April Returns to Makalu (8485 M / 27,838')
What in life fascinates you? What fuels your soul? What enters your dreams, takes over, consumes you with belief and empowerment, and motivates you to spend every waking hour fixated?
Hi there. My name is April Mayhew. I like climbing formations to the summit. Actually, “like” isn’t the right word. I am infatuated with climbing formations to the summit, of navigating the contours and decisions that present themselves, of embracing the unique adventures and adventurers that chaperon each objective.
I am an American climber and mountain guide based out of Colorado who has climbed and guided high altitude mountains and technical lines around the world. This April, I will return to Nepal to climb Makalu.
Let's be honest - there are loads of other campaigns that benefit a ton of people, and here I am, asking for a buck to help me climb for personal reasons. I get that!
The thing is, I'm going anyway. The trip is going to break my bank but it has to happen, and happen NOW. Any financial assistance merely enables me to buy and distribute gear and goods to the Makalu region, to support local communities, and to share the post-climb story of this experience with the world.
So, if you are intrigued at all, even a little, would you mind reading on?
Makalu
Located in Nepal along the border between Tibet and China, the distinguished pyramid shape of Makalu (8485 m / 27,837') stands proudly as the fifth tallest mountain on the planet.
The summit of Makalu was first attempted in the spring of 1954, and again in the fall of that same year, yet the mountain's prized first ascent wasn't celebrated until the following Spring of 1955. Since then, per the Himalayan Database, there have been 339 expeditions on Makalu, with a total of 144 successful summits. In 1975, Makalu's summit was achieved without the use of supplemental oxygen, and in 1990, the first female to stand on the summit was Kitty Calhoun, an American mountain guide.
I first fell for Makalu in the fall of 2013. Four friends and I from the USA and Argentina met in Kathmandu and quickly learning that we were the only team slated to climb Makalu during that post-monsoon season. We finalized logistics, bought a ton of fixed lines, flew to Tumlingtar and started the long trek into Advanced Base Camp "ABC" (5699 m/18,700') . With each passing kilometer, we progressed deep into a remote region of Nepal, dropping down into the depths of the earth along the Arun-Barun Valley, over footbridges spanning huge gorges and raging waterfalls, up stone steps that gained elevation and brought us closer to Tibet. Any apprehension and anxiety about summit day were forced from my mind by this unforgettable experience.
When we finally arrived at ABC 11 days later, it was a surreal experience to set up the only base camp operation on the mountain. We charged in, established a route to C1, C2, and Makalu La. Unfortunately, warm temperatures and dangerous avalanche conditions from Camp 2 up to the La impeded our advancement above the La, and we were not able to achieve the summit. After nearly 60 days, we retreated back to Kathmandu with all our fingers and toes, and a little less baggage.
I thought I’d return in the spring. I left my gear at a friend’s home in Kathmandu. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with a life-threatening infection that, for the past years, overshadowed my days and required three major invasive surgeries to rectify.
Proper diet, nutrition, expert medical attention (and, let's face it, a ton of hard work!) have fortunately allowed me to return to full strength and health and impassioned a shift in my professional focus. I have enrolled in a Dietetics certification program with an emphasis on genetics and microbiome.
With health secured and school in focus, I relocated to the San Juans, a region of Colorado known for advanced winter training terrain. Quickly, I crossed paths with a local legend who shares a similar obsession with Makalu, Brad Johnson, and over a series of backcountry adventures, he let me know he was returning for his 5th attempt at climbing the peak in the spring. My dreams became consumed again by the vision of returning to Nepal, of walking over the high passes and deep gorges of the Makalu-Barun Valley, of reconnecting with the inspiring glaciated contours and extraordinary people that inhabit one of Nepal's more remote regions, and of seeing my friend, at age 63, celebrate his hardest summit. Similar to my first attempt in 2013, I will be climbing unsupported/unguided and without the use of supplemental oxygen.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Your Support
Any financial assistance to help offset the cost of this feat is greatly appreciated! Trip reports, progress tracking and photos will be published online ; links to these to follow soon!
· All contributions will receive (post-climb) one of the following:
1) A printed postcard*, or
2) An e-postcard send to the email address offered along with your contribution
· Contributions over $500 US will receive a high res printed and signed color photo from the 2019 expedition
· Contributions at or over $1000 US will receive social media love as well as the above-referenced signed color photo
· Contributions at or over $5000 US have the option of receiving any of the above as well as a live slideshow presentation about the climb.*
Any money raised over $8,000 will be donated directly to local charity in Nepal.
Please, help spread the word! Use this link to share on social media and email:
https://www.gofundme.com/april-returns-to-makalu/
* Restricted to locations within the US.
