Mt Makalu is the fifth-highest mountain in the world. Hillary had been at near-death on the mountain in 1954 with cerebral and pulmonary edema. On 4 May at Camp 4 he was unwell and went back to Camp 2 then Base Camp and back to Khumjung; it was the end of his days as a serious climber. But while the Silver Hut group were better acclimatized at there was no consistent difference between the two groups at on the Col.