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Cho Oyu stands high above the Tibetan plains on the
Nepal / Tibet border, and is an ideal choice for mountaineers ready
to test themselves on the eight thou sanders. The world's sixth
highest mountain is to the locals a holy mountain. It was first
climbed by S. Moechler, H. Tichy and p. Dawa Lama in 1954. On a good
day the view from the summit plateau is breathtaking, in a sweep you
take in the entire panorama of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Chamlang,
Ama Dablam and other peaks of the Khumbu.
The Austrians were the first to step onto the snow-dome summit of
Cho Oyu back in 1954. This massif is arguably the most technically
straightforward, accessible and safe to climb. These days there are
more than four different routes on Cho Oyu with the Tibetan north
side offering several worthy first ascent possibilities.
We enter Tibet via Zhangmu and then drive to Old Tingri, from where
the trekking begins. Base Camp, Chinese, is situated at an altitude
of 5000m with the advanced base camp at 5700m and about three miles
away from the mountain proper. Base camp is established at Rongbuk
glacier at 5180m though the real climbing starts at camp 1 at an
elevation of 7000m |
