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For Autumn
Cho Oyu 2000 go here
Cho Oyu
2000
Cho Oyu Spring 2000: Jagged
Globe, Featured Expedition
Other Cho Oyu Spring
2000 will also be reported on this page.
Cho Oyu 2000 dispatches
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Robert
Anderson (Expedition Leader) Jagged
Globe Cho Oyu Spring 2000
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This is their 6th expedition to Cho
Oyu, having completed 5 successful trips in the past. Leader, Robert Anderson
is one of the USA's top high altitude mountaineers, whose career highlights
include pioneering a new route on the 12000ft Kangshung Face of Everest in
1988 where Stephen Venables from his expedition reached the Summit of Everest. His quest to climb all 7 Summits solo is documented in his book of the
same name. Robert led their successful Shishapangma expedition in 1999.
Assisting Robert will be Javier Herrera, who has been running their extremely
popular expeditions to Ecuador over the last 5 years. The multinational team
comprises 1 American, 1 Guatemalen, 2 British and 2 Mexican climbers, most of
whom hope to climb their first 8000m peak and some who are using this as the
next step to attempting Everest. The team will send dispatches from base camp
and hope to give you an insight into what it is like to climb one of the
highest, but the most attainable 8000 peak.
Dispatches from this expedition:
Dispatch One: 4/24/2000 Kathmandu Calling:
| If
cities are colors, Katmandu is red. We see it as we wind down into the lush
Katmandu Valley,
rumpled red brick houses framed in green, then the dusty cranberry tops of
umbrellas outside the cafes in the roadside tea shops and finally when we hit
street level, the bright saris of the women and fading maroon of the monks
robes.
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Cho Oyu summit
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It's been raining in
New York, London and now Katmandu, the whole world bathed by the same storm.
After the journey, our faces welcomed and now anointed with a red spot on our
foreheads at the Summit Hotel, we all meet for the first time, a mixing of
British, Guatemalan, Mexican, American all set to be stirred into a teacup,
clad in crampons, and set off on a quest to the world's sixth highest
mountain.
A day in the
shopping stalls of Katmandu, procures everything from Russian titanium ice
screws, to the finest pashmina cashmere scarves to warm us on the heights, all
at a price that wouldn't pay an hours parking in London or New York. Behind
the scenes, our five Sherpas are packing the food, sorting the tents, testing
the stove and packing everything into Yak-bearable loads for when we reach
Base Camp.
Tomorrow at 5:30
a.m., a quick dip in the pool starts the day, shortly followed by a few cups
of strong coffee. It will be a day that will take us up and down and up again,
across the rhinocerous like hills of Nepal. We finally drop into the river
valley that we follow, so far up into the sky it seems we should already be on
top of the mountain, when we finally emerge on the Tibetan Plateau two days
from now. We will be climbing out of a gorge much deeper than the grand
canyon, via a road cut through mud, rice paddies, rock, and the occasional
hanging bridge.
We will stop along
the way at about 4,000 meters, beside a small Tibetan village, the houses
square as boxes, prayer flags ringing the ramparts, and pitch our tents for 3
days. We will feel lowly amongst the 6000 meter peaks, our lungs will feel the
same, but after a night or two, we will be Yak-proofed and make the move out
onto the heart of Plateau to the village of Tingri. From here, Cho Oyu will
frame the right side of the plain, and Everest the left.
A final four hours
in jeeps will take us up to Chinese Base Camp at about 5000 meters.
Our quote for the
journey into Tibet: "You have brains in your head and feet in your shoes
you can move yourself any where that you choose." Dr Seuss
Next: How fast does
a Yak move at 18000 feet (and is that faster than you)?
