In October, a small group of climbers reconnoitered the area around Makalu Base Camp to acclimatize while gauging snow and ice conditions created by heavy late-monsoon precipitation. They eventually set a high camp at 5,400 meters under the northwest face of Shershon (6,432m, 27°50’5.58”N, 87°7’36.30”E; see AAJ 2023 for the history of this peak, formerly known as Peak 3 or Yaupa). 

At first light the next morning, two of the climbers crossed the bergschrund at 5,800 meters and climbed a direct line of nine pitches to 6,200 meters, then continued on good snow to the summit. Four of the pitches offered technical difficulties to 80° ice with occasional mixed; the protection was generally sparse in both thin ice and the featureless rock. The other five pitches were steep névé. 

The climbers descended farther to the north on the face, downclimbing snow up to 55° and making two rappels in the lower section, one over thin snow and the other to cross the bergschrund shortly after dark. This descent followed the route of the first ascent, which was made by Andrew Fanshawe, Victor Saunders, and Stephen Sustad (U.K.) in September 1989, in somewhat similar snow conditions.

—Lindsay Griffin, AAJ, with information from the climbers