Makalu | 1973 SE Buttress
A Czechoslovakia expedition to Makalu in 1973 via SE Buttress, led by Ivan Galfy. Summit reached on 21st May 1973. 22 members recorded.
Expedition Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| ID | 2343 |
| Imported | 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634 |
| Expedition ID | MAKA73101 |
| Peak ID | MAKA |
| Year | 1973 |
| Season | 1 |
| Host Country | 1 |
| Route 1 | SE Buttress |
| Route 2 | - |
| Route 3 | - |
| Route 4 | - |
| Nationality | Czechoslovakia |
| Leaders | Ivan Galfy |
| Sponsor | Czechoslovak Mountaineering Expedition Himalaya 1973 |
| 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 | - |
| Basecamp Date | 1973-03-29 |
| Summit Date | 1973-05-21 |
| Summit Time | - |
| Summit Days | 53 |
| Total Days | 62 |
| Termination Date | 1973-05-30 |
| Termination Reason | 6 |
| Termination Notes | Abandoned at 8010m due to fatal fall |
| High Point (m) | 8010 |
| Traverse | False |
| Ski | False |
| Paraglide | False |
| Camps | 6 |
| Fixed Rope (m) | 0 |
| Total Members | 19 |
| Summit Members | 0 |
| Member Deaths | 1 |
| Total Hired | 9 |
| 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 | True |
| O2 Taken | False |
| O2 Unknown | False |
| Other Summits | - |
| Campsites | BC(29/03,4750m),C1(03/04,5700m),C2(06/04,6050m),C3(13/04,6600m),C4(30/04,7200m),C5(11/05,7850m),xxx(21/05,8010m) |
| Route Notes | Dr. Wolf & Galfy - 31 May 73 21 May summit group (5 Czechs and 2 Sherpas) started from C5 (7850m) to reach place of C6 (maybe 8200m) and next day to reach summit. Jan Kounicky (34 years) about 8010m 10:00 am slipped on very steep snow slope (terrain not difficult); fell 80-100m down and heavily injured, unable to walk. Summit group stopped ascent, called BC by radio. Injured now brought to C5 and members treated him according to instructions from BC. In some hours he was better and for 6-7 days members and Sherpas (especially members) tried to bring him down but very difficult steep rocks and snow it was not possible to carry him down to BC on fixed ropes and also because lack of oxygen at that altitude and injured man used all supply in C4. Josef Psotka (39) spent 9 days and 8 nights without oxygen with injured man in C5 and he had to be ordered to come down. Another man up with oxygen and food and fuel, after 2 days going up mentally exhausted and had to come down. 26 May he died: Mike Orolin was with him and then new parties went up but knew impossible to bring body down; body [put] in sleeping bag in crevasse with Czech flag over him. Summit team: 1) Jan Kounicky (dead) 2) Josef Pstoka 3) Leopold Palenicek 4) Jan Cervinka 5) Ivan Fiala Leader carried 2 days before BC with pneumonia. 2 groups of expedition 1) Tomorrow in Tumlingtar 2) others with leader Route is ready, possible to climb. This way Czech route SW Pillar between Yugoslavia and Japanese route. Team used Sherpas above BC for setting high camps. |
| Accidents | Jan Kounicky died of injuries related to fall |
| Achievement | - |
| Agency | - |
| Commercial Route | - |
| Standard Route | - |
| Primary Route | False |
| Primary Member | False |
| Primary Reference | False |
| Primary ID | - |
| Checksum | 2444787 |
| Year | 1973 |
| Summit Success | False |
| O2 Summary | Used |
| Route (lowercase) | se buttress |
Members
22 recorded members.
