Makalu: North Face and Northeast Ridge via Makalu La

The line of the 1955 French first ascent via the Makalu La saddle, which later became the standard route.

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At a glance

Base camp: Not yet documented
Base camp location: Not yet documented
First climbed: 15 May 1955Source: Wikipedia (English)

The camps on this route are not yet documented with a source.

The route

A French expedition led by Jean Franco climbed the north face and northeast ridge via the saddle between Makalu and Kangchungtse. Lionel Terray and Jean Couzy summited on 15 May 1955.¹

Franco, Guido Magnone and Gyalzen Norbu Sherpa reached the top the next day, and four more climbers on 17 May. The source describes this line as the standard route.¹

Sources

Makalu, Wikipedia (English). Retrieved 4 November 2026.

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