Makalu, the West Face. World's fifth highest mounain.

The West Face of Makalu (8463m) seen from Chukhung Ri in the Everest Region.

How do people dare to think they could climb this wall? Among those who did were Wojtek Kurtyka and Alex MacIntyre, who tried to do this alpine style in early eighties (on one occasion together with Jerzy Kukuczka). Seen here Makalu’s West Face was finally climbed in late nineties by a Russian team. Chukhung Ri, where the mountain was photographed from, is a 5550m high trekking-peak requiring no technical climbing nor equipment. Trekkers are free to climb it – there is no licence fee for the attempt. The mountain is located in the Upper Imja Khola valley, just below the Lhotse South Face. Sagarmatha National Park, Solukhumbu, Nepal.