Renowned Nepali mountaineer Sanu Sherpa, alongside Iranian climber Abolfazl Gozali, has successfully summited Mount Makalu (8,485 metres), the world’s fifth-highest mountain, marking a rare and highly challenging winter ascent. The duo reached the summit at 10:27 am Nepal time on Thursday as part of the Mount Makalu Winter Expedition 2026, organised by Makalu Adventure Pvt Ltd, according to the company’s founder Mohan Lamsal. The successful climb adds a significant milestone to winter Himalayan mountaineering, a domain known for extreme risk, technical difficulty and limited success rates.
A Rare Feat in Extreme Winter Conditions
Winter ascents of Mount Makalu are widely regarded as among the toughest undertakings in high-altitude mountaineering. Situated in eastern Nepal, Makalu is known for its steep ridges, sharp granite faces and unpredictable weather patterns. During winter, temperatures can plunge well below minus 30 degrees Celsius, while powerful jet stream winds frequently batter the upper slopes, making safe movement and summit pushes exceptionally difficult. These factors have meant that winter attempts on Makalu are few, and successful ascents even rarer.
The first-ever winter ascent of Makalu was completed in February 2009 by Italian climber Simone Moro and Kazakh mountaineer Denis Urubko, an achievement that stood unmatched for 17 years. Against this historical backdrop, the latest summit by Sanu Sherpa and Abolfazl Gozali is being hailed as a major accomplishment in contemporary Himalayan climbing.
Expedition Progress and Team Updates
According to Mohan Lamsal, four other Sherpa climbers from the same expedition team are currently en route to the summit, taking advantage of a narrow weather window. Their progress is being closely monitored from base camp, where support teams are coordinating logistics and safety measures. Lamsal also confirmed that another expedition member, Piyali Basak, was forced to abandon her summit attempt from Camp III due to health concerns. She has since descended safely and returned to base camp, where she is reported to be in stable condition.
Makalu Adventure stated that following the successful summit, Sanu Sherpa and Gozali have begun their descent and are heading back to base camp safely, a crucial phase of any high-altitude expedition, especially in winter when conditions can deteriorate rapidly.
Strengthening a Legendary Mountaineering Record
For Sanu Sherpa, the Makalu summit further cements his status as one of the world’s most accomplished high-altitude climbers. Over the course of his career, Sanu Sherpa has climbed 8,000-metre peaks more than 40 times, a remarkable feat that places him among an elite group of Himalayan mountaineers. He has already completed all 14 of the world’s eight-thousanders twice, a milestone achieved by only a handful of climbers globally.
With only Shishapangma, Cho Oyu and Dhaulagiri remaining for a third completion, Sanu Sherpa is now edging closer to becoming the first climber in history to summit all 14 eight-thousand-metre peaks three times. The winter ascent of Makalu not only adds to his personal legacy but also highlights the growing leadership of Nepali climbers in pushing the boundaries of Himalayan exploration.
International Collaboration in the Himalayas
The successful summit also underscores the importance of international collaboration in modern mountaineering. Abolfazl Gozali’s participation reflects the increasing involvement of climbers from diverse mountaineering nations in challenging Himalayan expeditions. Such partnerships bring together varied experiences and skills, contributing to safer and more effective expedition strategies in extreme environments.
Makalu Adventure described the climb as a historic achievement for both the company and the broader mountaineering community. The expedition’s success, supported by skilled Sanu Sherpa climbers and coordinated logistics, once again demonstrates Nepal’s central role in high-altitude mountaineering and winter Himalayan exploration.
As the expedition members make their way back down the mountain, the successful winter summit of Makalu stands as a testament to human endurance, teamwork and the enduring spirit of Himalayan exploration.
