Cho Oyu is the sixth highest mountain in the world at (8,201 meters/26,906 feet). Cho Oyu Expedition is one of the easiest of the 8,000 meter peaks due to its straight forward approach and lack of objective dangers. Cho Oyu means "Goddess of Turquoise," as its stark shadows appear this color in the light of the setting sun when viewed from Tibet. Cho Oyu is located about 30 kilometers west of Mt Everest and straddles the border between Nepal and Tibet. Mount Cho-Oyu was first climbed on October 19, 1954, by Austrian Joseph Joechler, Herbert Tichy, Pasang Dawa Lama (Nepal).
There are two climbing routes, one from the south (Nepal side) and another from the north, the west ridge, commonly referred to as the regular route. The mountain is semi-technical with short ice cliffs, a rock band, and several crevasses. We provide both full board and base camp logistic services on Cho Oyu. We recommend using the top board services for safety, a secure mountaineering experience, and your best opportunity to reach the summit. However, some experienced climbers may opt for climbing without support above base camp from a guide or Sherpa.
The team will assemble in Kathmandu and gather any last-minute items. Upon arriving in Kathmandu, it will take two working days to obtain your Chinese Visa and climbing permit, but we will submit and take care of the details for you. The team will then travel overland via the Friendship Highway to Tibet. The journey takes you across the Tibetan Plateau, where you stop in Tingri and Nyalam along the way to acclimatize, before reaching the Chinese Base Camp. From the Cho-Oyu Chinese base camp, you will trek to middle camp for an overnight stay and the next day make the journey to Cho-Oyu Base Camp, which sits below the North West face of the mountain.
The route above advanced base camp consists mainly of low-angled snow slopes up to 35° with one short but very steep section to bypass a Sérac barrier at 6,475 meters. Most of the climbers use two or three camps on the mountain before reaching the summit. Camp 1 lies at 6,400m, Camp 2 around 7,100, and the highest camp at 7,450m. Most of the climbers try to summit push from camp two and return to camp two. However, we like to make this decision based upon the clients' health and fitness during the summit push. We are always flexible, and the plan might change due to weather, wellness, illness, or other unseen events. Generally, the team will spend 22-23 days committed to the summit objective, with multiple equipment and supply carries, and acclimatization climbs to camp 1, 2 and 3, before attempting the summit.
Satori Adventures provides top quality service to ensure safety, comfort, and support to maximize each client's chances of a successful summit. For us, the service quality means we always use private transportation from Kathmandu to base camp in a comfortable Jeep, and we only use experienced and trained climbing guides, an expedition cook, and professional base camp staff. Meals are freshly cooked, with snacks and drinks available 24 hours in your dining room. We only use the highest quality personal tents, a spacious and comfortable dining tent with functional and comfortable furniture, and an efficient heater, showers, solar panel for charging and lighting are all part of our advanced base camp facilities.
Our Cho-Oyu climbing guides are experienced and qualified. We provide extensive training to our staff in technical western-style climbing and English, customer service, and Wilderness First Aid. Most of our guides are skillful via TAAN, NMA, and NATHM. They have many years of experience on prominent peaks. They are highly skilled in Nepal mountaineering, and all hold a Nepal Government License, Mountaineering Association Accreditation, and Summit Certificates of Nepal Himalayan peaks. They have thorough technical training and practical experience in rock climbing techniques, ice and snow techniques, and logistic knowledge and expertise to set up and operate high altitude camps, experience in high altitude camping, techniques with fixed rope climbing, belay techniques, use of any mountaineering gear, service of oxygen, high altitude food, avalanche, and high mountain rescue techniques.
Cho-Oyu Advance base camp located below the North West face route at an elevation of 5,700m/18,700 feet is very comfortable and scenic. Spectacular glaciers and peaks surround this location with a full frontal view of the entire Cho Oyu route from the tent. The climbing route to the summit is approximately 12 km long with an elevation gain of 2,501m. You will spend about 22 days here. Cho-Oyu's advanced base camp is generally sunny due to its location, with the sun being out early and staying late in the day. There are approximately 7-15 climbing teams each spring and autumn season.
