Denis Aleksenko and Artem Tsentsevitsky of Russia are going to Makalu for their second attempt on the mountain. This time, they will climb alpine style.
Last year, the pair used traditional style and fixed a few ropes on the most exposed passages. Otherwise, they were completely alone on the mountain, which is common in the fall. They had to break trail through deep, unstable snow, climbing and retreating several times. On their last push that season, they reached approximately 7,700m before turning back.
See a video of the expedition below:
“This year, we have radically changed our climbing strategy and will be preparing to summit Makalu in alpine style,” the pair wrote on social media. Loyal to the alpine-style protocols, they will attempt Makalu in a single push and so will acclimatize on 8,163m Manaslu, leading a small team. They flew to Samagaon earlier this week and are now in Base Camp.
Alone so far
The obstacle to a true alpine-style climb on Makalu is any other teams on the mountain, breaking trail and fixing ropes. Some local outfitters announced expeditions on Makalu this fall. However, so far, the Russians are the only ones with a permit for the 8,463m peak.
