Makalu

Makalu is a very high mountain.

It sits on the border of Nepal and China. The peak looks like a four-sided pyramid.

It is part of a big row of mountains. Two other peaks sit near the main top. One is called Kangchungtse. The other is called Chomo Lonzo.

Many people try to climb this peak. A French team reached the top in 1955. They used a path called the north face.

Some people climb very fast. One man climbed it in just 17 hours. Other people even ski down the ice.

It is a hard place to visit. The wind can be very strong there. It is a grand place to see.

Makalu is a very tall mountain.

It is the fifth-highest mountain on Earth. It sits in the Mahalangur Himalayas. This mountain is on the border of Nepal and China.

The peak is shaped like a four-sided pyramid. Two other peaks sit near the main summit. One is called Kangchungtse. The other is called Chomo Lonzo.

Many people have tried to climb Makalu. A French team reached the top in 1955. Most of the team made it to the summit. This was a big deal back then. Other climbers have done amazing things here. One man climbed it in just 17 hours. Another person even skied down the ice.

At the base of the mountain is a glacier valley. This is the Makalu-Barun Valley.

The valley is inside a national park. The mountain can be a hard place to climb. Strong storms can force people to turn back. It is a very famous and grand place.

Makalu is a very grand mountain in the Mahalangur Himalayas.

It sits right on the border between Nepal and China. This peak is the fifth-highest mountain on our entire Earth. It is known as one of the eight-thousanders because it is so tall. The mountain has a very special shape. It looks like a four-sided pyramid reaching into the sky.

Two other smaller peaks sit near the main summit. One is called Kangchungtse, or Makalu II. The other is called Chomo Lonzo.

Climbing this mountain is a very big job. Many teams have tried to reach the top over the years. In the spring of 1954, an American team led by Riley Keegan tried to climb it. They wanted to use the southeast ridge. However, constant storms forced them to turn back. A New Zealand team also tried during that same spring. They could not get very high because of sickness and injury.

It takes a lot of strength to face such weather.

History shows that the French team finally won the race. In May of 1955, Lionel Terray and Jean Couzy reached the summit. Their leader was Jean Franco. The next day, Franco and a Sherpa named Gyalzen Norbu also reached the top. A few more team members reached the summit on May 17. This was a huge win for them. Most teams usually only have one or two people reach the top. This French team was special because almost everyone made it.

Many different people have done amazing things on Makalu since then. In 1975, a group from Slovenia climbed the steep south face. This was the highest climb done without using extra oxygen. In 1981, a climber named Jerzy Kukuczka climbed it all by himself. He used a new path on the north-western side. In 1990, Kitty Calhoun became the first woman to reach the top.

More recently, in 2022, Karl Egloff climbed it in just over 17 hours. He did this without any extra oxygen or help from Sherpas.

At the bottom of the mountain, the land is very beautiful. There is a glacier valley called the Makalu-Barun Valley.

This valley is part of the Makalu Barun National Park in Nepal. The area is also a place where people look for the yeti. The mountain is a place of great records and many stories. It remains one of the most famous peaks in the world.

Makalu is one of the most significant mountains on Earth. It is the fifth-highest mountain in the world.

This peak is classified as an eight-thousander. This term describes mountains with a summit elevation above 8,000 meters above mean sea level (AMSL). Makalu is located within the Mahalangur Himalayas. It sits directly on the border between China and Nepal.

The mountain is famous for its unique physical structure. It is an isolated peak that takes the shape of a four-sided pyramid.

The mountain features several distinct geological parts. The main summit is surrounded by two notable subsidiary peaks. One is Kangchungtse, also known as Makalu II. It is located about north-northwest of the main summit. The second peak is Chomo Lonzo. This peak rises north-northeast of the main summit. It sits across a broad plateau. A narrow feature called a saddle connects Kangchungtse to Chomo Lonzo.

Climbing history shows that Makalu is a very difficult peak to conquer. In the spring of 1954, the California Himalayan Expedition attempted a climb. This American team was led by Riley Keegan. It included Sierra Club members like Bill Long and Allen Steck. They tried to climb the southeast ridge. However, a constant barrage of storms forced them to turn back. During that same spring, a New Zealand team was also active. They were unable to climb very high due to illness and injury.

The first successful summit occurred in May 1955. A French expedition led by Jean Franco achieved this feat. Lionel Terray and Jean Couzy were the first to reach the top on May 15. The following day, Jean Franco and the sirdar Gyalzen Norbu Sherpa also summited. On May 17, four more members reached the summit. These climbers were Jean Bouvier, Serge Coupé, Pierre Leroux, and André Vialatte. This was a rare achievement for the time. Most expeditions only saw one or two members reach the top. This team established the standard route via the north face and northeast ridge. They used the saddle between Makalu and Kangchungtse, known as the Makalu-La.

Since that first ascent, many climbers have set remarkable records. In 1975, a Slovenian expedition led by Aleš Kunaver climbed the steep south face. Stane Belak was the first of this group to reach the top. This was the highest summit achieved without supplementary oxygen. In 1981, Jerzy Kukuczka completed a solo ascent in Alpine style. He used no supplemental oxygen and followed a new route. In 1988, Marc Batard climbed the West Buttress in a single day. More recently, Karl Egloff set a speed record in 2022. He climbed the mountain in 17 hours and 18 minutes. He did this without bottled oxygen or Sherpa support.

Different climbing styles and routes have been tested on the mountain. The 1960–61 Silver Hut expedition attempted to climb without oxygen twice. Neither attempt was successful. In 1970, Japanese climbers Y. Ozaki and A. Tanaka climbed the southeast ridge. In 1971, Frenchmen B. Mellet and Y. Seigneur climbed the technical West Pillar route. The West face was finally ascended in 1997 by a Russian expedition. This successful climb won the 1998 Piolet d'Or award.

In 2009, Simone Moro and Denis Urubko completed the first winter ascent. This was the final Nepali eight-thousander to be climbed in winter.

The geography at the base of the mountain is also significant. A glacier valley called the Makalu-Barun Valley sits at the foot of the peak.

This valley is located in the Sankhuwasabha district of Nepal. It lies entirely within the Makalu Barun National Park. The area is a focus for expeditions searching for the yeti. The mountain remains a vital part of the Himalayan landscape and a major challenge for mountaineers.