Makalu | 1989 Makalu La-NW Ridge

A USA expedition to Makalu in 1989 via Makalu La-NW Ridge, led by Joe Frank. Summit reached on 13th October 1989. 6 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 375
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID MAKA89306
Peak ID MAKA
Year 1989
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 Makalu La-NW Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality USA
Leaders Joe Frank
Sponsor 1989 American 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 -
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1989-09-17
Summit Date 1989-10-13
Summit Time -
Summit Days 26
Total Days 33
Termination Date 1989-10-20
Termination Reason 4
Termination Notes Abandoned at 8100m due to wind and fatigue
High Point (m) 8100
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 1
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 -
Campsites BC(17/09,5400m),C1(24/09,6200m),xxx(13/10,8100m)
Route Notes BC at high BC site at glacier's junction C1 at 6200m at Chago Glacier High point on North Face. Went to 7000m about 27th but down and back again by Frank and Jackson, bived there and down next day in snowstorm. Austiguy and Thorburn reached Makalu La on 4th where bived on windy night in exposed place and down next day. Frank and Jackson on 6th up to 7000m for summit bid but wind drove down next day. Johnson and Collister of British team to C3 on 11th or 12th; they got to 7600m and Collister reached 7000m and down to 20th because of wind and slight illness. Now porters coming and climbers tired. Johnson and Collister went together to 7500m, where Catalans had their C3, on 14 Oct afternoon. 3 Catalans and their Sherpa went up to C3 same time. On 15th Johnson left C3 at 2:30 am, Catalans left at 3:00 am (they had talked of climbing together). Johnson followed North Ridge to 8100m, part way up the Kukuczka step - step was developing slab rock with bad snow on it. He tried 3 ways to get up it but snow was not safe any way he tried: "I had a gut feeling I was in a bad place" and turned back at 7:30-8:00 am. He was alone as Catalans and he had taken different lines above C3 and 30 minutes before he turned back one of Catalans fell into a crevasse and that discouraged them in knee-deep snow and they turned back at about 7900m. Collister got out of tent later in morning because his feeet were cold, followed Catalans, met them at 7700m and they told him of snow problems.
Accidents Nothing serious
Achievement -
Agency Sagarmatha
Commercial Route -
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2450792
Year 1989
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) makalu la-nw ridge

Members

6 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
George E. Austiguy M 1955 USA Climber Gallatin Gateway, Montana Graduate student, engineering Details Other expeditions
Joseph (Joe) Frank M 1953 USA Leader Boulder, Colorado Hydro-geologist Details Other expeditions
Richard A. (Dick) Jackson M 1950 USA Climber Aspen, Colorado Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Brad Allen Johnson M 1955 USA Climber Avon, Colorado Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Scott Thorburn M 1948 USA Climber Boulder, Colorado Building contractor Details Other expeditions
David Wright M - USA Exp Doctor Cambridge, Vermont Physician Details Other expeditions

References

2 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
MAKA89306 AAJ Frank, Joe - - 64:219 (1990) -
MAKA89306 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199021901/Asia-Nepal-Makalu-Attempt - - -