Trekking · Makalu Base Camp
Crossing the Shipton La into the Barun
The hardest and most beautiful day on the approach: from Khongma Danda over the Keke La and Shipton La ridge, past small lakes and prayer flags, then down into the forested upper Barun valley.
We leave Khongma Danda early, often before 6 am, with a packed lunch and plenty of water. The trail climbs steeply over rocky ground to the first pass, then traverses past a string of small lakes to the Shipton La, with prayer flags marking the high points. The ridge is around 4,100–4,200 m, and on clear mornings the views open toward Makalu and Chamlang, with the forested valleys you have climbed through far below.
The Shipton La is named after the British explorer Eric Shipton. After the second pass the trail drops steeply through rhododendron and fir toward Dobate or Yangle Kharka in the Barun valley, losing well over a thousand metres in places. It is a long day, 7–9 hours, and tiring on the knees, so walking poles are a big help. Our guide keeps the group together on the ridge, where cloud can roll in fast and the trail is easy to lose.
Snow can make the crossing dangerous, especially in winter and early spring, when the traverse between the passes can be icy and the trail buried. Our guide checks conditions with lodge-keepers and other groups coming the other way, and will wait a day if needed. That is why every Makalu itinerary we plan has a spare day. Reaching the Barun valley that evening, tired but safe, is one of the great moments of the trek.
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Questions
How high is the Shipton La?
The Shipton La crossing is usually given as around 4,100–4,200 m, with the Keke La nearby at a similar height. Figures vary between maps. It is the highest point of the approach before the Barun valley.
Is the Shipton La dangerous?
In good conditions it is a hard but non-technical trekking day. Snow and ice, which are common from December to April, make it slippery and route-finding difficult, and accidents have happened. Cross only with a guide who knows current conditions.
Why is it called the Shipton La?
The pass is named after Eric Shipton, the British mountaineer and explorer who led Himalayan reconnaissance expeditions in the 1930s to 1950s. Local people also have their own names for the passes and lakes on the ridge.
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