makalu Family Expedition 2016 Camps: BC(20/04,4850m),ABC(24/04,5650m),C1(27/04,6150m),C2(01/05,6550m), C3(10/05,7400m),C4(19/05,7600m),xxx(20/05,7900m) Left: 29/05/2016 Hired: 0 Term: Abandoned at 7900m (foot of French Couloir) due to lateness in the day. Lech Flaczynski: We were the first ones to leave ABC after a few days of bad weather. On our way to C4 we did not find the way and we found a new way through the rocks. We did not find the fixed ropes on the steep part of the climb. We did not have downsuits and no foot or handwarmers. We were a bit scared to go to the summit in the middle of the night. On summit day the weather was very good and it was very hot above C4, which slowed us down significantly. When we were near the glacier, we found the fixed ropes. They were partially covered in ice. It was very exhausting to dig them out and we climbed long distances without using the fixed rope. The sun set after 6 pm and it got very cold, dark clouds gathered and the wind increased significantly. Lech was leading most of the time. He was using 1.5l of oxygen. Wojtek followed without using supplemental oxygen. When he caught up with Lech, they decided to turn back. We were worried to get frostbite. We returned to C4, where we spent the night without sleeping bags. The following day we descended to C3, the next day to C2 and on the third day to ABC. When we reached ABC after our summit attempt we were told that the expedition was over and that we should go to Num. However, our equipment was still at C2 and C3. After having had some food, Wojtek went back up to the Makalu La and I wanted to go to C2 on the following day to dismantle the tents. We then wanted to go back to ABC together. Wojtek reached C2, where he spent the night and climbed towards the Makalu La the following day. The weather was very bad and they were some small avalanches coming down on the rocks. The wind reached about 100 km/h on the Makalu La. It was a horrible night without sleeping bag. The following day, Wojtek rappelled down, however, on the snow slopes below the upper rock band he had to stop due to pulmonary edema. Lech climbed up from C2 to meet him, brought him down to C2, where they had drugs for pulmonary edema. The following day they reached ABC and continued to Yangle Kharka, where they met the other members of the Seven Summit Treks expedition. Two days of rain in Yangla Kharka and on the third day a helicopter collected Wojtek and other climbers from Seven Summit Treks and brought them to Kathmandu. Wojtek spent two days in hospital even though he had already felt better at Yangle Kharkafelt better at Yangla Kharka. Jean-Luc Fohal (France) Name: Belgium Makalu Expedition 2016 Camps: BC(19/04,4800m),ABC(23/04,5650m),C1(25/04,6100m),C2(26/04,6600m), C3(21/05,7450m),C4(22/05,7650m),xxx(23/05,8350m) Left: 25/05/2016 Hired: 1 Term: Abandoned at 8350m due to exhaustion from not using oxygen During the ascent, Fohal could not use oxygen because he could not stand to have a mask over his mouth. Completely tired and dehydrated, he decided to go down to save his own life. He saw that the true summit was close, but it was better for him to take this decision. The weather had a little bit of snow at the beginning, but afterwards dry and sunny. Arrival of the clouds came in the descent in midday. Fixed rope: Seven Summit Sherpas fixed the entire mountain. Oxygen: Fohal did not use oxygen. Others members did use it. Pasang [Gyalje?] from C4 to high point to C4. Boyan Petrov (Bulgaria) Name: Bulgarian on Makalu 2016 Camps: ABC(07/05,5700m),C2(09/05,6600m),C3(10/05,7400m),Smt(23/05) Left: 25/05/2016 Hired: 0 Term: Success (12:10 