Reporting live from
Katmandu: Robert Anderson, Javier Herrera, Rich Lechleitner, Hugh Lowther,
Jose Manuel Rodriguez, Alejandro Villarreal, Jaime Vinals
Dispatch: We
crossed the border into China with 16 people. Now at base camp we await the Yak
bells, each a small church bell attached to four broad hoods. Everyones
feeling chipper after two nights camping at 4,000m. We moved to Chinese base
camp at 4,700m on Friday April 28th, just a few days ahead of schedule. The
hills rise to 5,500m above us, moving away to the broad river valley. Yesterday
(Saturday April 28th), we hiked up the ridge to the top of one of these.
Mornings are
sunny, clear azure blue skies, tan brown hills, grey rock river bottoms and
sandy flowing rivers, ripe with glacial salt. Overhead a pair of Lammergeiers
with wing spans stretching for 3 meters, soar on the wind. Frost covers the
tents in the morning, by midday the down-valley winds whistle through camp.
Today a little snow falls out of the clouds on Cho Oyu. The mountain dominates
the southern horizon, rising over 3 vertical kilometers above us.
Tomorrow,
we start our work week with a hike up the valley accompanied by 38 yaks and 14
yak drivers. We follow the ancient trading route leading to Nang Pa La, a high
pass that crosses over to Nepal. For a second day of hiking, well take this
to base camp at 5,700m.
Meal
times weve had apple pancakes, for lunch weve had tomato, onion and cheese
toasted sandwiches. For dinner weve been enjoying spaghetti, meat and veggie
momos. This contingent has especially enjoyed the Heinz baked beans! Our
appetites indicate that everyone is well-acclimatized with everyone enjoying 12
hours sleep last night. We are all looking forward to moving higher on the
mountain.
Robert
Anderson, Expedition Leader.
Update
5/8/2000: The
disappearance of Ms. Noora Toivonen (age 25) and a Russian climber has been
reported by Finnish News Agency, at least 4 newspapers and 2 TV
channels.
Her aim
was to ski down from the top with partner Mr. Jukka Rasanen. However, Rasanen
was forced to retreat from the mountain due to symptoms of cerebral edema. This
happened 10 days ago. Ms. Toivonen continued according to plan.
There are
still 5 Finns on Cho Oyu. They try to find out what has happened. The organizer
of the expedition is Ms. Marina Ershova.
Further
information:
http://www.mtv3.fi/uutiset/kotimaa/news.shtml?pubid=20187
http://www.nelonen.fi/uutiset/kotimaa/kotimaa_sahkeet.phtml?id=381
http://www.topadventures.com/chooyu/
http://www.rakka.net/jutut/cho/index.php
http://www.iltasanomat.fi/
Update: Cho Oyu Spring 2000:
Jagged
Globe, Featured Expedition http://www.jagged-globe.co.uk/
More
details on the Cho Oyu Climbers:
-
Robert
M. Anderson: Expedition Leader, 41, has climbed all
over the world, from attending Outward Bound at age 16,
to Norway, where he made more than 50 new climbs in the Trollryggen
area of the Romsdal Valley. Most famous for in the 1985 American Expedition
West Ridge Direct on Mount Everest and in 1988, as part of the expedition
that succeeded in a new route on the 12,000 foot Kangshung Face.
- Assistant
leader: Javier Herera (Ecuador) - 31 years old. He was 6 times
(1987-1988) the Ecuadorian national champion for cycle road racing!
Has climbed and guided many of the high peaks in Argentina, Ecuador, Peru
and Bolivia (inc Chimborazo, Huascaran, Illimani, Aconcagua - Polish Gl) by
both the normal and more difficult routes. Javier has also done a lot
of climbing in the French and Swiss Alps and is one of the few S Americans
to become an aspirant guide. He has run Jagged Globe's expeditions to
Ecuador's volcanoes for the past 6 years.
- Richard
Lechleitner (USA) - 43 yrs old, works as a climbing ranger at Mt Rainer
National Park. He has climbed and skiied numerous snow peaks in NW
North America. Has climbed Mera, Island and Parchamo in Nepal and
Aspiring in NZ. Richard is a keen all-rounder, spending a lot of time
in the last couple of years rock climbing in the Bugaboos and Yosemite.
