Makalu | 1980 SE Ridge (to 8075m)

A UK expedition to Makalu in 1980 via SE Ridge (to 8075m), led by Doug Scott. Summit reached on 20th October 1980. 5 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 1889
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID MAKA80301
Peak ID MAKA
Year 1980
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 SE Ridge (to 8075m)
Route 2 NW side (to 7550m)
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality UK
Leaders Doug Scott
Sponsor British Makalu Expedition 1980
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 Australia, France, Switzerland
Approach Tumlingtar->Shipton La
Basecamp Date 1980-09-16
Summit Date 1980-10-20
Summit Time -
Summit Days 34
Total Days 45
Termination Date 1980-10-31
Termination Reason 4
Termination Notes Abandoned at 8075m due to winds and bad visability
High Point (m) 8075
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 5
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 5
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 0
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired True
O2 Used False
O2 None True
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits Climbed Kangchungste (Makalu II) (MAK2-803-01) and Shershon Northwest (SHNW-803-01)
Campsites BC(16/09,4800m),C1(14/10),C2(15/10,6800m),C3(16/10,7400m),C4(17/10,8010m),C5(18/10,8075m),xxx(20/10,8075m)
Route Notes BC for Makalu II, 20 Sept 5400m/17,700 feet Makalu II summit - 5 Oct via South Ridge Scott, Bettembourg (ski descent), Baxter-Jones BC for Makalu I - 15,000 feet, about 10-12 Oct Highest point - 26,500 feet, 20 Oct via SE Ridge Baxter-Jones tried solo ascent on west side; reached 500 feet above Makalu La (which is 7400m) on NW Ridge. Doug Scott - 19 Oct 88 Scott's team climbed the left side of South Ridge, a different route from the normal South Ridge route. Doug Scott - 1 Nov 80 Makalu II: climbed variation French 1954 route on South Ridge from Makalu La by Scott, Baxter-Jones and Bettembourg; had BC at 17,700 feet. No fixed camps above BC, just moving camps was excellent acclimatization. At 24,000 feet was with top of Mount Blanc. Climbed half dozen peaks on west side of Chago Glacier. Bettembourg skied all way from Makalu II summit to 19,000 feet; from top to Col one day, 2 days later to 19,000 feet and moraines. Makalu: Baxter-Jones, Bettembourg and Scott tried SE Ridge all way over points 6260m and 6825m and north and northwest onto glacier southeast of Makalu. 19th got to 8000m on 6th day 20th (7th day) very bad wind and no more food, bad visibility, only just over 8000m (26,300-26,400 feet=8016m-8048m). Thinks different route from Spanish 1976 and Japanese 1970 who went to Col north of point 6825m and through same route. Were going to traverse and go and down via Makalu La. Ran out of time, unable make 2nd attempt. Were back in BC 22nd. BC was different BC at 15,000 feet; wanted to go from towers to summit. Standen left expedition a week or so ago because of altitude sickness; all others well; weather has been good and were acclimatizing. Had made a BC but BC for climbing would be moved 2000 feet higher. Will stay in Nepal till expedition finished (at KTM Guest House in KTM). Doug Scott - 1 Sept 80 Alpine-style all the way: 1) Kangchungtse, maybe West Face depends on snow 2) Makalu probably true NW Ridge 3) Makalu West Face if conditions good; this one of hardest routes in Himalayas above 26,000 feet. Sherpas possibly above BC to ABC, unless Ang Phurba will go very much higher. Leave KTM 3rd and 5th Sept, arrive BC by 15 Sept. Same acclimatization in areas before Kangchungtse. Georges will try ski descent of both mountains from summit. Makalu West Face: hardest route in world at that altitude; harder than anything on Everest or Kangchenjunga, compares with South Face of Lhotse. From Doug Scott: We left Base Camp 17,717 ft on 1st October and had our first camp at 19,000 ft on the medial moraine of the Chago Glacier. Our second camp was at 21,000 ft (6400m) where, unfortunately, Ariane was forced to descend due to a severe throat infection. Georges and I accompanied her down on skis, to the moraine and then she made her own way down to BC. That was on the morning of the 3rd October. During the afternoon Georges, Roger and I pushed on up to camp the night at about 22,000 ft, where Roger and I thankfully left our skis. The next day we broke trail to the Makalu La 7400m with Georges labouriously pulling his skis behind. On the 5th October we left camp on the col and climbed up a fairly steep (60 degrees) gully to the west of the ordinary route and reached the summit ridge, which was heavily corniced. We scrambled along the airy, 1/2 mile ridge to its second summit, possibly the highest at 25,066 ft. Georges had left his skis at the south end of the ridge and from there proceeded to ski down difficult snow on the eastern side and round to the Makalu La, where we had a second very windy night. On the 6th October we descended to BC after a very satisfying climb. Georges skied down a mixture of powder crust and ice, all the way from the Makalu La to the moraine, thus making the first ski-descent of this peak. Roger and myself, a comparative novice, skied down from 22,000 ft. We thought the skis were more trouble than they were worth. Arlene was at the lower base camp where the doctor from the Japanese Baruntse expedition had kindly given her medicants for her sore throat and a fever she was running. She decided to walk out early with Sailor and await our return in Sedua, where she would recover more easily.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route False
Standard Route False
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2447503
Year 1980
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) se ridge (to 8075m)

Members

5 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Roger Gregory Baxter-Jones M 1950 UK Climber Ilford, Essex, England Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Georges Bettembourg M 1950 France Climber Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Arianne-Simone Giobellina F 1951 Switzerland Climber La Citronelle, Leysin, Switzerland Secretary Details Other expeditions
Douglas Keith (Doug) Scott M 1941 UK Leader Nottingham, E Midlands, England Author & alpinist Details Other expeditions
Margaret Anne (Maggie) Standen F 1950 Australia BC Manager Sydney, NSW, Australia Herbalist (prescribes herbs for medical treatment) Details Other expeditions

References

7 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
MAKA80301 AAJ Scott, Doug - - 55:244-246 (1981) -
MAKA80301 HJ Scott, Doug The British Makalu-Kangchungtse Expedition, 1980 - 38:159-162 (1980-1981) -
MAKA80301 MM - - - 77:11 (Jan 1981) -
MAKA80301 IM Scott, Doug The British Makalu-Kangchungtse Expedition 1980 - 7:51-54 (1981) -
MAKA80301 HMJ Scott, Doug The British Makalu-Kangchungtse Expedition - 14:8-13 (1980-82) -
MAKA80301 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198124402/Asia-Nepal-Makalu-Attempt-Makalu-II-Ascent - - -
MAKA80301 - - https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/38/25/expeditions-and-notes-38/ - - -