Makalu | 1974 S Face

A Austria expedition to Makalu in 1974 via S Face, led by Wolfgang Nairz. Summit reached on 9th May 1974. 11 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 2315
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID MAKA74101
Peak ID MAKA
Year 1974
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Face
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Austria
Leaders Wolfgang Nairz
Sponsor Austrian Himalaya Expedition 1974 to Makalu
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 Italy, W Germany
Approach Dharan->Shipton La->Barun Glacier
Basecamp Date 1974-03-22
Summit Date 1974-05-09
Summit Time -
Summit Days 48
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 4
Termination Notes Abandoned at 7500m due to constant snowfall
High Point (m) 7500
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 10
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 10
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
O2 Used False
O2 None True
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken True
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(22/03,4750m),C1(28/03,5900m),C2(01/04,6300m),C3(16/04,6900m),xxx(09/05,7500m)
Route Notes Nairz - 16 May 74 Too much snow, snowing daily in afternoon. Ice on rocks and snow made it most dangerous climb Messner knows. Did not establish C4 at 7400m; site reached and 7500m highest point by Oelz, Messner, Markl and Hagner on different days. Oelz, Nairz and Knoll arrive KTM yesterday evening; rest arrive 23 and 24 May. All Ok, no accidents. This route is possible, but only when weather is good. "Everyday only 20 meters, no more." (Yugoslavia heights too much). Nairz - 13 March 74 Advance party with baggage left Tumlingtar 5th March after some trouble to get enough porters. Nairz and rest of expedition leave KTM tomorrow. Messner - 11 March 74 Messner and all others arrive today. Will he reach summit alone again? "We will see - it depends on conditions." Nairz - 25 Feb 74 Nairz and 3 arrive today (Himalayan Inn). More arrive 10 or 11 March including Messner, Dr Oelz and Knoll Start 2 or 3 March to Tumlingtar. South Face route, same as Yugoslavia. "We are very strong team if we have good weather conditions, we think we can do it - 90% chance." Have platform which was Yugoslavia problem; Yugoslavia couldn't place tents. "We know their problems and if they can do it, we can do it too." Urkien sirdar, 10 HA Sherpas; base camp established 20 March 6 high camps, C6 about 8100m Summit end April or 1-2 May Messner will try without oxygen Letter from Wolfgang Nairz, BC - April 5, 1974 Now our report from the last week: On April 1, the second high altitude camp was established by R. Messner and H. Hagner. In the days before the way to C2 was partly saved with fixed ropes. On April 2, H. Bergmann and J. Knoll went also to C2, which is established in a crevasse. To C1 went Dr. Oelz, G. Markl and W. Nairz. The load transport to C1 and from C1 to C2 is in full action. On April 3 R. Messner and H. Hagner started a first look on the way to C3. The way leads over a steep ice ridge. The ice conditions are very bad, but could save the first 200m with fixed ropes. On April 4 it was so stormy that all members and all Sherpas from all camps went down to the BC. We have now 2 rest days in BC and April 7 we will start a new attack to the wall. All members and Sherpas are well. Yesterday the doctor of the Lhotse expedition left also our base camp. He was three days here with high altitude sickness. Letter from Wolfgang Nairz, BC - April 26, 1974 Before I leave the BC to go up to C2. Today the team will be changed. A short report: On April 18, R. Messner and Dr. O. Oelz started to make the way from C3 to C4. It was a very difficult climbing, also the rocks has been full of snow and the wweather conditions were not to good. All the time we have had heavy storm. R. Messner and O. Oelz could save about 250m with fixed ropes, then they went down to BC and H. Hagner and G. Markl went up to C3 to work on. This two could save the next 180m of difficult rock climbing and could hang in fixed ropes. Now they are on an altitude of about 7250m. Today G. Markl and H. Hagner will go down to BC, A. Precht and W. Almberger went up to C3 to work and J. Knoll, H. Bergmann and W. Nairz will go up to C3. Now the load transport between C2 and C3 is in full action. We hope that we can establish in one of the next days C4. Two Sherpas got sick, one of the stomach and the other has blood coughing and they will leave the expedition today. Letter from Makalu - April 18, 1974 Yesterday I came down from C3 and I will send you the next report before the mailrunner is going tomorrow morning. On April 12 W. Nairz, J. Knoll and H. Bergmann went up to C1 and on the following day to C2, all other members went down to the BC for repose. On April 14 we climbed up with 2 Sherpas to a height of 6900m and could find a place under a rock for the third camp. On April 15 the two Sherpas went up, the place from the ice to establish a tent. The C3 was then established on April 16 by W. Nairz, J. Knoll and H. Bergmann. It is very extremely place in an about 60 degree steep icewall. On the next day we took a place for the second tent. Now also R. Messner and Dr. O. Oelz went up to C3, G. Markl and H. Hagner to C1. The members of C3 went down to the BC for repose and today R. Messner and Dr. O. Oelz went up to C3 to going on for the way to C4. The climbing conditions are not good. There is still a lot of snow in the rocks and it is not good to climb. The Sherpas are now by the load transport between C1 and C2 and between C2 and C3. The sirdar got a very bad sunburn and went down to BC. All other members and Sherpas are well. The liaison officer of the Lhotse expedition get high altitude sickness and stay now in our basecamp since 3 days. But here he is very well and I have the feeling that he will spend the rest of this time here. Letter from Wolfgang Nairz, BC - May 3, 1974 The last 8 days the weather was so bad, that we could nearly do nothing. Here the report of the last week: On April 26, W. Nairz, J. Knoll and H. Bergmann went up to C2. G. Markl and H. Hagner went down to BC, W. Almberger stayed in C3. On April 27, H. Bergmann went also up to C3. On the next day it was snowing the whole day, in C2 we have had half a meter of new snow, the rocks over C3 were so full with snow, that we could not work. Avalanches came down the whole day and we decided to go down to BC. All members and Sherpas went down to BC. Also the next days gets bad weather and all the day snowing still to the BC. On April 30, R. Messner and G. Markl up to C1, on the next day to C2. They have to wait there one day, because the whole face is full with fresh snow. Today the went up to C3. We hope that the weather will be better in the next days and weeks, so that we can work on. One Sherpa, Phu Cherring, got sick. He has heavy tuberculosis and did leave the expedition. So now we have only 6 Sherpas and they are very afraid to go higher that C3 because it is very difficult also with the fixed ropes.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2445141
Year 1974
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) s face