From advanced base camp to camp will take most people 4-6 hours. This trip starts out walking along the Gyabrag Glacier before moving to a steep scree slope that takes you to the shoulder of a broad snowfield and camp I. While command, I am set in a generally safe location. There are always risks of an avalanche on any big mountain, and proper safety precautions and tent set-up are essential.
Camp two is located at 7,100m/23,294 feet on a broad snow face just above a prominent 25-meter high ice cliff. To make climbing the ice cliff safer, we will fix a line up the ridge, making this part of the trip safer and more enjoyable. I will take most climbers 5 -7 hours on mostly 35-38 degree snow slopes from the base to camp II.
Camp III is located at (7,500m), which leaves the climbers with a 700-meter push for the summit day. Camp II is located just below the yellow band, a rock cliff that must negotiate to reach the summit and is cover in snow. The climbing route is a short but steep snow slope above the yellow band, but very strenuous. Since we will only spend a short amount of time at camp III, this camp does not contain many amenities. Around 45% of climbers will utilize bottled oxygen above base III. Most climbers will leave camp III for the summit around 0100 hours.
Upon leaving camp III, it will take you 7-9 hours of hard work to reach the summit of Cho Oyu. Most climbers will reach the summit between 0700 and 1000 hours if the weather is stable and the conditions are right. After crossing the yellow band, which is not difficult at sea level but can be challenging at 7,800 meters, the summit day's remainder is a long steep snow slope that requires climbers to dig deep and keep focused.
Highest access: 8,201m (26,906ft)
First Ascent: Austrian Joseph Joechler, Herbert Tichy (Austria), Pasang Dawa Lama (Nepal), October 19, 1954
Duration: 44 (typically) Days
Group Size: 01-10person per Group
Co-ordinates: 28°05'37''N, 86°39'43''E
Location: Nepal/Tibet border, 30km west of Everest
Country: Tibet, China
Airport: Kathmandu
Departure From: Kathmandu (KTM)
Grade: Moderate Climb (PD++)
Accommodation: Three star to five stars as request
Meals: B/B plan in Kathmandu & B,L,D in during Driving and climbing period
Transportation: Car, Jeep, Mini Bus
Best season: Late spring and autumn
Major Activity: trekking/climbing
Include Activity: Zhangbu, Naylam and Tingri tour
Culture: Tibeten and Sherpa
Mode of Travel: Hotel/Guest house on route, camping during Climbing period
Climbing route: North-west Ridge
Himalayan sights: Friendship peak, Everest, Lhotse, Shishapangma
31 Aug/Day 01:Arrival in Kathmandu airport and transfer to hotel (135M/4429ft)
01 Sep/Day 02: Rest and preparation day for assignment & briefing before departure from Kathmandu.
02 Sep/Day 03: Drive from Kathmandu to Syprubeshi (1460m/4790ft)..Overnight at Hotel
03 Sep/Day 04:Drive from Syprubeshi to Kerung Height(3200m/10499ft). Overnight at Hotel
04 Sep/Day 05:Drive from Kerung height to Tingri (4,348m/14,268 ft):Overnight at Hotel. overnight in hotel.
05 Sep/Day 06: Rest day at Tingri for acclimatization.The climbing Sirdar will take you up to a (5000m/16404ft) hill for acclimatization after breakfast.
06 Sep/Day 07: After breakfast drive from Tingri to the Chinese base camp (4800m/15750ft.) which is about two hour drive.
07 Sep/Day 08: Rest and acclimatization at Chinese base camp (4800m/15750ft). To prepare and arrange yaks to go to advanced base camp via middle camp.
08 Sep/Day 09:Trek from Chinese Base Camp to Middle Camp (5300m/17388ft.) along the 4x4 track
09 Sep/Day 10: Trek from Middle Camp to the ABC (5700m/18700ft) of Cho Oyu
10-8Oct/Day11-39: Climbing Period –Summit Cho-Oyu (8201m/26906ft)
09 Oct/Day 41: Dismantling ABC;trek to middle camp; drive to Tingri (4,348m/14,268 ft)-takes about 03 hours trekking and 06 hours driving; overnight in hotel
10 Oct/Day 41:Drive from Tingri to Kerung Height(3200m/10499ft) overnight at tea house accommodation in B/B plan
11 Oct/Day 42:Early in the morning drive from Kerung height to Kerung boarder, finish immigration formalities to cross the boarder and then drive to Kathmandu,transfer to hotel.