pm) Petrov was on the summit together with Ferran Latorre, Arjun Vajpai, Atanas Skatov and Hans Wenzl, who were also climbing with Seven Summit Treks. Petrov started his summit bid on 23 May at 3:30 am, arrived at the summit at 12:10 pm, stayed 20 minutes, then descended to C3 arriving at 4:30 pm. Petrov came to Makalu from Annapurna I. Oxygen not used. Petrov reports: I started from C3 at 2:30 am in the morning. At 4 am I was in C4, rested for 20 min and then reached the bottom of the French Coluior at about 8 am. There were 25-26 people in the couloir and I rested for 40 min eating and drinking. After I started to climb fast and passed over about 20 members and Sherpas. I continued towards the False Summit together with Ferran, Arjun, Hans and Atanas. In 12:10 we all reached the true summit. I made some pictures of Ferran, Arjun and Hans (which they later published on Facebook and their websites). I descended as fast as possible and reached C3 at 16:30 pm. On 24 May, I descended to BC and reached at 11:30 am. Report for the climb I published here: http://www.dnevnik.bg/sport/2016/05/26/2766106_razkaz_ot_purvo_lice_kak_boian_petrov_izkachi_vruh/ Arjun Vajpai (India) Name: Indian Makalu Expedition 2016 Camps: BC(22/04,4800m),ABC(25/04,5700m),C2(30/04,6600m),C3(21/05,7500m), C4(22/05,7700m),Smt(23/05) Left: 26/05/2016 Hired: 2 Term: Success (12:24 pm) Summit team started from C4 at 9 pm. Pasang Norbu fixed the route from the bottom of the French Couloir to the summit ridge. Vajpai was climbing with Latorre and Wenzl. Vajpai spent 10 minutes on the summit, descended to C4, where he arrived at about 4 pm. On 24 May he descended to ABC. Fixed rope: 350m by Pasang Norbu Oxygen: From C2 to top to C2 by Vajpai From C4 to top to C4 by Pasang Norbu Sherpa; Pasang Norbu, Makalu Barun, about 22 years old Atanas Skatov (Bulgaria) Camps: ABC(18/05,5700m),C2(20/05,6600m),C3(21/05,7450m),C4(22/05,7650m), Smt(23/05) Term: Success Jesus Morales Manzanares (Spain) Camps: ABC(24/04,5700m),C1(02/05,6500m),C2(02/05,7200m),xxx(03/05,7300m) Left: 07/05/2016 Hired: 1 Term: Abandoned at 7300m due to altitude sickness (palpitations) Sherpa: Lhakpa Nuru Cleo Weidlich (USA) (No summit) Muhammad Ali Sadpara (Pakistan) (No summit) During the first summit window, several strong climbers like Ali Sadpara, who is guiding Cleo Weidlich on the mountain, and Boyan Petrov were turned down 150m below the top on May 11 (due to bad weather). Hideki Nakayama (Japan) (Summiter as listed by Ministry) Keisuke Kitamura (Japan) (Summiter as listed by Ministry) Presume Phurtemba and Lhakpa Dendi were with the Japanese. David (Stuss) Leeds (USA) (Summiter as listed by Ministry) Camps: BC(20/04),ABC(24/04,5700m),C1,C2,C3,Smt(23/05) Left: 30/05/2016 Hired: 1 Term: Success Sherpa: Lhakpa [Dendi?] He Ya-Ping (China) (No summit) Fan Xiao-Yan (China) (No summit)
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency Seven Summit Treks
Commercial Route False
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2460493
Year 2016
Summit Success True
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) makalu la-nw ridge

Members

30 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Fernando (Ferran) Latorre Torres M 1970 Spain Leader Sant Julin de Vilatorta, Barcelona, Spain Alpinist Details Other expeditions
Arjun Vajpai M 1993 India Climber Noida, UP, India Alpinist & speaker Details Other expeditions
Pasang Nurbu Sherpa M 1990 Nepal H-A Worker Makalu-9, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions
Cleonice Pacheco (Cleo) Weidlich F 1964 USA/Brazil Climber Palo Alto, California Nuclear engineer Details Other expeditions
