Climb Cho Oyu at 8201 meters in Tibet

Cho Oyu: “turquoise goddess”. In Tibetan, this is the name of the sixth highest peak on the planet, 30 kilometers further west than Everest. Rightly considered the most accessible 8000er. The easiest way to climb it is to travel to Kathmandu, Nepal. Once the consular and climbing formalities have been completed, a flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa takes you to the Tibetan plateau. A day of acclimatization in Lhasa allows you to visit, among other things, the famous Potala Palace. A two-day drive on a good road takes you to Tingri, via the famous town of Shigatse (second largest city in central Tibet). A passable route, then a track, leads to the end of the Gyabrac glacier, where the Chinese base camp (4900 m) is located. After a day devoted to acclimatization, we climb up the glacier moraine to reach the real Cho Oyu base camp at 5650 meter altitude. Here begins the ballet of shuttles to reach Camp 1 (6400 m), Camp 2 (7200 m) and finally Camp 3 (7550 m). For well acclimatized and highly trained climbers, the final ascent can be made directly from Camp 2 and back. It takes between 7 and 10 hours to reach the summit, plus the descent back to Camp 2. 

The main difficulty of the ascent lies between Camps 1 & 2: a barrier of seracs (50 to 100 m high) between 6600 and 6800 meters requires the use of fixed ropes. Beyond that, regular 30/35° slopes lead to the summit. 

Although Cho Oyu is the most accessible summit above 8000 meters, the length of the summit plateau at very high altitude should not be underestimated.

The first ascent, to the north-west, was made by an Austrian expedition. On October 19, 1954, Herbert Tichy, Sepp Jöchler and Sherpa Pasang Dawa Lama set foot on the summit. 

Cho Oyu lies on the Sino-Nepalese border. The approach trek passes under the Nangpa La pass, through which caravans used to travel between Tibet and Nepal before reaching Namche Bazar. 

Climbing an 8000er is an undertaking not to be underestimated. To have a real chance of success, it is best to arrive with solid experience of the mountain environment and its conditions. Being able to ascend and descend independently on fixed ropes, and knowing how to move almost single-handedly in complete safety between camps – these are the prerequisites for a successful ascent. 

What is more, in the rarefied atmosphere of high altitude and temperatures of –15 to –30°C, even the smallest routine requires a great deal of effort. Excellent physical condition and preparation increase the chances of success. 

Expeditions Unlimited provides experienced teams, one high-altitude sherpa per participant, a comfortable base camp and appropriate food. 24 days on the mountain means everyone can find their own rhythm.

Our philosophy is to provide you with all the logistics you need to reach the summit. Oxygen is available as an optional extra, but you are free to make your own ethical choices. 

To find out more about the history of the Cho Oyu ascent, read our blog post “Cho Oyu”: the clandestine conquest.

Follow the animated itinerary of the Cho Oyu ascent as if you were there.

MOUNTAINEERS' WORDS

These words of mountaineers, collected for the ascent of Everest, apply perfectly to our ascent of Cho Oyu.

“So what is it that makes this summit so fascinating to all mountaineers?... It is the highest mountain in the world... The many expeditions and the men who have conquered it have not succeeded in making it smaller. The altitude remains.“ - Reinhold Messner

“We didn't have to wait for the ultimate vision. Above the fog, Everest was still before us...: motionless as Keats star in its solitary splendor, and so high in the night! Eternal watchman of the shadows, the Mount seemed to intoxicate the world with its radiance.” - George Leigh Mallory

“Suddenly, it occurred to me that the ridge in front of us, instead of continuing to rise, was falling sharply; much lower down, I could see the North Col and the Rongbuck Glacier; in the foreground, a narrow snow ridge climbed towards a snowy summit; a few more ice axe strokes in the hardened snow... and we were at the summit. It was 11:30 a.m.” - Edmund Hillary May 29, 1953.