12 Oct/Day 43:Free day in Kathmandu and Nepalese cultural program with farewell dinner in the evening.
13 Oct/Day 44: Transfer to airport for final departure
Satori Adventures has not able to include the cost of each package in the company website. Many of our clients have the same query: why Satori Adventures has not included the price in the package. To provide you service in reasonable cost and attempt to address your each requirement we desired to provide you with some information which directly affects the cost and also helps us breakdown the cost. That’s why, we have decided to clarify our customers that due to following reasons we have not included the cost in our website and package:
Due to the above position the price range for the same trip can vary widely. So, we would like to discuss with our client before offering the cost. Please feel free to contact Satori Adventures for any information about in your selected package.
Satori Adventures offers Full Board Service for our entire range of flagship Mountaineering Expeditions to all 8000m peaks. Our Full Board service means that we will provide a Trekking service, an in-Base camp service and High camp service executed by your Sherpa Climbing Guide. All our Full Board clients will have a personal Sherpa Climbing guide exclusively dedicated to the client for the duration of the climb.
Our climbing Sherpa guide team will establish and secure climbing route in collaboration with other climbing teams participating on the route; Establish all high camps with camping equipment, provisions and oxygen and prepare high altitude food for his client; Assist his client on the route and ensure client safety and well being on the route through guiding and negotiating the route access priorities at pace and schedule determined by clients’ physical condition and preferred pace; Ensure total commitment to the client in case of emergency with clients’ safety and well being as overriding priority.
High camp service for Full Board Service clients will consist of provision of all equipment necessary to fix the route, all camping equipment, fuel and food for high camps as well as oxygen provision, including mask and regulator and latest model of Poisk oxygen, Summit system of Mask regulators in quantities specified in your climbing itinerary as per height of Mountain.
Satori Adventures provides very professional, helpful and friendly service from Kathmandu to the ABC as well as during the climb. Our objective is to provide a good quality, helpful, safe, friendly, stress free and comprehensive service to maximize summit opportunity.
In the Base camp our cooks and helpers will prepare and serve three delicious freshly cooked and plentiful meals a day and will ensure that hot and cold drinks are available 24 hrs a day. In the Base Camp we provide spacious expedition quality personal tents for all our clients both with full board or base-camp service only. In base camp we also provide dining tent, kitchen tent, toilet facilities and portable shower facilities and tent accommodation for our staff.
In base camp we provide access to communication including satellite telephone and internet access, solar panels to charge your batteries and UHF/VHF hand held radios on the mountain to maintain communications between ABC and high camps.
Our camp manager as well as guides and climbing Sherpa’s have an extensive experience on multiple Everest climbs. They will ensure cooperation with other companies and Base Camp organization. In base camp our guides will work with other teams to ensure contribution from all operators for tasks such as route fixing and to ensure the safety of climbers from ABC to the summit.
It is important for each climber to choose the right expedition guide service that not only suites their needs, but provides the best safely and secure mountaineering experience possible. There are more than 1,700 trekking companies in Nepal who offer 8,000 meter expeditions including Everest, but only about 30 companies who operate 8,000 meter peaks on a regular basis. We are proud to be one of these 30 companies and consistently offer, run and succeed at these types of expeditions year after year.
It is very important that the climbers who choose Satori Adventures for this trip of a lifetime experience have expectations that are compatible with the program we offer and the style of expedition Satori Adventures runs. We do not want to simply “fill our expedition”, but instead we want to comprise a team of companionable people who are focused on reaching the summit with the highest level of support and safety standards that can be provided by a guiding service on Mt Everest. We team this with the best standards of food and quality equipment to further assist each client reach their full potential. We feel that we offer the best environment and opportunity for you to be successful on the world’s highest mountain.
