Tibet, Chomolungma. Sunrise on the Kangshung face of Makalu 8463 m (27776 ft), the 5th Highest mountain in the world on the East side of Mount Everest. The first attempt to climb Makalu was made by an American team in the spring of 1954. They tried to reach the top via the SE ridge but were turned back at 7,100 metres by a constant barrage of storms. The first ascent by the SE ridge was made by two climbers from a Japanese expedition on May 23, 1970.The Kangshung Valley was used by mountaineering expeditions seeking to climb Mount Everest in 1920's because Nepal was closed to foreigners.