He has spent 4 weeks in the Khumbu to 'warm up' for Cho Oyu
- Hugh
Lowther (UK) - 44 yrs old. Has done Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua, Mt Blanc,
Matterhorn. Been to top camp on Denali. One of Hugh's other
pastimes is hunting up in Scotland. Would like to see if he can do an
8,000m peak "before old age and seniltiy gets to me".
- Jaime
Vinals (GUA) - 38 Years old. Been to Everest twice before. Has
climbed Carstensz, Aconcagua (twice), Huascaran, Elbrus, Chimborazo,
Cotopaxi, Denali, Kilimanjaro and many other peaks in S America. Jaime
is hoping to gain some more 8,000m experience and return to Everest in the
future, with the aim of competing his 7 Summits.
- Josι
Manuel Rodrνguez (MEX) - 46 yrs old. Has climbed Aconcagua, Illimani,
Misti, Huascaran, Mataraju, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, Denali, Matterhorn, Kenya,
Kili and volcanoes in Mexico. Josι has guided volcanoes in Mexico in
the past and feels like it is time for him and his friend, Alejandro to
attempt an 8,000m peak.
- Alejandro
Villarreal Pars (MEX) - 27 Yrs old. 11 peaks above 6,000m in
Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. Alejandro has climbed Aconcagua
4 times (1 solo ascent and a one day ascent from Base Camp). He has
also soloed Illimani and Denali (from above 4,200m). Alejandro says
about his reason for joining the expedition "I have trained and climbed
for three years preparing for an 8,000m peak. I want to do my best
along the expedition to gain experience and inspire youth in Mexico to
pursue dreams and goals".
Dispatch
5/8/2000: Hi,
this is Robert Anderson calling from Cho Oyu base camp. We arrived here safely a
few days ago. We'll have our rest and then we'll be moving up, carrying to camp
1 on Tuesday (9th May) and then we'll be moving up to stay at camp 1 on Thursday
(11th) for a couple of nights before we come back down here.
Everybody's
great and all here. Greg Horne's party, the Japanese member Yoshi is down at
[Chinese] base camp, just spending a bit more time acclimatizing, but set to
appear today.
All's
well, we'll bring you more details later this week.
Robert
Anderson, Expedition Leader.
May 10th Marina Ershova, the leader of
expedition summited to the top of Cho-Oyu from Camp II together with Sherpas of Iranian
expedition. It was a lot of fresh snow and they had to brake the trail so they
moved slowly, and she had been back to Camp2 at 20:00. She returned back to ABC
on May 11th.
Today two other Russian climbers Nasedkin
and Kuzmin started from Camp 3 and summited at about 14:00. At 17:00 they
returned to the tent of Camp 3. Tomorrow they have to return to ABC.
No sign of the two climbers who disappeared
the other day has shown up.
Hi, this is Robert Anderson
calling from Cho Oyu base camp. Everything is fine here. All members have been
up to camp 2. We're down for a couple of days rest and we'll go back up for the
summit probably starting the 17th or 18th, hoping to summit about the 20th.
Most of the groups are leaving
here shortly, so we won't be able to call you again until we get back down to
base camp, which may be as late as the 27th.
But if we have a chance we'll
call you before then. But just to let everybody know that we are well, acclimatized
and feeling good.
Thanks and bye for now.
Robert Anderson, Expedition
Leader
15.05 News from Cho-Oyu expedition.
Marina Yershova reports from Chinese Base Camp, 5000m, May 15.... details
The
Jagged Globe Expedition Summits on the 19th with the others going on the 22nd.
Still no details due to technical problems...
