Fakta om Makalu
Navn : Makalu
Land : Nepal
Sværhedsgrad :
Højde : 8485 meters
Antal personer på bjerget : 8
Primær sæson :
Antal personer nået toppen : 1
Førstebestiger:
Jean Couzy og Lionel Terray d. 15. maj 1955 via the North col.
Beskrivelse:
Makalu er verdens femtehøjeste bjerg beliggende ca 20 km øst for Mt. Everest. Dets rene linjer og smukke farve gør det endnu mere storslået.
Makalu er opkaldt efter Maha Kala, "Den store sorte", der entyder til størrelsen og til hinduguden Shiva. Lokalt hedder bjerget Khumba Karna, "Det store bjerg"
Makalu er en stor udfordring - således kom kun 5 af de første 16 ekspeditioner på toppen.
Bestigninger af Makalu
| Person | År | Top | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Knakkergaard Jørgensen | 1999-04-30 | Y | Se mere.. |
| Jan Elleby | 1997-10-25 | N | Se mere.. |
| Erik Storm | 1997-10-13 | N | Se mere.. |
| Henning Beck | 1997-10-13 | N | Se mere.. |
| Per Lyhne | 1997-09-21 | N | Se mere.. |
| Michael Strynø | 1997-02-02 | N | Se mere.. |
| Michael Knakkergaard Jørgensen | 1997-02-02 | N | Se mere.. |
| Per Bager | 1997-01-19 | N | Se mere.. |
Detaljeret dato: 1999-04-30
Leder: ?
Arrangør: Himalayan Guides
Makalu 1999 (International ekspedition, Himalayan Guides)
Leder Michael Knakkergaard Jørgensen
Deltagere: Andre Georges (Schweiz) og Ilgvar Pavls (Litauen).
Semialpin ekspedition uden højdesherpaer. MKJ drog fra KBH d. 27/3 for at møde Henry Todd (som MKJ i perioder guider for) i Kathmandu. Herefter drager ekspeditionen afsted til Tumlingtar, hvorfra den klassiske indmarch til basislejren starter.
Alt forløber vel og alle tre højdelejre opsættes i fin stil. Der er flere optimistiske rapporter og allerede efter knap to uger på bjerget er første topforsøg klar.
MKJ og Schweizeren Marcus Stofer bestiger Makalu d. 30. april kl. 14.35. Opstigningen har været uden problemer og ekspeditionen tegner til en stor succes.
På nedstigningen, lige under toppen nær 8.300 meter sker en forfærdelig ulykke hvor et 6mm. absail reb løsner sig fra ankeret, hvorpå MKJ får et 2-300 meter frit fald ned ad normalvejen. Helt klare oplysninger mangler dog.
Dansk bjergbestigning har dermed mistet en af sine fineste og mest betydningsfulde - og internationalt kendte klatrere. Trods at være kommet ind fra siden har MKJ fra starten bevist at han hører til eliten inden for Himalaya-klatring og med sine tre ottetusindere: Everest, Lhotse og Makalu.
Bøger:
Vejen er målet, drømmen om de syv tinder /Knakkergaard Jørgensen / 1999
Climbing The Worlds 14 Highest Mountains / Sale & Cleare / 2000
Artikler:
Politiken tirsdage i foråret 1999.
Alle landets aviser 3-5. maj, AW jul-99, C-nov99,
TV:
Nyhederne på de landsdækkende 3-4. maj. MorgenTV 5. maj
Internet:
www.everestnews.com, www.sevensummits.dk
Her Andre Georges beretning:
The Accident of Michael Jorgensen
The morning of 28 April the weather looked good. After a short discussion with Michael I left base camp for Makalu la. At 10.00 p.m., much to my surprise, Michael and Ilgwar entered my tent. Difficult night at 7400 m. The tent was too small for three of us; impossible to sleep, to prepare some food or even to melt some snow; everything was covered by hoar-frost. Outside a storm raged. At 6.00 a.m. I went down, irritated by the unplanned visit; on the mountain one should not stick together. In the gully under Makalu la I crossed Markus Stofer, member of a Swiss expedition, who was trying a assault on the summit. At 9.30 a.m. Ilgwar decided to follow me to base camp. Michael and Markus climbed to 7800 m in order to spend the night in a tent installed by the Americans. On 30 April at 3.30 a.m. it was stormy; but at 5.00 a.m. the storm abated, and they decided to leave for the summit which they reached at 2.30 p.m., very tired. After a rest of 20 minutes Michael started to descend.
Markus, who left the summit before, made a rappel in a steep gully about 150 m under the summit, and took rest on a piece of rock. Startled by a noise he turned his head and saw Michael falling down, together with the rope, all the way through the gully, 50 degrees at the top, some 500 m, his body violently touched snow, ice and rocks. Michael must have died right away. His body lies at 8000 m, on the Tibetan side of Makalu; impossible to bring him back. Makalu will keep Michael. Late that day Markus entered the American tent at 7800 m; and descended next day to base camp to give us the sad news.
Michael was pushed by an extreme determination. Fate hit him; only 32 years and with so many dreams of new projects! Anxious at not seeing Michael coming back, two Sherpa left base camp to look for him. But nothing could be done anymore. Michael and I met twice in the Himalaya; and we got along well together. Five minutes discussion last year, at the foot of Everest, and the Makalu project was born. His enthusiasm was contagious : join me to Greenland next year?
In my opinion Markus Stofer was leading their ascent; and opened a new route, the central gully, which - mixed and partly covered with ice - was difficult, instead of following the normal route. After three days of huge effort at high altitude, fatigue, concentration, climbing in 50 degrees stone-hard ice above 8000 m, Michael must have been exhausted.
A few days later however I wanted to see Michael, take some pictures, bring back something personal to his family, protect him from glances even if those would be very rare at 8000 m on the Tibetan side of Makalu. I found him, in that hostile world, curved in the snow, face down, arms and hands damaged. Most of his body was covered by snow; and I was unable to do anything, to put him into a crevasse 50 m below him or to take the ultimate picture, the farewell picture; I was carried away by emotion.