Makalu | 1988 W Pillar up; NW Ridge down

A France expedition to Makalu in 1988 via W Pillar up; NW Ridge down, led by Marc Batard. Summit reached on 27th April 1988. 3 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 62
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID MAKA88101
Peak ID MAKA
Year 1988
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 W Pillar up; NW Ridge down
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality France
Leaders Marc Batard
Sponsor Makalu 1988
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 27th
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1988-04-06
Summit Date 1988-04-27
Summit Time 0945
Summit Days 21
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8485
Traverse True
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 2
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 1
Summit Members 1
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 2
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(06/04,4950m),C1(12/04,6550m),C2(19/04,7350m),Smt(27/04)
Route Notes BC at Hillary BC - above (west northwest) of Barun Pokari C1 at West Pillar - French '71 C3 C2 at West Pillar - last snow ridge Batard, the only foreigner in his party, had four Nepalis help him make camps in snow caves at 6550m & 7350m on the West Pillar, and to fix 2000m of rope along the pillar from 6000 to 7750m, ending at the last major difficulty. Now tired, Batard descended to BC for a day's rest, then began a solo push for the summit; he left his second cave at 2:30 am on 27th April & was on the top at 9:45 am despite some difficulty with a 50m rock step at 8000m and 100km/hr winds. He descended the normal route in the first traverse of Makalu, found an Italian team's tent at the Makalu La which reassured him he was on the right line, continued down to another empty Italian tent, where he slept the night, then joined Germans at base for breakfast. Fixed 200m rope: from 6000m to 7750m; finished rope fixing 24 April at last difficult point. Slept in C2 hoping to go to top on 25th but too tired so down to BC that day. Started up again 2:00 pm 26th and spent an hour at German-Swiss BC and on to start of Pillar at 5900m, where arrived middle of night and slept 2 hours. 27th started 2:30 am up and reached top at 9:45 am; main difficulties end at 7750m but at 8000m is a rock step of 50m which was 4 degree difficulty (i.e., not great difficulty). Above this easy terrain but wind of 100 km/hr sometimes before reaching rock step at about 8:00 am. Stayed at summit 5-6 minutes and found big oxygen bottles (yellow) and left red flag on which wrote his name, date and time tied to oxygen bottle. Descended via a small couloir to Makalu Col, where Italians had a tent; was very very happy to see tent because feared he was lost; reached empty tent at 2:15 pm and on to Italians and Germans: empty C2 at 7000m; stayed in an Italian tent and slept till 28th morning because very tired and light snowfall that night. Left tent and followed Italian flags from early morning and arrive German BC at glacier junction at 9:00 am. Ate with Germans and then with Italians left. No frostbite or illness; face sunburned while descending couloir and from Col under hot sun and with ice in his short beard. Ongel Sherpa and Iman Gurung carried ropes for Batard to fix - carried to 7500m and Gurung climbed to 7750m on 24th. Then they down to BC and Ongel up with Batard on 26th to 5900m only. Batard saw no other person on mountain from his departure from depot on 26th till he arrived at Germans and Italians BC on 28th morning. No Germans or Italians were in their higher camps when he came down through them. (He used an Italian sleeping bag to sleep in 27th night because he had no bag with him.) Happy about his success? "very nice". Was sure he would reach summit alone when he left Ongel at 5900m: "I like to climb rock and I know at altitude I can climb quickly. "I was very sure when I had put up C1 and C2 and it was not difficult for me." Batard - 14 June 88 Batard considers his climb of Makalu last month a solo ascent because he climbed this mountain all alone after having fixed ropes with helpers and descended with them to BC. Messner & Joos - 16 May 88 Batard's ascent of Makalu: First traverse of Makalu but it is not a solo ascent when others climbed with him preparing the route and he descended a prepared route. "A great thing anyway - my congratulations to him" says Joos. "He is very strong." "It was the first traverse of Makalu and in a very good style" says Messner, but not a solo climb. Carlos Buhler - 17 May 88 "I'm impressed - very much impressed" if he really went up West Pillar as Batard says he did - an extremely difficult route. Loretan - 5 May 88 Marc Batard's ascent of Makalu this spring was not a solo ascent - had had help fixing rope and pitching camps. Hupfauers - 29 May 88 (Makalu) Mrs Hupfauer saw Batard up Pillar to 6000m then clouds obscured view. Sure he went to Pillar, where had fixed ropes. Next seen when he descended to Germans BC. Not a solo ascent. From Tourism Minishtry, 2 May 88 Re: Report of Makalu I by Marc Batard I left the BC on April 26th at 2 pm and I stopped for one hour at the BC of the German/Swiss Expeditions. I reached my C2 (altitude 7350m) at midnight I slept for two hours and left for the assault at 2 am. I reached the top at 7:45 am on April 27th. I stayed at the summit for 15 minutes. I planted a flag (in a simple piece of red cloth) after having written on it my name date and hour. I fixed this flag at the top of an oxygen bottle which was empty and lying there. The weather started to be rough and the descent was therefore made painful although I had to decide to follow the normal route. During my descent the very strong wind persisted and I reached C2 of the German/Swiss & Italian expeditions (altitude 7000m approx) at 3 pm. This camp was empty I took the liberty in going to sleep in one of the 3 tents and left the sleeping bag inside which I had used. On 28th April I left this camp in the early morning to reach the German/Swiss & Italian BC at 9 am approx. I had a very cordial [reception] there and left after lunch at around 1 pm. Two hours later I reached my own BC and I was happy to meet again all 5 members of my staff. I left my BC on 29th April at 6 am and arrived at Tashigaon at 7 pm the same day (a long walk). Again on 30th I left that place on 6 am to reach Tumlingtar approx at 8 pm the same day. During [at?] Khandbari I met the liaison officer whom I told that I had reached the summit succesfully on April 27th. I was back in Kathmandu on May 1st (by RNAC plane). I shall be staying at Sherpa Hotel until Friday 6th.
Accidents Ongel Sherpa fell 7-10m in snow when rope broke near C2 but not injured
Achievement 1st 'solo' of W Pillar and 1st solo 1st traverse
Agency Thamserku Trekking
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2450257
Year 1988
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) w pillar up; nw ridge down

Members

3 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Marc Marie Bernard Batard M 1951 France Leader Megeve, Haute-Savoie, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Wangel (Ongel) Sherpa M - Nepal H-A Worker Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions
Iman Gurung M 1960 Nepal H-A Worker Laprak, Gorkha - Details Other expeditions

References

5 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
MAKA88101 AAJ Batard, Marc - - 63:188 (1989) -
MAKA88101 - Batard, Marc Le Sprinter de l'Everest Denoel, Paris - B160
MAKA88101 MM - - - 122:10 (Jul 1988) -
MAKA88101 HIGH - - - 130:9-10 (Sep 1993) -
MAKA88101 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198918803/Asia-Nepal-Makalu-West-Buttress-One-Day-Solo-Ascent - - -