COLLECTIVE ADVENTURE

Our expedition will be a collective adventure, a crossroads of motivations and energies, a meeting of the capacities of an organization and motivated mountaineers. Two parallel challenges will have to be met:

• for the participant: to be at the top of his physical, technical and mental level when need be;
• for the organizer: to provide impeccable logistics enabling access to the high altitude camps under optimum conditions. Beyond that, it is up to the participants to make their own way up the summit ridge led by the guide and sherpas.

The main objective of this expedition is to experience an adventure that requires total commitment, both physical and moral, acting with lucidity and humility in a hostile natural environment that forgives no imprudence or temerity at the risk of death. It is this testimony that must be wisely recounted.

Good observance of all safety rules is essential, as is good physical and psychological preparation, a warm and supportive environment, total serenity, a little tactics and then, if the weather is kind and luck is on our side, we will be able to count down the magic minutes at the summit when effort ceases and nothingness fills the space and instills itself within us.

All parties agree that giving up does not constitute failure. Returning can also be a victory over oneself. Any preparation, even the most meticulous, any will, even the most tenacious, can be defeated by the adversity of natural environments whose strength is exponentially stronger than the finest human intelligence. Let the gods bless us and allow us to tread the summit.

Our motto: dare to climb, know how to descend

VERY HIGH ALTITUDE

Advice from Hubert Giot, mountain guide. He has taken part in several expeditions to 8000 meters and climbed Everest without oxygen.

It is not easy to establish rules, because mountaineers are not equal when it comes to altitude, either physiologically or mentally. Everyone seems to have their own plateau where they get stuck. Extremely tiring, this stage is always painful, but not prohibitive. Once you are past this stage, everything is fine... or not so bad. It is generally at this point that you get a better idea of your ability to adapt. This can happen as early as 6000 meters, or even earlier, during the approach trek.

High altitude also has its own rules, and transgressing them becomes inherently dangerous. There is a fundamental difference between climbing to 8000 meters and descending immediately, and staying there for 12 or 24 hours.

At this altitude, the trouble really starts, and every minute spent up there brings with it an inexorable process of self-destruction. We experience loss of sleep, lack of appetite, apathy and often hallucinatory phenomena.

In short... above 8000 meters, you are consumed. For novices, anything is possible, just remember a few basic rules. The first few days at base camp serve as a thermometer, and by the end of the third day you are often starting to feel good. It is then up to you to decide how to divide up the stages: you can either use the usual camp sites, or those defined by the terrain. As a general rule, when you can sleep at 6500 meters without headaches, you are ready to go higher. However, it is a good idea to make return trips to 7000 or 7500 meters, to test your potential. During these essential phases, it is important to stay well hydrated. Now it is time to spend an often uncomfortable night at around 7500 meters, then attempt the summit at 8000 meters. If the summit is beyond that, we try to sleep at 8000.

As for the rest, you need to be prepared to use your brain (or what is left of it) rather than your muscles, because meters, beyond 8500 meters, are expensive. And if I say brain, it is because it needs to be sufficiently alert to decide when to descend. If it does not, it is certain death. Doing an 8000er in good conditions is tough, but with cold, wind, snow or a barometric depression, it turns into a nightmare.

As a general rule, there are a few precautions to take:

• don't get too cold;
• don't get too hot;
• cover your head;
• stay hydrated, even in bad weather;
• try to have one hot snack a day;
• during the trek, do not walk bare-chested;
• at high altitudes, keep an eye on each other; don't doze off together;
• never descend alone;
• set limits for yourself, and look out for signs such as mirages, falling asleep and total loss of appetite;
• never hesitate to turn back, whatever the pressure;
• and in all cases, accept the fact that the mountains will always be there.

In short, to evolve at high altitude, you need meticulous preparation, adequate acclimatization, constant and mutual verification, intellectual vigilance at all times, and immediate renunciation in the event of weakness, doubt or danger.

Take a look at our web-conference on climbing Everest and Manaslu.