Francesca Raffaelli F 1967 Italy Climber Rovereto, Trento, Italy Secretary Details Other expeditions
Hideki Nakayama M 1954 Japan Climber - - Details Other expeditions
Wojciech Bartlomiej Flaczynski M 1974 Poland Climber Grudziadz, Poland Sports teacher & social worker Details Other expeditions
Pasang Gelji (Pasang Gelze) Sherpa M 1967 Nepal H-A Worker Walung, Makalu-9, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions
Muhammad Ali Sadpara M 1976 Pakistan Climber - - Details Other expeditions
Boyan Petrov Petrov M 1973 Bulgaria Climber Sofia, Bulgaria Biologist at the National Museum Details Other expeditions
Xiao-Yan Fan F 1985 China Climber - - Details Other expeditions
Lech Wieslaw Flaczynski M 1948 Poland Climber Grudziadz, Poland German language translator Details Other expeditions
Atanas Georgiev Skatov M 1978 Bulgaria Climber Sliven, Bulgaria Alpinist Details Other expeditions
Jesus Morales Manzanares M 1971 Spain Climber Barcelona, Spain Barcelona train mechanic Details Other expeditions
Ya-Ping He M 1971 China Climber Shanghai, China - Details Other expeditions
Jean-Luc Michel Alix Fohal M 1965 Belgium Climber Ath, Hainaut, Belgium Geography teacher Details Other expeditions
Martina Bauer F 1967 Austria Climber Moedling, Lower Austria, Austria Support sales agent Details Other expeditions
Reinhard Auzinger M 1988 Austria Climber Neuhofen im Innkreis, Upper Ausria, Austria Student Details Other expeditions
Mario Andrighettoni M 1969 Italy Climber Rovereto, Trento, Italy Engineer Details Other expeditions
Keisuke Kitamura M 1979 Japan Climber - - Details Other expeditions
Johann (Hans) Wenzl M 1970 Austria Climber Metnitz, Carinthia, Austria Construction site manager Details Other expeditions
Dawa Sherpa M 1989 Nepal H-A Worker Makalu-5, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions
Pemba (Prakash) Sherpa M 1992 Nepal H-A Worker Pawai-1, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions
David Justin (Stuss) Leeds M 1980 USA Climber Breckenridge, Colorado Ski patroller & avalanche forecaster Details Other expeditions
Lakpa Sherpa M 1986 Nepal H-A Worker Makalu-9, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions
Dawa Nurbu (Danuru) Sherpa M 1976 Nepal H-A Worker Kharikhola, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions
Phurba Sherpa M 1990 Nepal H-A Worker Makalu-5, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions
Lakpa Dendi Sherpa M 1974 Nepal H-A Worker Gudel-9, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions
Christoph Koenig M 1979 Austria Climber Keutschach am See, Carinthia, Austria Real estate agent Details Other expeditions
Phuri Temba (Phurtemba) Sherpa M 1986 Nepal H-A Worker Gudel-5, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

10 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
MAKA16101 - - http://www.ferranlatorre.com/blog/ - - -
MAKA16101 - - http://desnivel.com/expediciones/ferran-latorre-12-ochomil-especial-en-el-makalu - - -
MAKA16101 - - http://www.coaching8000.at - - -
MAKA16101 - - https://lechflaczynski.wordpress.com - - -
MAKA16101 - - http://www.jeanlucfohal.be - - -
MAKA16101 - - http://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/arjun-vajpai-becomes-the-first-indian-to-scale-mt-makalu-one-of-the-world-s-toughest-peaks-at-27-766-ft-255684.html - - -
MAKA16101 - - http://www.atanasskatov.com - - -
MAKA16101 - - http://bnr.bg/en/post/100705567/vegan-skatov-steps-on-annapurna-and-makalu - - -
MAKA16101 - - http://www.dnevnik.bg/sport/2016/05/26/2766106_razkaz_ot_purvo_lice_kak_boian_petrov_izkachi_vruh/ - - -
MAKA16101 - - http://www.uphillathlete.com/stuss-leads-summits-makalu-8485-meters/ - - -