What in life fascinates you? What fuels your soul? What enters your dreams, takes over, consumes you with belief and empowerment, and motivates you to spend every waking hour fixated?
Hi there. My name is April Mayhew. I like climbing formations to the summit. Actually, “like” isn’t the right word. I am infatuated with climbing formations to the summit, of navigating the contours and decisions that present themselves, of embracing the unique adventures and adventurers that chaperon each objective.
I am an American climber and mountain guide based out of Colorado who has climbed and guided high altitude mountains and technical lines around the world. This April, I will return to Nepal to climb Makalu.
Let's be honest - there are loads of other campaigns that benefit a ton of people, and here I am, asking for a buck to help me climb for personal reasons. I get that!
The thing is, I'm going anyway. The trip is going to break my bank but it has to happen, and happen NOW. Any financial assistance merely enables me to buy and distribute gear and goods to the Makalu region, to support local communities, and to share the post-climb story of this experience with the world.
So, if you are intrigued at all, even a little, would you mind reading on?
Makalu
Located in Nepal along the border between Tibet and China, the distinguished pyramid shape of Makalu (8485 m / 27,837') stands proudly as the fifth tallest mountain on the planet.
The summit of Makalu was first attempted in the spring of 1954, and again in the fall of that same year, yet the mountain's prized first ascent wasn't celebrated until the following Spring of 1955. Since then, per the Himalayan Database, there have been 339 expeditions on Makalu, with a total of 144 successful summits. In 1975, Makalu's summit was achieved without the use of supplemental oxygen, and in 1990, the first female to stand on the summit was Kitty Calhoun, an American mountain guide.
I first fell for Makalu in the fall of 2013. Four friends and I from the USA and Argentina met in Kathmandu and quickly learning that we were the only team slated to climb Makalu during that post-monsoon season. We finalized logistics, bought a ton of fixed lines, flew to Tumlingtar and started the long trek into Advanced Base Camp "ABC" (5699 m/18,700') . With each passing kilometer, we progressed deep into a remote region of Nepal, dropping down into the depths of the earth along the Arun-Barun Valley, over footbridges spanning huge gorges and raging waterfalls, up stone steps that gained elevation and brought us closer to Tibet. Any apprehension and anxiety about summit day were forced from my mind by this unforgettable experience.
When we finally arrived at ABC 11 days later, it was a surreal experience to set up the only base camp operation on the mountain. We charged in, established a route to C1, C2, and Makalu La. Unfortunately, warm temperatures and dangerous avalanche conditions from Camp 2 up to the La impeded our advancement above the La, and we were not able to achieve the summit. After nearly 60 days, we retreated back to Kathmandu with all our fingers and toes, and a little less baggage.
I thought I’d return in the spring. I left my gear at a friend’s home in Kathmandu. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with a life-threatening infection that, for the past years, overshadowed my days and required three major invasive surgeries to rectify.
Proper diet, nutrition, expert medical attention (and, let's face it, a ton of hard work!) have fortunately allowed me to return to full strength and health and impassioned a shift in my professional focus. I have enrolled in a Dietetics certification program with an emphasis on genetics and microbiome.
With health secured and school in focus, I relocated to the San Juans, a region of Colorado known for advanced winter training terrain. Quickly, I crossed paths with a local legend who shares a similar obsession with Makalu, Brad Johnson, and over a series of backcountry adventures, he let me know he was returning for his 5th attempt at climbing the peak in the spring. My dreams became consumed again by the vision of returning to Nepal, of walking over the high passes and deep gorges of the Makalu-Barun Valley, of reconnecting with the inspiring glaciated contours and extraordinary people that inhabit one of Nepal's more remote regions, and of seeing my friend, at age 63, celebrate his hardest summit. Similar to my first attempt in 2013, I will be climbing unsupported/unguided and without the use of supplemental oxygen.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Your Support
Any financial assistance to help offset the cost of this feat is greatly appreciated! Trip reports, progress tracking and photos will be published online ; links to these to follow soon!
· All contributions will receive (post-climb) one of the following:
1) A printed postcard*, or
2) An e-postcard send to the email address offered along with your contribution
· Contributions over $500 US will receive a high res printed and signed color photo from the 2019 expedition
· Contributions at or over $1000 US will receive social media love as well as the above-referenced signed color photo
· Contributions at or over $5000 US have the option of receiving any of the above as well as a live slideshow presentation about the climb.*
Any money raised over $8,000 will be donated directly to local charity in Nepal.
Please, help spread the word! Use this link to share on social media and email:
https://www.gofundme.com/april-returns-to-makalu/
* Restricted to locations within the US.