Makalu, West Face. A Polish-Brazilian expedition climbed the 8000-foot- high virgin west face of Makalu. Since Wojciech Kurtyka and Alex MacIntyre had twice attempted it, all eyes have been on this face. The team, led by Adam Bilczewski, consisted of 17 Poles and three Brazilians. The only Sherpa was sirdar Ang Kami. The team climbed the prominent left buttress of the face, which was difficult but free from rockfall and avalanches. Base Camp was established from August 28 to 31 at 17,700 feet. On September 2 Camp I was placed at 19,700 feet above the dangerous icefall. There the steep face began, involving mixed ice-and-rock climbing. Two camps were set up on the buttress: Camps II and III at 21,650 and 23,300 feet on September 11 and 19. The section above Camp III was very hard (UIAA V +, AO), but the crux of the route was at 24,600 feet. A vertical, and in places overhanging, rock band of some 350 feet was most difficult. Tragedy struck when Tadeusz Szulz was fixing ropes and suddenly died of a heart attack. Having completed the greatest difficulties, the members decided to continue. On October 7 Janusz Skorek and Andrzej Czok reached the north ridge, on which the Polish route had been pioneered in 1981 by Jerzy Kukuczka solo. Camp IV at 26,250 feet was established. They slept using artificial oxygen. The following day this pair made the first summit attempt, but extreme cold and winds made the climbing impossible. Skorek’s fingers were frozen and the next day he descended with Andrzej Machnik in doubtful weather. Czok remained at Camp IV waiting for better weather. He was without artificial oxygen. Base Camp tried to persuade him to turn back, but he insisted on a summit try. He spent the day and a third night at Camp IV. On October 10 the weather was suitable and Czok set out alone and, without oxygen, followed Kukuczka’s north ridge route. At 12:45 P.M. he reached the highest point of Makalu (8481 meters, 27,825 feet). The weather was fine and he sat for 40 minutes on top. He returned that same day to Camp III, having been over 8000 meters for three days and nights, using supplemental oxygen only during the first night. The weather was now favorable, but Bilczewski did not agree to further ascents because of the difficulty of the route. Ang Kami reached Camp I and the three Brazilians Camp II. This was the 19th ascent of Makalu and the second Polish one. The west face direttissima, pioneered by Kurtyka and MacIntyre remains for future expeditions, but the Polish climbers consider the route possible.

JÓzef Nyka, Editor, Taternik, Poland