We are always developing and growing our operational systems to ensure you participate will provide as much as facilities provided. We figure our expedition members do not deserve anything less during the trekking and climbing! In the interests of giving you the most optimal chance to summit, we limit our team size to ensure the group summits on the best weather day; sometimes there are less window days for summit in Everest. In big size of group offering cheap climbs often miss out as they split their groups over several potential summit days. We feel like our climbing members are feeling that they are climbing as a family and friends team even on international people. We accept maximum 08 people in a group and if we have more than that we always split in two groups. So that our base camp staff cooks, climbing Sherpa guide will fully taking care about you and provide service as per your desire.
The Satori Adventures methodology and tactical approach to climbing Mt Everest has seen us achieve the highest success rates and our extensive experience gives us the edge when it comes to making the right decisions. We provide a consistently higher Sherpa and Guide ratio than any other operator, resulting in more support and backup for your summit attempt and therefore a greater safety margin and chance of success. There is always a 1:1 ratio of the climbing Sherpa/guide and client. We always use professional and experienced climbing Sherpa or guides who have all reached the summit of Everest.
Our guides are professionals who are trained and assessed either via the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA) resulting in a greater repertoire of skills that enables them to provide a dedicated level of security to you during the expedition, or many years of mountaineering experience on the world’s biggest peaks. Our guides are experience in both advanced and basic rescue courses and all have a minimum of 3 years guiding on Everest.
Satori Adventures Everest expeditions have been at the forefront of providing top communications for our Everest expeditions. This allows us to obtain and deliver comprehensive weather forecasts via U.S., European and Kathmandu weather forecasting. Our lead guide is always equipped with a satellite phone during the climbing and at base camp. Two way radio communications between climbing members, guides, Sherpa and base camp staff is also provided. There is also local mobile network available at base camp that provides easy connection with your family during your stay at base camp.
Satori Adventure focuses on comfortable conditions at base camp, including good quality food and other services. We find this helps clients with their overall success rate on the mountain. Our cooks are regarded as the best in the business, providing wholesome and appetizing meals with an agreeable array of menus to suit all your food requirements. The meals you are served on the mountain are also of the highest standard and designed to sustain you for the rigorous ascent. We offer various choices that will suit any diet plan, including vegetarian, Vegan, continental, Indian and others.If you have special food consideration, please provide this to us 60 days prior to the expedition so we can plan the best meals for your trip.
The approach on its Cho-Oyu North face ridge Base camp is through the Kodari Boarder of Nepal leading up to Cho-Oyu Glassier. It starts with the drive from Kathmandu to Kodari Border After immigration formalities, drive to Naylam(3700M), to Tingri (4,300m) to Chinese Base Camp (5,150m). It takes typically 07 days to reach ABC from Kathmandu.
When you arrive at base camp, our staff will set up the camp and you will have time to rest and continue to acclimate. Upon completing a Pooja ceremony at base camp, our team of Sherpa’s will begin to open the route to camp I. When this is completed, our guides will begin to take clients and loads to camp I. Depending on your physical fitness and bodies’ reaction to altitude, you may stay at camp I for a second night, or move up to camp II and then descend back to base camp.
Our team will then open the route and fix the lines to camp II and supply the camp with gear, equipment and food. If required for acclimation and if the weather conditions allow, you may sleep a second night at camp II, or proceed up to camp III and then return. During your rest and time at base camp our team will continue to open the route, fix the camp and line and supply food, oxygen, and equipment and prepare for the summit push.
After your camp I and II acclimatization, our climbing guides will check the weather forecast, group fitness and recovery conditions. If upcoming weather reports, your physical fitness and conditions are good, we will begin the summit push. On the summit push, you will move to camp I, camp II and then camp III before moving to the summit. At camp III you will awake at 0100 hours and begin the summit push.
If due to any reason (bad weather, group physical fitness, accident, incidence) we have to return to base camp before the summit push, but still have climbing time, good weather conditions and climbers are interested for another summit push, we will provide one more opportunity. However, more than 98% of climbers either summit on the first try, or give up the trip after the first summit attempt.
