Makalu | 1983 W Pillar

A New Zealand expedition to Makalu in 1983 via W Pillar, led by Peter Hillary. Summit reached on 14th October 1983. 4 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 118
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID MAKA83301
Peak ID MAKA
Year 1983
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 W Pillar
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality New Zealand
Leaders Peter Hillary
Sponsor New Zealand Makalu Expedition
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
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1983-08-30
Summit Date 1983-10-14
Summit Time -
Summit Days 45
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 6
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 7600
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 4
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 2
Total Hired 1
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 False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(30/08,5360),C1(04/09,5900m),C2(14/09,6480m),C3(29/09,7100m),xxx(14/10,7600m)
Route Notes BC probably at French 1971 C1. Carlos Buhler (US-Canada Makalu) - 9 June 84 Buhler thinks it was foolish for New Zealanders not to have fixed rope in lower section of climb where they would have had to move often in carrying loads of rope, etc. up to higher parts. No wonder they lost a member here. 2nd death (of Moorhead) on 15th Oct - 2 out of 4 members gone. Hard work making route from C2 to C3 because so much deep snow, it was necessary to excavate to get to rock for belays. By 14 Oct when reached 7600m had gotten to summit snowfields and were ready for summit push. Had climed all the hard part including great crack. Fred From - 27 Oct 83 14 Oct Fred and Mark got to high point of 7600m fixing route to top of hard part of climb and just below French C5. No C4 even made as it would have been one a short distance above 7600m in final push. 14 Oct returned to C3 snow cave at 7000m. Peter was in BC. Went there on 14th. 15 Oct Fred and Mark continued descent to BC. At about 10:45 Mark fell (why no idea) on easy ground, good snow, clear weather and light wind. He was 40m vertically below Fred and about 100m away. He cart-wheeled in big movement suggesting he tripped or stumbled and his body fell about 600m vertically. From never got closer than 100m, so no idea exactly what killed him. Was lying peacefully on his back, head down, arms across chest. Fred descended as quickly and safely as he could to find him since he'd disappeared from sight and to help him but from 100m could see no hope and too dangerous to go alone to him. Reached BC at dusk. 2 days later Peter and Fred tried to reach body but wind too strong. Went to C2 6580m and Mark's body at about 6280m. Necessary to go up to C2 and then try to reach him. Returned to C1. Peter said he did not go back above C2 and Fred's fingers and toes too cold-affected to solo it, which would have been possible; otherwise neither of us understood the accident, so we didn't trust our judgement any more. Fred and Peter would like to return to West Pillar in pre-monsoon season when should not be so much snow and do climb alpine-style, not putting in fixed camps and rope as this autumn. Peter returning to KTM with baggage; arrives in 10 days, possibly much sooner. Makalu Expedition BC, 4 Oct 1983 - Peter Hillary Fred, Mark and I have returned from the mountain where we have had a tragedy. While Fred and Bill Denz were descending from C2 to C1 on the 3rd of October at 2 pm. They were caught in an avalanche. Fred managed to extricate himself and Bill who was below, was swept one hundred meters into a snow basin below the ridge. There was a considerable accumulation of avalanche debris and there was no sign of him to be found. From the time of avalanche and until 6:30 pm (dark) we probed in the debris and searched crevasses but to no avail. Mark and I were at C1 and ascended to assist Fred in the search. The accident occured at 6400m and he was swept to the southern side of the ridge where he was buried under 3-4 meters of snow. The avalanche was 500 meters wide and Bill's body has not been found nor any of his equipment. Report on accident involving the death of a member of the expedition. Fred From, Mark Moorhead and myself have returned to BC today from the West Ridge of Makalu where we have had a tragedy. While Fred From and Bill Denz were descending from C2 to C1 on the 3rd of October at 2 pm, they were caught in an avalanche. From managed to extracate himself and Denz who was below, was swept one hundred meters in a snow basin below the ridge on the southern side. There was a considerable accumulation of avalanche debris (the avalanche break being 500m wide) and Denz was buried under 3-4 meters of debris and consequently, we could find no trace of him or any of his equipment. The avalanche occurred at 6400m altitude. From the time of the avalanche and until darkness at 6:30 pm we probed the avalanche debris with a bamboo pole and ice axed and searched a nearby crevasse...but to no avail. Moorhead and myself were at C1 at the time and observed Denz's fall in the avalanche. We ascended to assist From with the search. Denz died in the avalanche and was unrecovered. Letter from Bill, Makalu BC - 13 Sept 1983 We are progressing with the route satisfactorily we are all getting on well and what's more, it the weather continues to be reasonable we have to make our summit bid towards the end of September. C1 is at 5900m and we have soloed the ridge to C2 at 6420m which is a snow cave at the foot of the really steep. (This camp is in the same vicinity as Roskelley's C2). We hope to solo 1/2 way to C3 and fix the rock steps with rope. I expect to establish C3, at 7400m on about the 18th to 20t of September and then work on the main buttress done over the next 3 or 4 days. We hope to make a gear damp at the campsite sometime during the 21st to the 24th. Our C3 we hope to establish higher than the French/US camp so as to reduce problems for the summit day. Hopefully it will be at 7900m. Letter from Bill - 13 Sept 1983 We have established C2 on the SW Pillar of Makalu at an altitude of 6480m. This is the same location as Roskelley's C2. We are using a safe roamy crevasse and have stocked it with food, fuel and rope. We go up to C1 tonight (amended height 5950m) and occupy C2 tomorrow. We hope to stay there for some time, working on the camps above. We fixed no new rope to C2 and used only 10m of old fixed rope. The French "Khumbakarna" expedition arrived 4 days ago and are carrying loads to their C1 on Makalu II. They also have permission for Baruntse.
Accidents 2 fatalities (1 by avalanche, 1 by fall)
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2448595
Year 1983
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) w pillar

Members

4 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Matthew William (Bill) Denz M 1951 New Zealand Climber Dunedin, New Zealand Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
William Robert (Fred) From M 1956 Australia Climber Buaraba, QLD, Australia Scientist (aeronomist, expert of the atmosphere) Details Other expeditions
Peter Edmund Hillary M 1954 New Zealand Leader Auckland, New Zealand Ski instructor Details Other expeditions
Mark Peter Moorhead M 1960 Australia Climber Brighton, Victoria, Australia Alpinist Details Other expeditions

References

4 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
MAKA83301 AAJ Cheney, Michael J. & Hawley, Elizabeth - - 58:230-231 (1984) -
MAKA83301 MM - - - 96:10 (Mar 1984) -
MAKA83301 NZAJ Hillary, Peter Makalu West Pillar - 37:51 (1984) -
MAKA83301 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198423002/Asia-Nepal-Makalu-West-Buttress-Attempt-and-Tragedy - - -