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Yasuko Namba
The leader of the Taiwanese team, Makalu Gau is an enthusiastic but not tremendously talented mountaineer. In the months leading up to the Everest expedition, Gau is involved in a dangerous accident on the slopes of Mount McKinley; thus, when he leads his team to Everest, everyone is expecting his team to experience problems.
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Makalu Gau Character Timeline in Into Thin Air
The timeline below shows where the character Makalu Gau appears in Into Thin Air. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 7
...one of the climbers died. The leader of the Taiwanese team, a man named Makalu Gau, made it to the summit, and when he was climbing down, he cried, “Victory!”, seemingly...
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Chapter 11
...rope. The next morning Chen’s condition begins to deteriorate—within a few hours, he’s dead. Makalu Gau learns of Chen’s death, but doesn’t show any emotion; instead, he orders his team to...
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Chapter 17
...May 10, Scott Fischer climbs to the summit of Everest, along with Rob Hall, Makalu Gau, and two Sherpas from the Taiwanese team. Fischer is exhausted, and complains about his poor...
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...Fischer’s erratic behavior and tries to help him descend safely. Lopsang and Fischer encounter Makalu Gau, who is suffering from altitude sickness. Fischer tells Lopsang to keep descending, but Lopsang refuses;...
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...hours, the three Sherpas find the incapacitated climbers that Lopsang was forced to abandon, including Gau and Fischer. Fischer is still alive, but he’s barely breathing; thus, the Sherpas make the...
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Chapter 20
...it’s slightly warmer. Around 3 pm, a team of Sherpas rushes the body of Makalu Gau—weak, but still alive—to Camp Two. David Breashears gives word that he and a few other...
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...fly one passenger to the hospital, however. Everyone agrees that this passenger should be Makalu Gau, who’s severely frostbitten. Late in the day, another helicopter arrives from Kathmandu; this time, the...
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