2009 Simone Moro & Denis Urubko Makalu Winter First Ascent
On February 9, 2009, Italian mountaineer Simone Moro and Kazakh-Polish alpinist Denis Urubko achieved the historic first winter ascent of Makalu (8,485m), climbing via the French Route in hurricane winds and temperatures below -40°C without supplemental bottled oxygen.
Mountain Safety & Conditions Disclaimer: High-altitude climbing, glacial travel, and technical ascents entail severe objective risks including avalanches, serac collapses, rapid weather collapse, and altitude illness. Historical route descriptions and summit claims on Mountanity reflect documented archival sources and must not be used as live operational safety assessments. Local regulations, permits, and physical glacial topography change continuously.
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Official Expedition Narrative & Archival Record
Makalu (8,485m), the world's fifth-highest peak, had repelled sixteen previous winter expeditions over three decades with its notoriously violent jet stream winds and isolation. In January 2009, Italian high-altitude specialist Simone Moro and Kazakh power climber Denis Urubko joined forces in a fast, lightweight two-man winter expedition. Rejecting large siege tactics, fixed ropes above Camp II, and supplemental bottled oxygen, the duo established Base Camp on the glaciated moraines of the Makalu-Barun valley. After brief acclimatization dashes punctuated by sub-zero blizzards, a narrow weather window emerged in early February. Moving with relentless speed and precision, Moro and Urubko climbed from Camp II (6,900m) to Camp III on the Makalu La (7,400m) on February 7, enduring temperatures plummeting below -40°C and ferocious gales exceeding 100 km/h that threatened to rip them from the icy granite headwall. On February 9, 2009, setting out before dawn into bitter frost, the pair navigated the French Couloir and the knife-edge summit crest. At 2:00 PM local time, Denis Urubko and Simone Moro stood together on the 8,485-meter summit of Makalu, securing the first winter conquest of the mountain and writing a landmark chapter in modern Himalayan alpinism.
Documented Team Composition
- Simone Moro (Summit Climber, Italy)
- Denis Urubko (Summit Climber, Kazakhstan / Poland)
Key Statistics & Topographic Figures
- Summit Date
- February 9, 2009 (2:00 PM)
First Winter Ascent of Makalu (8,485m)
- Ascent Style
- Alpine Style Without Bottled Oxygen
Two-Man Push by Moro and Urubko
- Summit Temperatures
- -40°C Ambient (-60°C Wind Chill)
Hurricane Jet Stream Winds Exceeding 100 km/h
- Route
- French Route via Makalu La
Climbed from Camp III at 7,400 Metres
- Expedition Record
- Solved After 16 Failed Expeditions
Three Decades of Unsuccessful Winter Attempts
Archival Primary Source Quotations
“Makalu in winter is a monster of cold and wind; we did not conquer the peak, we simply survived its mercy.”
Defined Alpine Terminology & Concepts
- Makalu Jet Stream Barrier
- The severe high-altitude wind phenomenon over Makalu where Arctic jet stream winds exceeding 120 km/h strip snow and freeze the mountain down to bare blue ice.
- French Couloir (Makalu)
- A steep, technical snow and ice couloir on the northwest flank of Makalu that leads toward the upper summit pyramid.
Frequently Asked Questions: 2009 Simone Moro & Denis Urubko Makalu Winter First Ascent
When was Makalu first climbed in winter?
Makalu (8,485m) was first climbed in winter on February 9, 2009, by Italian mountaineer Simone Moro and Kazakh-Polish climber Denis Urubko.
Who made the first winter ascent of Makalu?
The first winter ascent was completed by Simone Moro (Italy) and Denis Urubko (Kazakhstan / Poland) climbing in a fast two-man team.
What route was climbed during the 2009 Makalu winter ascent?
They climbed the classic French Route via the Makalu La (7,400m) and the steep French Couloir on the upper northwest slopes.
Did Simone Moro and Denis Urubko use bottled oxygen on Makalu in winter?
No, Moro and Urubko completed the climb entirely without supplemental bottled oxygen, adhering strictly to pure alpine style ethics.
How many previous winter expeditions had failed on Makalu before 2009?
Sixteen previous international winter expeditions spanning nearly thirty years had failed to summit Makalu due to brutal jet stream winds.
What were the temperature and wind conditions on Makalu during the 2009 climb?
Temperatures plummeted below -40°C with hurricane winds exceeding 100 kilometres per hour that generated wind chill factors below -60°C.
How fast was the two-man team on their Makalu winter summit push?
