Makaluमकालु
A four-sided granite pyramid 19 km southeast of Everest, often called the most aesthetically perfect of the eight-thousanders — and one of the most technically demanding by its standard route.
Height
8,485 m
World rank
#5
among the world's highest mountains
First ascent
1955
15 May 1955
District
Sankhuwasabha
Koshi Province
- Border
- Nepal–China (Tibet) border
- Standard route
- Northwest Ridge (French route)
15 May 1955
Summit party
Jean Couzy & Lionel Terray (France)
French expedition led by Jean Franco
Uniquely for the era, every member of the team — ten climbers including sirdar Gyalzen Norbu — reached the summit over three days.
What the record shows
Older maps still print 8,463 m; the accepted modern survey height is 8,485 m.
Makalu anchors the Makalu Barun National Park, whose valleys drop 4,000 m from the summit ridges to subtropical forest within a few dozen kilometres.
The 1955 French triumph followed a 1954 American reconnaissance; the mountain's Southeast Ridge and West Pillar remain serious technical objectives.
Firsts & records
First winter ascent: 9 February 2009 — Simone Moro (Italy) & Denis Urubko (Kazakhstan)
Safety record
≈390 summits and ≈40 deaths by ≈2019 — among the harder classic 8000ers (Himalayan Database-derived compilations).
Fatality 'rates' are summits-to-deaths ratios that shift as traffic grows — the year of each figure is stated.
Most visitors experience this region not by climbing but on foot: Nepal's trekking routes reach base camps and viewpoints beneath Makalu without the technical risks of the summit.
The peak in context
The highlighted marker is this mountain; the others show all eight of Nepal's eight-thousanders.
Makalu — frequently asked
How tall is Makalu?+
Makalu is 8,485 m high, making it the 5th-highest mountain in the world. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal (Makalu section) on the Nepal–China (Tibet) border.
When was Makalu first climbed, and by whom?+
Makalu was first summited on 15 May 1955 by Jean Couzy & Lionel Terray (France), as part of the French expedition led by Jean Franco.
How dangerous is Makalu?+
≈390 summits and ≈40 deaths by ≈2019 — among the harder classic 8000ers (Himalayan Database-derived compilations).
Where is Makalu located in Nepal?+
Makalu sits in Sankhuwasabha district of Koshi Province. The standard climbing line is the Northwest Ridge (French route).
Sources & data note
Profile of Makalu compiled from the listed sources. Heights follow UIAA-accepted surveys; ascent and fatality statistics derive from Himalayan Database compilations and are dated in the text.