The commercial expedition led by Sanu Sherpa has reached the base of Makalu and is already fixing ropes on the mountain.
Iranian climber Abolfazl Gozali reported that yesterday, the team was already carrying gear and fixing ropes to 6,000m.
File image of Abolfazl Gozali. Photo: Abolfazl Gozali/Instagram
Toward ABC
Gozali is surely referring to the section between Makalu’s lower Base Camp, located around 5,250m, and Advanced Base Camp — sometimes identified as Camp 1 — at 6,100m. That is a tricky section on rock and glacier ice that includes a headwall among seracs that needs to be fixed for commercial teams. For that reason, Makalu expeditions tend to settle in ABC for the whole climb and do their rotations from there.
The expedition, outfitted by Nepal-based Makalu Adventure, is the only climb this winter on an 8,000m peak. This guided expedition has two clients and a strong Sherpa team that will fix ropes and camps up the normal route. Everyone will use supplementary oxygen.
Sanu Sherpa, who has over 40 8,000m summits, including the full 14×8,000m circuit twice, leads the team. He is supported by nine-time Everest summiter Phurba Onchu Sherpa, as well as Phurbu Kusang, Ngima Tashi Sherpa, Lakpa Tenzi Sherpa, and Lakpa Rinjin Sherpa. The clients are Abolfazl Gozali of Iran, on his second attempt to climb Makalu in winter, and Piyali Basak from India. She summited Makalu in 2023 without supplementary oxygen but had to be rescued due to exhaustion on the way down.
Wind, winter, and O2
Maklau has a reputation as a relatively safe but tough mountain. The normal route is exposed to wind, a factor that can increase the difficulty, especially during winter. The use of oxygen will make a big difference: Climbers stay significantly warmer when breathing bottled oxygen.
Makalu was first summited in winter without extra oxygen by Simone Moro of Italy and Denis Urubko of Russia on February 9, 2009.