Setting off from Camp III on the Makalu La at 6:00 AM on February 9, 2009, they reached the 8,485-metre summit at 2:00 PM in just eight hours.
What was the significance of the 2009 Makalu climb for Himalayan winter climbing?
Makalu was the last of the four Nepalese 8,000-metre giants to be conquered in winter, proving lightweight alpine style was viable on the coldest peaks.
Ascent Route & Topography
Makalu Northwest Ridge (French Route)
The Northwest Ridge is the classic pioneering line on Makalu, first opened by the historic French expedition of 1955. From Advanced Base Camp on the Chago Glacier, climbers ascend steep snow and ice fields to gain Makalu La (7,400m), a high, wind-blasted col connecting Makalu to Kangchungtse. Above Makalu La, the route climbs through the technical French Couloir—a mixed corridor of steep ice and broken granite—before emerging onto the exposed summit crest.
Target Objective Peak
Makalu
Makalu, at 8,485 meters (27,838 ft), is the fifth-highest mountain on Earth, located 19 km southeast of Mount Everest. An isolated four-sided granite pyramid, it is known for technical knife-edge ridges, severe exposure, and punishing weather, making it one of the most challenging eight-thousanders.
Featured Expedition Climbers
Denis Urubko
Born on July 29, 1973, in Nevinnomyssk, Soviet Union, Denis Urubko relocated to Almaty, Kazakhstan, where he joined the Central Sports Club of the Kazakh Army under legendary coach Ervand Ilyinsky. Urubko rapidly established himself as an elite high-altitude powerhouse, completing the Snow Leopard award by scaling all five 7,000-metre peaks of the former Soviet Union in an astonishing 42 days during the summer of 1999. In May 2009, he became the fifteenth person in history, and the eighth without supplemental oxygen, to summit all fourteen 8,000-metre peaks. Urubko is revered worldwide for his commitment to alpine style and new routes. In 2005, he established a new route on the Southwest Face of Broad Peak with Serguey Samoilov, followed by a new direct route on the Southeast Face of Cho Oyu in 2009, earning two Piolets d'Or. His partnership with Simone Moro yielded the historic first winter ascents of Makalu (2009) and Gasherbrum II (2011). In January 2018, while participating in the Polish winter K2 expedition, Urubko volunteered alongside Adam Bielecki to execute a desperate night rescue on Nanga Parbat, sprinting 1,200 vertical metres up the Kinshofer Route in pitch darkness to save French climber Élisabeth Revol.
Simone Moro
Born on October 27, 1967, in Bergamo, Italy, Simone Moro began rock climbing in the Bergamasque Alps at age thirteen. After qualifying as an instructor and mountain guide, he turned his focus to the Greater Ranges, pioneering lightweight alpine tactics on extreme Himalayan faces. In an era when most major high-altitude triumphs took place in pre-monsoon summer, Moro became the defining force behind the revival of winter eight-thousander expeditions. On January 14, 2005, Moro and Polish partner Piotr Morawski achieved the historic first winter ascent of Shishapangma (8,027m). He followed this triumph on February 9, 2009, by teaming with Denis Urubko to claim the first winter ascent of Makalu (8,485m), enduring temperatures lower than -40°C. In February 2011, Moro, Urubko, and Cory Richards completed the first winter ascent of Gasherbrum II (8,035m), surviving a catastrophic avalanche during their descent. On February 26, 2016, Moro etched his fourth winter summit into history by reaching the top of Nanga Parbat (8,126m) with Alex Txikon and Muhammad Ali Sadpara. In addition to his winter summits, Moro is an accomplished commercial helicopter pilot who has performed numerous record-breaking high-altitude rescues in the Himalayas, including the Fair Play Pierre de Coubertin World Trophy awarded after he aborted his 2001 Lhotse ascent at 8,000 metres to save British climber Tom Moores in darkness.
Associated Historical Chronicles & Stories
The Iron Winter: Simone Moro and Denis Urubko Conquer Makalu
On February 9, 2009, Simone Moro and Denis Urubko completed the historic first winter ascent of Makalu at -40°C in pure alpine style without supplemental oxygen.
Documented Sources & Archival Citations
- American Alpine Journal: Makalu in Winter by Denis Urubko(American Alpine Club)
Supporting claim: Official expedition account and technical documentation of the 2009 Makalu first winter ascent
Accessed/Documented: 2010 - National Geographic: Simone Moro and Denis Urubko Conquer Makalu in Winter(National Geographic Adventure)
Supporting claim: Contemporary journalistic report on the historical breakthrough of the first winter ascent of Makalu
Accessed/Documented: 2009-02-12