Makalu, West Face Attempt. Makalu has never been successfully scaled by the vast central portion of its west face. A team of Italians attempted a line halfway between the one followed in the autumn of 1981 to 7900 meters by Poles Jerzy Kukuczka and Wojciech Kurtyka and Briton Alex MacIntyre and another which Kukuczka soloed after his two teammates had left the mountain. The Italians were Casimiro Ferrari, leader, Lorenzo Mazzoleni, Dario Spreafico, Marco Negri, Salvatore Panzeri, Mario Panzeri and Umberto Valentinotti. On May 7, Salvatore Panzeri and Spreafico managed to reach a high point of 7300 meters at the top of a small ridge and at the bottom of a very steep section. A fierce wind was blowing a lot of snow onto their route and their feet were beginning to freeze in the extreme cold. They retreated and the climb was over.

Elizabeth Hawley