원정 개요

BC at Barun Pokhari (Hillary BC site)
ABC at start of SE Ridge
C1 on SE Ridge
C2 at South Col of SE Ridge
C3 on SE Ridge.

British Services Makalu 2008, led by Colin Scott - 8 June 2008

The SE Ridge in its entirety is an "awesome route well worth climbing," said Scott, and the team plans to return to it in 2010. "To the South Col it is very narrow, but it is always interesting, a beautiful line." The team climbed Makalu "hugging the ridge" all the way, never going over onto a face.

The weather was fine during the first three weeks, but snowfall prevented significant progress in early May.

The highest point reached was 7900m, where Haughey, Scott, Ang Dorje and Nima Dorje stashed kit for the team's future C5. The four men had arrived at C4 on the 19th, reached 7900m on the 20th, and then descended to BC on the 22nd to rest.

On the 27th, Capleton, Gale and Scott left BC to make another bid for summit, planning to spend one night at ABC and each higher camp, but this push was aborted on the 29th on their way to C2 because they had chest infections. The climb was now finished because the expedition had to leave BC on 6 June, and they now did not have enough time to recover from their chest problems which all of the members had, get to the top and be ready to leave on 6th June. They believe they caught their chest infections from other climbers leaving the mountain, coming through their ABC and stopping to chat and have a cup of tea.

They had fixed a total of 7000m of rope from about 5900m on almost all of the route to 7900m, and they would have needed to fix more above there.

Oxygen was used by Capleton and Gale sleeping in C3, from C3 to C4 and above, and back to C3. Scott used it in C4 to 7900m to and in C4. Nima Dorje used it in C4 to 7900m to and in C4. Ang Dorje did not use any.

Dhillon did not acclimatize well, went no higher than 6400m.

Swift was hit in mid-April at 6000m in the back of his neck by a large block from an icefall which struck the muscles in his neck. He left the expedition in late April.

Sherpas:
Ang Dorje, 18/8/85 (2/5/2042), Tashigaon, Makalu-8, no 8000ers
Nima Dorje, 7/10/80 (21/6/2037), Tumlingtar, Makalu, Everest 16/5/06