Members

11 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Wolfgang Nairz M 1944 Austria Leader Innsbruck, Tirol, Austria Glaciologist & teacher in Austrian alpine guide school Details Other expeditions
Walter Almberger M - Austria Climber Eisenerz, Styria, Austria Teacher in Austrian alpine guide-school Details Other expeditions
Horst Bergmann M 1942 Austria Climber Innsbruck, Tirol, Austria Mechanical engineer Details Other expeditions
Yves Buchheim M - W Germany Climber Feldafing, Bavaria, W Germany Photographer Details Other expeditions
Helmut (Helli) Hagner M 1939 Austria Climber Innsbruck, Tirol, Austria Alpine guide, teacher in Austrian alpine-guide school Details Other expeditions
Josef (Josl) Knoll M 1924 Austria Deputy Leader Innsbruck, Tirol, Austria Civil servant Details Other expeditions
Gerhard Markl M 1944 Austria Climber Innsbruck, Tirol, Austria Employee Details Other expeditions
Reinhold Messner M 1944 Italy Climber Villnoss, Bolzano, Italy Leader of mountain-guide school of Italy Details Other expeditions
Oswald Oelz M 1943 Austria Exp Doctor Bregenz, Vorarlberg, Austria Physician Details Other expeditions
Albert Precht M 1947 Austria Climber Bischofshofen, Salzburg, Austria Employee of Austrian Railway Association Details Other expeditions
Urkien Sherpa M - Nepal Sirdar Khumjung, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

4 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
MAKA74101 AAJ - - - 49:194 (1975) -
MAKA74101 MM - - - 37:9 (Jul 1974) -
MAKA74101 - Nairz, Wolfgang Nepal, Durchwandern und Erleben Steiger Verlag, Innsbruck - N12
MAKA74101 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12197519401/Asia-Nepal-Makalu-South-Face-Attempt - - -