The Cho Oyu Expedition is considered by many as one of the best peaks to climb, with an impressive height of 8,000 meters. It is also the world’s sixth-highest mountain and is situated along the Nepal-Tibet border, just 70 kilometers west of Everest. While climbing the Cho Oyu peak from Tibet may not be as technically challenging as other 8,000-meter mountains, it still requires some mountaineering experience and physical fitness. It is recommended that expedition members have previously climbed peaks such as Island, Lobuche, Mera, and Chula, and have been to altitudes of at least 6,000 meters.
The usual route to climb Cho Oyu from Tibet is through the northwest face, which starts from the Tibetan side of the Nangpa La, an old trading route to Nepal. This route has the highest success rate among all other 8,000-meter mountains, making it an attractive option for mountaineers.
Mountain Monarch, the organizer of the Cho Oyu Expedition, has set its primary goal to help mountaineers summit Cho Oyu safely, with the most amount of personal fulfillment and fun. To achieve this objective, the expedition is supported by an experienced staff that assists the climb.
The proposed itinerary for the Cho Oyu Expedition from Tibet allows ample time for proper acclimatization, rest days, and several returns to base camp. After three days of trip preparation in Kathmandu, the expedition takes a flight to Lhasa and then heads to the Cho Oyu expedition base camp. The base camp is located at the Chinese Base Camp, where mountaineers can stay for two nights or more, depending on their feelings. The base camp provides temporary but comfortable accommodation, including a dining tent, before hiking up to the advanced base camp.
The advanced base camp (ABC) is situated at an altitude of 5,700 meters, in the heart of the Himalayas, surrounded by celestial peaks. The high pass called Nangpa La is also nearby, which is an old but still used yak track trading route between Nepal and Tibet. From ABC, mountaineers can see the superb scene of Cho Oyu. This is the main base camp, and mountaineers plan to stay there for the whole Cho Oyu expedition to look at the favorable situation for the trip.
The expedition has three summit camps. Camp 1 (6,400 m) is approached in 6-8 hours via an initial walk up the Gyabrag Glacier and then up a steep scree to a broad snow shoulder and camp 1. Camp 2 (7,000 m) is reached by following the snow ridge out of Camp 1 to a steep 50-meter ice wall, which provides the most challenging climbing on the route. However, it is relatively straightforward, and fixed ropes can be placed. Usually, the journey to Camp 2 is completed in 7-9 hours. Camp 3 (7,400 m) is situated on easy ground, and the journey to camp 3 takes around 4 hours. At this altitude, an accurate determination is needed to deal with the effects of size.
Summit day takes 6-8 hours to reach the summit, initially up easy snow and rock to the summit plateau, at which point it is only altitude, weather, and fitness that will stop mountaineers from reaching the sixth-highest summit.