The Great Trigonometric Survey of India, part of the British Survey of India which began in 1803, made distance measurements of many high Himalayan peaks in the 1850s including those in the Mount Everest region. Cho Oyu, not originally assigned an identification number, was later named T45 and then MI since it appeared to be a minor peak. 1921 First Exploration of Cho Oyu Lieutenant Colonel Charles Howard-Bury (1883-1963) led a British Everest reconnaissance expedition that explored the Cho Oyu area. The group included George Leigh Mallory, who was on his first trip to the Mount Everest region. They explored the area for two months and made the first photographs of Cho Oyu from Nangpa La, a high pass between Nepal and Tibet.
A British expedition led by Eric Shipton made a serious attempt to climb Cho Oyu. Shipton's goals for the ascent, besides the summit, were "to test the ability of several mountaineers to climb to great heights;" to find a group of climbers able to attempt Mount Everest in 1953; to test oxygen gear, clothing, and equipment; and to study the physiology of high-altitude climbing. Unfortunately, the Chinese closed the Tibetan side of the mountain and the best feasible route. The climbers, including Edmund Hillary, attempted the Southwest Ridge but failed so they tried the illegal northwest side of the peak alpine style and reached 22,400 feet before defeat. Hillary had "felt almost a sense of shame that we'd allowed ourselves to admit defeat so readily."
Cho Oyu was successfully climbed in the post-monsoon season of 1954 via the Northwest ridge. At 3:00 p.m. on October 19, Austrian climbers Joseph Jöchler and Herbert Tichy and Sherpa Pasang Dawa Lama who led the ice cliff that Shipton had described as "obviously impassible." (AAJ 29 1955, p. 178) stepped onto the summit of Cho Oyo after climbing almost 4,000 feet in ten hours from Camp IV. Both Austrians were suffering from severe frostbite, while Pasang, having hiked over 30 miles and gained 10,000 feet to Camp II after going down for supplies, wept tears of joy, which froze on his cheeks, as he unfurled the flags of Nepal, Austria, and India on his ice axe.This route has remained as the standard climbing route for commercial expeditions since.
The great alpinist Reinhold Messner climbed Cho Oyu on his fourth attempt with Hans Kammerlander and Michael Dacher. The trio climbed it alpine style and without Sherpas in four days up the southwest flank for Cho Oyu's fourth overall ascent. On the last day, they climbed over 3,000 feet of elevation to the summit. Messner later become the first climber to successfully ascend all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks
On February 12 two Polish climbers Maciej Berbeka and Maciej pawlikowski reached the summit followed by two other Polish climbers Andrzj Heinrich and Jerzy Kukuczka
On May 13 Carlos Carsolino got the summit implementing a world record speed ascent from base camp, reached in 18 hours and 45 minutes. First solo ascent via the South West face by Yasushi Yamanoi.
On October 2, Slovenian Pavel Kozjek speed-climbed a new route on the Southwest Face in a single solo ascent from advanced base camp. The crux was a vertical icefall, which was bypassed with 5.6 rock climbing. He reached the summit in 14 hours.
I have climbed successfully Cho-Oyu and Shishapangma Expedition with Satori Service. The service was Excellent, professioanl organization, very helpful staff and very quick in answers by Rishi Bhandari. We have got competitive price. In the base camp service is excellent and the staff work hard. Satori Sirdar and expedition leader Mr Mingma Temba Sherpa Willingness to best solve each problem.
Rishi is a very good person, helpful and friendly.
Surely we'll organize again other expeditions together.
Satori Agency VERY RECOMMENDED FOR ANY CLIMBERS!!!
I have used Satori Adventures in Kathmandu several times and have found them to be professional, organized, provide excellent service and that they really go above and beyond to ensure your expedition is trip is a life changing experience.
Rishi and his company Satori provide very good services and support for us. They are very reliable and they took care of all our needs. Thanks again for all your support ! Adrian
First climbers of Cho Oyu were Austrians. Not Australians. Austria in Europe. Also Herbert Tichy was from Austria (Vienna), not from Italy. Best regards, Martina from Austria
Satori Adventures Pvt. Ltd.
P. O. Box-21378, Naya Bazaar, Kathmandu, Nepal
Phone: +977-1-4965127
+977-1-4951250
Email: info@satoriadventuresnepal.com
Fax: +977-1-4965127
Mob: +977-9851031006
www.satoriadventuresnepal.com