Climbing Cho Oyu from the south face on the Nepal side has proven to be a formidable challenge for commercial expeditions, leaving some of the best and bravest in the industry with a sense of disappointment in recent years. Nepali guides have been trying to open a commercial route to Cho Oyu summit but without success.
Last autumn, a Russian team led by Andrei Vasiliev reportedly reached 7,350m of the 8,188m mountain, and turned back due to unfavorable weather. In October 2022, six guides from Pioneer Adventures made it to Camp III, yet couldn’t progress further. In February of the same year, Mingma Dorchi Sherpa of Pioneer Adventure led a team of 10 Sherpa guides from Thame side, and Gelje Sherpa from Seven Summit Treks led another team from the Gokyo side. Mingma’s team reached up to 7,700m, while Gelje’s team reached up to 7,900m before being forced to retreat due to adverse weather conditions. A year earlier, Gelje Sherpa had again led an unsuccessful winter expedition to Cho Oyu.
This year, a French-Nepali team has set out to climb Cho Oyu from the Nepal side, again raising hope for a successful summit and finding a viable commercial route. Cho Oyu is generally climbed from Tibet. This year China has formally closed both Shishapangma and Cho Oyu for commercial climbers for the spring season.
Alasdair Scot Mckenzie, a 19-year-old French climber, is headed to Cho Oyu with five Nepali guides from Seven Summit Treks. The Nepali team include seasoned climbers: Mingtemba Sherpa, Chhangba Sherpa, Wangbak Sherpa, Phurba Sherpa and Lakpa Tenji Sherpa.
Mingtemba was a member of Gelje Sherpa’s team that explored a commercial route from the Nepal side in autumn 2022.
Mingtemba has already climbed 13 of the 14 eight-thousanders with only Shishapangma remaining. He is the childhood friend of World Record holder Tenjen Sherpa ‘Lama’, who summited 14 peaks above 8,000m in 92 days with Norwegian climber Kristin Harila. Tenjen died in Shishapangma last year in an avalanche. Mingtemba was initially going to Shishapangma this season to retrieve the body of Tenjen.
“We are waiting for permit for Shishapangma for search mission of Tenjen’s body but China closed its mountains for spring. So when Alasdair, who is also on a mission to complete 14 peaks, approached us wanting to climb Cho Oyu from Nepal side, we eagerly joined him,” Mingtemba told Everest Chronicle in a brief interview from Thame.
Chhangba Sherpa, another team member, said he would rather join the Cho Oyu expedition than anything else. “This is also an opportunity to explore a commercial route from the Nepal side,” he told Everest Chronicle from Lukla, as he was heading to Namche, “We have experienced climbers on our team. And Mingtemba, our team member, already knows the route up to Camp IV from Thame side”, he said.
Both climbers were excited about the opportunity to explore the route from the Nepal side. If they succeed, this will be a historic feat.
19-year-old Mckenzie has climbed 12 out of 14 peaks above 8,000m. He started his 14 peaks mission in 2022.
Phurba Sherpa, five-times Everest summiteer, expressed confidence that the team will succeed this time.
Cho Oyu, which in Tibetan means Turquoise Goddess, stands as the world’s sixth-highest peak, towering at 8,188 meters. It is one of the most climbed eight-thousanders after Mount Everest, with nearly 4,000 successful summits.
According to the Himalayan Database, since its first ascent in 1,954, there have been a total of 2806 successful ascents by climbers and 1,247 by guides so far. Only 135 of these successful ascents have been made from the south face. There have been 52 dead on the Tibetan side and 16 dead on the Nepal side.
Climbing Cho Oyu from the south face is thought to be suitable only for light alpine-style climbing, but expedition agencies appear keen to establish a commercial route. Obtaining a Chinese visa, let alone a permit to climb the peak, has become increasingly challenging in recent years, especially after the Covid pandemic in 2020.
China has not issued any permits for foreigners in the ongoing 2024 spring season. The high permit cost is another significant factor, as it costs around $9,000 to climb via Tibet, while it only costs $1,800 in Nepal.
While expedition agencies are placing high stakes on establishing a commercial route, doubts persist regarding its ability to attract as many climbers as the Tibetan side.
One key reason for this is that all routes on the south face are highly demanding. They are so demanding that even Sherpas with impeccable climbing records, such as Mingma Dorchi Sherpa and Gelje Sherpa, who were key members behind the first winter success on K2, failed to climb it, let alone open a viable route.
There are also logistical challenges as the route is generally steep, susceptible to avalanches, and extreme weather conditions and requires superior climbing skills.
