Julia Hamilton on Makalu: the mountain that made her wait

The adventure begins

There are some journeys that feel big before you have even reached the airport.

For Julia Hamilton, Makalu began with an emotional goodbye at home, a train journey full of hugs and good-luck wishes from friends, and the feeling of heading back to Nepal for her fourth journey to the Himalayas.

The plan was ambitious: trek to Everest Base Camp, climb Island Peak, then move on to Makalu Advanced Base Camp for a remote expedition on the beautiful giant she had seen from Everest the year before.

Makalu is the fifth-highest mountain in the world at 8,485m. It is also widely regarded as more technical than Everest. So this was never a casual decision, or a mountain chosen by chance. Julia had been thinking about it for more than two years — first seeing it, then studying it from Everest, then talking it through properly before committing.

Full respect for the mountains. Always.

Progression matters

One thing Julia talks about often is progression.

Not the shiny, summit-photo version of mountaineering. The real version. The one built through long alpine days, mixed terrain, exposure, altitude, difficult weather and small decisions made over and over again.

Bigger mountains are not just about wanting them badly enough. They are about being ready for them.

That was the thread running through this whole expedition. Everest Base Camp and Island Peak were not just exciting stops along the way. They were part of the process: moving, acclimatising, learning the rhythm of the team, and building towards Makalu step by step.

As Julia put it, the mountain only reveals what you have already built.

EBC, Island Peak and the climb before the climb

Once the team arrived in Kathmandu, the practical work began: gear checks, last bits of shopping, meeting the rest of the Himalaya Dream Team, and getting ready to head for the big mountains.

Then came Everest Base Camp and Island Peak at 6,167m.

Island Peak gave the team everything: a midnight start, frozen fingers, steep rock and snow, thin air and the slow, step-by-step effort that never quite makes it into the summit photos. It was one of those climbs that reminds you the best moments are earned. And for Julia, it was another layer in the preparation before Makalu.

Preparing properly for altitude

Kit that earns its place

Julia's preparation was not only about training volume. Before Makalu, she also completed a full blood analysis, checking iron, ferritin, vitamin B12, vitamin D and general recovery markers. At altitude, small deficiencies can become much bigger problems. Fatigue, slower recovery and reduced performance all get amplified when the air is thin.

The same practical thinking showed up in her kit choices. In winter alpine conditions she has talked about using thermal base layers, Scottish Merino wool socks from Moggans, a mid-layer fleece, a down jacket for stops and summit moments, and a hardshell for wind protection.

It is not glamorous, but it matters. Warm feet, dry layers, good gloves, a proper hat, eye protection — these are the small things that help keep the bigger picture possible.

Makalu Advanced Base Camp: eat, rest, prepare, wait

At Makalu Advanced Base Camp, the routine became very simple on paper.

Eat. Rest. Prepare. Wait.

But at 5,700m, even simple things are not simple. Walking feels heavier. Sleeping is harder. Recovering takes longer. Even thinking can feel slower.

Julia described it as a very different world from the Alps, and from anywhere else. Base layers, warm socks, balaclava, air-warming mask, hot water bottle — wrapped up like a Himalayan burrito.

Not quite the glamorous expedition life some people imagine from Everest Base Camp. But very real. And very Makalu.

The altitude hits different

Four days after arriving at Makalu Advanced Base Camp, Julia set off on her second rotation. The plan was to climb to Camp 2 and spend a night at 6,645m.

That was where Makalu began to show how different it was from other big mountains she had climbed. The approach to Camp 1 was interesting. The night at Camp 2 was restless. And the altitude, in Julia's words, hit different.

Back at Base Camp, the summit push still felt huge. There was nothing to do but recover, watch the weather, wait for a window and hope the strength would be there when the time came.

Waiting can be the hardest part

A lot of expedition life is waiting.

Waiting for the weather window. Waiting for your body to acclimatise. Waiting for the right moment. Sometimes, as Julia said, the hardest thing is doing nothing at all.

The first summit push did not give the team the window they needed. The weather shut them down, and Julia had already started mentally closing the chapter on Makalu.

Back in Kathmandu, showered, rested and watching the forecasts, something shifted. It was not about forcing the mountain. It was not about refusing to accept a turnaround. It was the feeling that there might still be a chance.

A few days later, she was back on Makalu.

The second attempt

The second attempt was only possible because of the team around her.

Julia has been clear about her gratitude to Lakpa Dai, the whole 8K Expeditions team, her guide Lakpa, her second guide Dawa Tenjen Sherpa and the Base Camp team who helped make the return possible.

That is the reality of big mountains. Nobody does it alone. The summit might have one person's name beside it, but the work belongs to many people: guides, Sherpa teams, Base Camp teams, friends, family and everyone who helped make the journey happen.

Why the small kit choices matter

In a place like Makalu, you notice the small things.

Cold feet. Damp socks. A layer that does not dry. Gloves that are not warm enough. A restless night that becomes a harder day. None of it sounds dramatic on its own, but in the mountains small problems can grow quickly.

That is why Moggans fits so naturally into Julia's mountain life. Not as a loud product moment, but as part of the practical kit that helps her stay warm, comfortable and blister-free when the days are long and conditions keep changing.

Merino wool earns its place because it is warm, breathable and comfortable across changing conditions — from winter alpine training days to long approaches, cold camps and damp boots back home in Scotland.

Summit morning

On 20 May 2026, at 8:40am, Julia Hamilton reached the summit of Makalu with Lakpa Sherpa and Dawa Tenjen Sherpa as part of 8K Expeditions' Spring 2026 Makalu Expedition.

Makalu now sits alongside Manaslu and Everest in Julia's 8,000m story. But this climb was never only about another summit. It was about patience. About preparation. About almost letting go, then realising she was not done with it yet. And, most importantly, about respecting the mountain all the way.

Proud to support Julia

At Moggans, we are proud to support athletes and ambassadors who use our kit in real mountain life — not just on perfect bluebird days, but in the cold, slow, stop-start reality of training, climbing and waiting for weather windows.

Julia's Makalu expedition is a reminder that adventure is not always glamorous. Sometimes it is frozen fingers and heavy legs. Sometimes it is a hot water bottle at 5,700m. Sometimes it is doing nothing, because the mountain says wait.

Congratulations, Julia, on an incredible Makalu summit. We cannot wait to see where the mountains take you next.

Shop Julia's mountain kit

For cold starts, long approaches, wet trails and mountain days closer to home, explore Moggans Stravaiger Merino Hiking Socks and our full range of Merino hiking socks — designed in Scotland for comfort, warmth and durability.

Discover the Merino socks trusted by Moggans athletes in the world's biggest mountains, built for comfort across long days, changing weather and demanding terrain.