KATHMANDU: Bangladeshi mountaineer Babar Ali has made history on Mt. Makalu, becoming the first climber from his country to stand on the summit of the world's fifth highest peak — and recording his fifth successful ascent of an 8,000-metre mountain, a record unmatched by any other Bangladeshi climber.

"Ali reached the 8,485-metre summit at  5:30 am Nepal time on May 2, accompanied by Ang Kami Sherpa and Lakpa Rinjin Sherpa according to The Business Standard," informed Makalu Adventure. "We wish them a safe descent to Base Camp," it noted.

"He was part of Makalu expedition organised by Vertical Dreams and locally supported by Makalu Adventure Pvt Ltd," according to Mohan Lamsal, Managing Director of Makalu Adventure Pvt. Ltd.

The expedition, titled Makalu: The Fifth Frontier, was organised by Vertical Dreamers, a Bangladeshi mountaineering club of which Ali is a founding member and general secretary. Farhan Zaman, president of the club, confirmed the summit success.

Located in Nepal's Mahalangur Himal range, Makalu is widely regarded as one of the most technically demanding of the world's 14 peaks above 8,000 metres. The mountain is often called the "Great Black One" for its steep, pyramid-like structure — a fitting challenge for a climber building toward the complete set of fourteen.

Ali began his journey on April 7, trekking to Base Camp via Tumlingtar and Seduwa. After multiple acclimatisation rotations between camps, he launched his final summit push on April 30 following a brief weather improvement, climbing from Camp 3 at roughly 7,400 metres and ascending more than 1,100 vertical metres overnight to reach the summit at dawn. Expedition officials expect him to descend to lower camps before returning to Base Camp by May 3, The Business Standard reported.

The Makalu summit adds to a remarkable sequence of national firsts. 

In 2024, Ali became the first Bangladeshi to summit both Everest and Lhotse in a single expedition. In 2025, he climbed Annapurna I and later Manaslu — the latter without supplemental oxygen, another national first. His mountaineering journey began in 2014, building on earlier trekking experience in the Chattogram hills. He received formal training from the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in 2017.

With five eight-thousanders now complete, Ali moves closer to his stated goal of climbing all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres — a feat achieved by only a handful of climbers worldwide.