Chinese Karakoram: Cho Oyu

0 ft

Elevation

China

Country

Days

4E

Difficulty

Late Aug

Start

Early Oct

End

About the Mountain

WHY CLIMB IT?

Cho Oyu (26,906 ft) is the sixth highest mountain in the world, but it’s most famous for being the easiest peak to climb over 8,000 meters (26,250 ft). Those striving for Mount Everest (29,029 ft) will often use Cho Oyu as an introduction to high altitude climbing after they’ve acquired extensive mountaineering experience at lower altitudes. Adequate preparation includes summiting a mountain similar to Denali, i.e., requiring glacier travel, crampons, use of rope teams, rappelling skills, strong endurance, etc. All this and more will be tested on Cho Oyu, so it’s important to come with confidence in your mountaineering skills and ability to handle emergencies.

“The Yellow Band was more technical than expected with some thin ice and mix climbing.”

- Kilian Jornet

Cho Oyu means the ‘Turquoise Goddess’ in Tibetan, owing to the rich blue color that cloaks the mountain at sunset. It’s a magical place to make an expedition to the summit, surrounded by the Nepali and Tibetan Himalayas. From Cho Oyu’s slopes, you can see out to legendary mountains, like Mount Everest, Lhotse (27,940 ft), and Ama Dablam (22,501 ft). Uniquely, you can start the expedition in Lhasa, Tibet, then enter Nepal through Zhangmu to finish in Kathmandu, Nepal (or vice versa). In this way, you can experience two unique cultures and how they blend in the great mountains that separate them.