Babar Ali Makes History as First Bangladeshi to Conquer Mount Makalu

Mountaineer Babar Ali has etched his name in history as the first Bangladeshi to reach the summit of Mount Makalu, the world's fifth-highest peak.

With this achievement, he becomes the first person from Bangladesh to successfully climb five "eight-thousanders" (peaks above 8,000 meters).

Babar reached the 8,485-meter (27,838 ft) summit located in Nepal’s Mahalangur Himalayas at 5:45 AM Bangladesh time on Saturday (May 2).

The expedition, titled "Expedition Makalu: The Fifth Frontier," was organized by the Chittagong-based mountaineering club, Vertical Dreamers.

Farhan Zaman, President of Vertical Dreamers, confirmed the news via Mohan Lamsal, owner of the Nepalese outfitter "Makalu Adventure." Babar was accompanied by Ang Kami Sherpa during the final ascent.

The Journey to the "Great Black One"
Known as the "Great Black One," Makalu is notorious for its steep pitches and technical difficulty. Babar’s journey began on April 7 when he departed Bangladesh for Nepal.

After arriving at the high base camp on April 18, he underwent several rounds of acclimatization, climbing to Camp-1 and Camp-2 before retreating to base camp to wait for a favorable weather window.

The final push began on April 30:

• April 30: Reached Camp-2 (6,600m).
• May 1: Reached Camp-3 (7,400m).
• Midnight, May 1: Commenced the final 1,100-meter vertical climb.
• May 2 (Dawn): Successfully touched the summit.

A Decorated Climbing Career
Babar Ali began his trekking journey in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in 2010 and transitioned to high-altitude mountaineering in 2014.

A founder and current General Secretary of Vertical Dreamers, he received formal training from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in India in 2017.

His record of achievements includes:

• 2022: First Bangladeshi to summit the technical peak Ama Dablam (22,349 ft).
• 2024: Conquered Mount Everest (29,035 ft) and Mount Lhotse (27,940 ft) in a single expedition—a first for any Bangladeshi.
• April 2025: First Bangladeshi to summit Annapurna I (26,545 ft).
• September 2025: First Bangladeshi to summit Mount Manaslu (26,781 ft) without supplemental oxygen.

Conquering Makalu marks Babar's fifth successful ascent of the world's 14 highest peaks, bringing him closer to his ultimate goal of standing atop every eight-thousander on Earth. Babar is expected to descend to Base Camp by Sunday, May 3.