TRENDING TOPICS DISCUSSION · BY PAPER_HAZE
Makalu Region Archive: Incidents, Rescues and Updates
A running, sourced record of events on Makalu, the world’s fifth-highest mountain, and in the remote Barun valley and Makalu-Barun National Park.
THE STORY SO FAR · 5 ENTRIES
10 MAY 2026
Update
Event dateEarly May 2026 (Makalu II); 10–11 May 2026 (Makalu) LocationMakalu II Camp III (~7,300 m); Makalu just below Camp 3 (~7,000–7,200 m) TypeClimbing accident; avalanche; rescue and evacuation Deaths2 (David Roubínek; Shelley Johannesen) Injured2 (David Ashley; Tawa Sherpa), airlifted to Kathmandu VerificationVerified (dates for…
22 JANUARY 2026
Update
— milestone
Event date22 January 2026 (summit) and the descent that followed LocationAbove Camp IV (~7,400 m) and near Camp III TypeClimbing accident; missing persons Deaths1 (Phurba Ongel Sherpa) Missing1 (Abolfazl Gozali, Iran) VerificationVerified StatusSearch suspended On 22 January 2026, four climbers reached the summit of Makalu…
16 MAY 2019
Update
Event date16 May 2019 LocationMakalu, about 8,100 m, descending to Camp IV TypeClimbing accident Deaths1 VerificationVerified (official Indian government press release) StatusHistorical / closed An 18-member Indian Army mountaineering expedition summited Makalu on 16 May 2019. On the way down from the summit to Camp…
15 MAY 1955
Update
Event date15 May 1955 LocationMakalu summit (8,485 m), via the north face and northeast ridge TypeMajor historical event VerificationVerified StatusHistorical Lionel Terray and Jean Couzy of a French expedition led by Jean Franco made the first ascent of Makalu on 15 May 1955. In the…
29 SEPTEMBER 2026
The Article
Makalu (8,485 m), the world's fifth-highest mountain, stands about 19 km southeast of Everest on the Nepal–China border. Its four-sided pyramid makes it one of the most striking of the big peaks and one of the harder ones: its upper sections are steep and exposed,…