Makalu | 1992 Makalu La-NW Ridge

A USA expedition to Makalu in 1992 via Makalu La-NW Ridge, led by James McEachern. Summit reached on 17th May 1992. 8 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 1103
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID MAKA92102
Peak ID MAKA
Year 1992
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 Makalu La-NW Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality USA
Leaders James McEachern
Sponsor 1992 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 UK
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1992-04-06
Summit Date 1992-05-17
Summit Time -
Summit Days 41
Total Days 46
Termination Date 1992-05-22
Termination Reason 4
Termination Notes Abandoned at 7800m due to bad weather and team exhaustion
High Point (m) 7800
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 8
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(06/04,5350m),C1(11/04,5650m),C2(17/04,6500m),C3(13/05,7400m),xxx(17/05,7800m)
Route Notes BC at normal high BC C2 at bottom of West Face of Makalu La C3 at Makalu La High point at North Face. Delay in making C3 was due to fixing rope (some of which had brought with them but some took off mountain). C3 reached by 7 members (all except Cox) on 13th May with 14th be summit day. Snowed all night of 13/14th and stopped only at 4 am. Now with a foot of a new snow at col and much more higher up (drifted into gully above col), no oxygen and no Sherpas, so definitely impossible to get to top on 14th, so all down on 14th. 15th Johnson stayed at C2; 16th to C3 alone; 10:30pm left C3 to try summit, got to British C4 (7800m) at 12:30 expecting to join them in push up from there but Brits still in their tents because wind too strong, so went to C3 same night (reached C3 1:30 on 17th), slept there, down to C2 and later on 17th down to BC. Now climbers tired & winds continued until 21st. Aid Burgess 30 May by phone: These 8 climbers set out with understanding they were four parties of two each, responsible only for themselves and their partner; it was not an expedition and McEachern was not really a leader. Aid and Al Burgess were a team and Brad in time decided to team up with them. No C4 made because: (A) Other 5 were incapable of going above C3 at Makalu La. Aid and Al told them this when took them 7-9 hours to follow trail (took only 5 hrs to break trail in snow); others including McEachern looked to Aid and Al for advice; they admitted they couldn't go higher. (B) Burgess's and Johnson were perfectly capable of going to top from C3 without another camp in normal conditions. Sherpas with Brithsh Makalu expedition this spring were good friends of Burgess & they said that at the rate they had been climbing, they could reach summit without any C4.
Accidents None
Achievement -
Agency Highland Sherpa
Commercial Route -
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2451742
Year 1992
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) makalu la-nw ridge

Members

8 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Adrian (Aid) Burgess M 1948 UK Climber Park City, Utah Alpine guide & alpinist Details Other expeditions
Alan Burgess M 1948 UK Climber Huddersfield, W Yorkshire, England Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Peter John Carse M 1958 USA Climber Bozeman, Montana Gardener, carpenter & ski patrolman Details Other expeditions
Brian Cox M 1972 USA Climber Spokane, Washington University student Details Other expeditions
Brad Allen Johnson M 1955 USA Climber Boulder, Colorado Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Peter Getzels M 1956 USA Climber Beaconsfield, Buckingham, England Film-maker Details Other expeditions
James McEachern M 1957 USA Leader Los Angeles, California Film script writer & cameraman Details Other expeditions
James H. (Jim) States M 1945 USA Climber Spokane, Washington Physician Details Other expeditions

References

2 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
MAKA92102 AAJ McEachern, James - - 67:208-209 (1993) -
MAKA92102 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199320802/Asia-Nepal-Makalu-Attempt - - -