Makalu was first climbed on 15 May 1955 by the French climbers Lionel Terray and Jean Couzy, members of an expedition led by Jean Franco. The next day, Franco, Guido Magnone and Gyalzen Norbu Sherpa also reached the summit, so the whole team succeeded very quickly.
Early attempts
In the spring of 1954 an American team led by Riley Keegan tried the southeast ridge and turned back at about 7,100 m in storms. A New Zealand team that included Edmund Hillary also visited the mountain in 1954, but did not climb high. These attempts showed how hard and exposed the mountain was.
The French reconnaissance
In the autumn of 1954 a French reconnaissance party made the first ascents of the two nearby peaks Kangchungtse (also called Makalu II) and Chomo Lonzo. They used the trip to learn the best route for the big expedition the next year. See Makalu's neighbours.
The 1955 summit days
The 1955 expedition followed a line up the north face and north-east ridge, using the saddle known as the Makalu La between Makalu and Kangchungtse. On 15 May Terray and Couzy reached the top. On 16 May Franco, Magnone and Gyalzen Norbu Sherpa followed.
Why it mattered
Makalu was one of the last 8,000 m peaks to be climbed, and the quick success of the whole French team was unusual. It was climbed in a decade in which most of the 8,000 m peaks were climbed for the first time.
The mountain today
Makalu is still seen as a demanding peak. Few people climb it each year, and the trek to its base camp through the Barun valley is one of the most remote in Nepal. See the Makalu Base Camp trek guides.
Plan it
Read routes and climbing difficulty, or the main Makalu mountain facts.