| Name | Sex | Year of Birth | Citizenship | Status | Residence | Occupation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivan Galfy | M | 1933 | Czechoslovakia | Leader | Stary Smokovec, Czechoslovakia | Alpine guide | Details Other expeditions |
| Jaromir Wolf | M | 1919 | Czechoslovakia | Dep Leader/Exp Doctor | Prague, Czechoslovakia | Physician | Details Other expeditions |
| Zdenek Brabec | M | 1946 | Czechoslovakia | Climber | Prague, Czechoslovakia | Worker | Details Other expeditions |
| Jan Cervinka | M | 1930 | Czechoslovakia | Climber | Vrchlabi, Czechoslovakia | Factory technician | Details Other expeditions |
| Milan Daniel | M | 1931 | Czechoslovakia | Research | Prague, Czechoslovakia | Scientist (parasitologist) | Details Other expeditions |
| Ivan Fiala | M | 1941 | Czechoslovakia | Climber | Bratislava, Czechoslovakia | Technician | Details Other expeditions |
| Miloslav Filip | M | 1932 | Czechoslovakia | Cameraman | Bratislava, Czechoslovakia | Cameraman | Details Other expeditions |
| Jan Kalvoda | M | 1943 | Czechoslovakia | Research | Prague, Czechoslovakia | Scientist | Details Other expeditions |
| Jan Kounicky | M | 1939 | Czechoslovakia | Climber | Brno, Czechoslovakia | Mathematician | Details Other expeditions |
| Milan Krissak | M | 1944 | Czechoslovakia | Climber | Popard, Czechoslovakia | Technician | Details Other expeditions |
| Miloslav Neumann | M | 1942 | Czechoslovakia | Climber | Kezmarok, Czechoslovakia | Projektant | Details Other expeditions |
| Michal Orolin | M | 1943 | Czechoslovakia | Climber | Popard, Czechoslovakia | Electrician | Details Other expeditions |
| Leopold Palenicek | M | 1941 | Czechoslovakia | Climber | High Tatra, Czechoslovakia | Has a diploma in engineering but works as mountain porter | Details Other expeditions |
| Karel Prochazka | M | 1951 | Czechoslovakia | Climber | Prague, Czechoslovakia | Student of medicine | Details Other expeditions |
| Jozef Psotka | M | 1934 | Czechoslovakia | Climber | Bratislava, Czechoslovakia | High school teacher | Details Other expeditions |
| Milan Simunic | M | 1940 | Czechoslovakia | Exp Doctor | Bratislava, Czechoslovakia | Physician | Details Other expeditions |
| Petr Sirotek | M | 1946 | Czechoslovakia | Cameraman | Prague, Czechoslovakia | Cameraman | Details Other expeditions |
| Ceslav Wojcik | M | 1940 | Czechoslovakia | Climber | Kuncice, Moravia, Czechoslovakia | Mechanician | Details Other expeditions |
| Ludovit Zahoransky | M | 1939 | Czechoslovakia | Climber | Kuncice, Moravia, Czechoslovakia | Technician | Details Other expeditions |
| Ang Temba Sherpa | M | - | Nepal | Sirdar | Namche Bazar, Khumbu | - | Details Other expeditions |
| Pemba Dorje Sherpa | M | - | Nepal | H-A Worker | Namche Bazar, Khumbu | - | Details Other expeditions |
| Ang Chumbi Sherpa | M | - | Nepal | H-A Worker | Khumjung, Khumbu | - | Details Other expeditions |
References
7 recorded references.
| Expedition ID | Journal | Author | Title | Publisher | Citation | Yak 94 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAKA73101 | AAJ | - | - | - | 48:203 (1974) | - |
| MAKA73101 | - | Galfy, Ivan & Krissak, Milan | Makalu | Sport, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia | - | G20 |
| MAKA73101 | - | Wolf, Jaromir | Reka Jmenem Cervanky | Olympia, Prague | - | W202 |
| MAKA73101 | MM | - | - | - | 29:13 (Sep 1973) | - |
| MAKA73101 | - | Orolin, Michal | Strme Cesty K Himalajam | Sport, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia | - | O77 |
| MAKA73101 | - | Daniel, Milan | Zivot a Smrt na Vrcholech Sveta | Mlada Fronta, Prague | - | D28 |
| MAKA73101 | - | - | http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12197420301/Asia-Nepal-Makalu-Attempt | - | - | - |