Makalu | 1981 Makalu La-NW Ridge (to 7800m)

A Poland expedition to Makalu in 1981 via Makalu La-NW Ridge (to 7800m), led by Voytek Kurtyka, Alex MacIntyre. Summit reached on 14th May 1981. 6 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 1824
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID MAKA81101
Peak ID MAKA
Year 1981
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 Makalu La-NW Ridge (to 7800m)
Route 2 W Face (to 6800m)
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Poland
Leaders Voytek Kurtyka, Alex MacIntyre
Sponsor East-West Precipice Fellowship Expedition 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 Nepal, UK
Approach Tumlingtar->Shipton La->Barun Glacier
Basecamp Date 1981-03-25
Summit Date 1981-05-14
Summit Time -
Summit Days 50
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 10
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 7800
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 4
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 6
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) (MAK2-811-01)
Campsites BC(25/03,5000m),C1(31/03,5600m),C2(05/04,6200m),C3(11/04,7000m),C4(19/04,7500m),xxx(14/04,7800m)
Route Notes High point on northwest side 7800m 14 May Then to West Face alpine-style 22-24 May high point 6800m (22,300 ft) Makalu II climbed by Nepalese member Ghale alone on 16 May via South Ridge. MacIntyre - 6 June 81 Until about end 3rd week May were working on northwest side to acclimatize. Did this for 40 days partly because of bad weather and great distances; ended up with camp at 7500m just above Makalu Col. I went to 7800m about 14 May and had night there. 2 of us only left (Higgins not acclimatized). Tried face with largish loads; got out to face and 1st day climbed 200m from bottom of face at 6400m and this too slow to get to top in less than 10 days, to relay food and gas; also if got hit by storm at 8000m or so would be dead. All attempts on face were in 3rd week May and this 6800m point reached about 22 May, highest point on face. Then Voytek left and MacIntyre went over to northwest side and reached 7500m camp and cleared this and lower camps (Higgins and Ghale cleared other camps). Face was 1800m of green ice and exposed rock beds much above 7500m. Hope to get permission to go again to face this autumn. Will not spend so much time and effort in acclimatization period - team of 3-4 men. BC - 25 March - 5000m as site planned C1 - 31 March - 5600m on normal route which Austrians were also on C2 - 5 April - 6200m C3 - 11 April - 7000m C4 - 19 April - 7500m just above Makalu La High point on northwest side 14 May 7800m by MacIntyre. Moving well enough to try face; went to face with plan to do it alpine-style in 5 days and MacIntyre and Woytek alone carried 5 day's food and gas and bivouac equipment. Attacked face on about 22 May and in 2 days reached 6800m = high point on face. Were carrying too much: at 7800m on face begins very hard climbing. No accidents, frostbite, Ghale went to top of Makalu II. Set off on his own without telling anyone he was going to. Left BC 13 May and was on top on 16 May all alone; up South Ridge-East Face standard route from Makalu La via C1-C4 camps expedition had already established. Kurtyka & MacIntyre - 5 March 81 Leave KTM for Tumlingtar 10 March BC = Northwest Barun Pokhari at 4950m (100m higher than usual BC) Arrive BC about 22 March Acclimatization on normal route up to 8000m in about 1 month. If Schell does not agree to being on his route, can go to North Ridge for acclimatization, but better if don't have to climb hard in acclimatization and therefore can go on normal route. ABC on Chago Glacier at about 5400m From ABC alpine-style up West face in about 5 days to summit. Arrive BC 22 March; finnish acclimatization 22-25 April rest Arrive ABC 1 May On summit end 1st week May if weather permits Will stay till monsoon if unable get to top as per above schedule No Sherpas above BC; 1 man in BC only No oxygen at all Difficulties at 7900m which are much more difficult than those on Everest SW Face which not climbed; some pitches overhang: formidable steep rock barrier of 450-500m. 6 members: 1) Kunda Dixit will not climb much above BC-ABC, if at all 2) Ghale is not going very high 3) doctor not climbing
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route -
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2447710
Year 1981
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) makalu la-nw ridge (to 7800m)

Members

6 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Kunda Dixit M 1955 Nepal Climber Kathmandu Journalist Details Other expeditions
Padam Singh Ghale M 1952 Nepal Climber Kathmandu Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Cornelius Higgins M 1940 UK Climber Fort William, Inverness, Scotland Fitter (does intallation and maintenance of heavy machinery) Details Other expeditions
Piotr Kintopf M 1942 Poland Exp Doctor Lodz, Poland Physician Details Other expeditions
Wojciech (Voytek) Kurtyka M 1947 Poland Co-Leader Krakow, Poland Electronics engineer Details Other expeditions
Alexander (Alex) MacIntyre M 1954 UK Co-Leader Watford, Hertford, England Alpine guide & technical consultant on climbing equipment Details Other expeditions

References

5 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
MAKA81101 AAJ MacIntyre, Alex - - 56:207 (1982) -
MAKA81101 HJ Kurtyka, Voytek Makalu West Face Attempt - 39:26-31 (1981-1982) -
MAKA81101 MM - - - 80:12 (Jul 1981) -
MAKA81101 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198220701/Asia-Nepal-Makalu-West-Face-Attempts-Pre-and-Postmonsoon-Makalu-II-Kanghungtse-and-Makalu-solo - - -
MAKA81101 - - https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/39/5/makalu-west-face-attempt-and-solo-ascent-of-the-unclimbed-north-ridge-of-makalu/ - - -