Makalu Mountain in Nepal, Mountains, Travel Destinations

The stunning Makalu Mountain forms part of the mountain range known as the Himalayas. This isolated peak is regarded as the fifth highest mountain, sitting just fourteen miles to the east of Mount Everest in the Khumbakama Himal region. It has distinct characteristics with its four jagged ridges in a pyramid formation making Makalu all the more formidable and impressive at 8,462 meters in height. Like most of the other majestic beauties that surround Mount Everest it has only been since 1954, when the summit of the curious big giant was reached, that mountaineers turned their attention to those surrounding.

The Himalayas in comparison to others is a very young mountain range, which formed from the continental collision between India and Asia. This occurred at an enormous rate resulting in some of the highest and vastly majestic mountains in the whole world. Interestingly enough, India had stood just over 500 kilometers to the south just over 10 million years ago while the Asian plate remained in its initial position. This fascinatingly is regarded as extremely fast rate of movement in Geological terms, and so with the Indian plate sliding underneath the Asian plate it has thus caused folding and crumpling.

It must be expected, as with any climbs on some of the highest peaks in the world, that the climb will take endurance with extreme preciseness should you wish to make it successfully up to the peak of Makalu Mountain. There are strenuous sections, which consist of short and steep portions on nearly vertical ice and thus require the knowledge of front-pointing skills or jumar on fixed ropes. It is always wise, if you are not a seasoned climber of these huge giants, to have your fitness and skills tested so that you are in the best position to not only succeed but to enjoy the marvelous privilege of climbing one of the eight highest mountains in the world.

Like many of the other eight thousanders, Makalu has set its own challenges for those who wish to attempt to climb, allowing only five successful climbs at her peaks out of the first sixteen attempts. A subsidiary peak of Makalu Mountain is Chomo Lonzo which rises to just over twenty-five thousand feet to the north of the summit and separated by a narrow saddle. The best season to attempt a trek up Makalu is during the months of April through to May or during late September to October.

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