Reliable Sources report to
EverestNews.com: Nine members of the International Mountain Guides Cho Oyu
Expedition summitted Cho Oyu on the 12th of May. They were: Craig
John (Leader), USA, Jim Crichton (USA), Aaron Miller (USA), Stuart Smith
(USA), Pa Nuru Sherpa, Da Nuru Sherpa, Tashi Dorje Sherpa, Ang Phinjo
Sherpa, Phunuru Sherpa
Name of the Expedition :
International Mountain Guides Cho Oyu Expedition
Expedition Leader : Craig John
Country : USA
No. of Team Members :9
Ascent Route : North West Ridge (Normal Route)
Date of Summit : 12 May 2000
Starting Point : 3rd Camp
Time of Summit : 9:30 AM
Time Spent on the Summit : About 20 minutes
Returned to : 2nd Camp
As reported on the
Belgian climbing network's website (www.belclimb.net),
the expedition to Cho Oyu, organized by the Belgian Alpine Club, was a huge
success : 6 climbers reached the summit on 12th May : Dirk Boons, Luc Hoornaert,
Hugo Van Praet, Xavier Georges, Rodolphe de Hemptinne en Laurent Morel. Route :
normal
Update:
As
I mentioned from BC, the last phone went down the hill the 17th so sorry for the
silence. We're all safe and well in Katmandu. Myself, Alex, Richard and our
Sirdar Ang Temba summitted on 19 May, climbing from Camp II at 7100 meters all
the way to the summit. A long day (14 hours) but mostly good weather and great
views from the top of Cho Oyu across to Everest. Hugh reached 7000 meters on an
earlier foray towards Camp II, as did Jose Rodriguez. Jaime reached 7800 meters
on our summit bid, then spent over 5 days above 7000 meters, before making a
second attempt with Javier Herrera [assistant leader] from Camp III. But
unfortunately, the monsoon had moved in and a few feet of snow precluded them
from reaching the summit, which they could have done with a little more luck
from the weather. Full report after we've rested a little!
Robert Anderson, Expedition Leader
Update: Katmandu feels
very civilized after the hills and hotels of Tibet. We came down so quickly from
the mountain there was little time to realize we were here until we woke up with
the strange sensation of sleep without being inside a sleeping bag. We left our
Advanced Base Camp and walked the ten miles to Chinese Base Camp on 27 May,
followed closely by our 33 Yaks and 11 Yak drivers. Four jeeps and a large truck
picked us up there and we drove 2 hours in the setting sun to the small village
of Tingri, Tibet. Our first dose of city life was Momo's and boiled potatoes,
and a bottle or two of extra fizzy Chinese Beer. At 5 am the following morning,
we were off again across the Plateau, sun rising and heat on high in the jeeps.
By noon we were at the border town of Zhangmu, carrying our packs down through
town for an hour as they are paving the road and it is currently closed to
vehicles. A long wait for our truck and baggage almost meant we would be staying
the night, but just before 4 pm, everything arrived and we were able to descend
the steep hill to the Friendship Bridge and enter Nepal.
Dinner was a stroke of
traveler's luck, a riverside cafe where steaming plates of rice, lentils and
fresh banana's were served up by a family very happy to have 16 hungry climbers
descend on them. Dinner cost 80 cents for all we could eat and we made the most
of it. We arrived in Katmandu and the Summit Hotel at 10:30 pm.
And a few more
comments on the summit.
Cho Oyu traditionally
has three camps, but on our successful summit bid, we used only two of them.
Using the third Camp would of put us closer to the summit, but sleeping and
eating at 7400 meters is very difficult. And as a number of members had acclimatized
very well and were climbing strongly, we left Camp II at 2:30 am on 19 May. We
reached Camp III about 6 am. From here we climbed straight up through a steep
rock band comprising about 30 meters of near vertical rock-a quick way to wake
up. A number of previous expeditions had problems here, with some of their
members turning back, but the time we had spent in the glacier training and
members experience meant we climbed this with little problem-a challenge best
described as 'sporting,' At 7800 meters, Jaime Vinals and Kam soo Sherpa decided
to descend, while myself, Alex, Richard and Ang Temba continued. We knew we
would summit later in the afternoon, but the weather was good, only the
occasional cloud rolling over, so we kept climbing steadily on up to the immense
summit plateau and across to the summit. We knew we were there when Everest and
Lhotse rose above the ridge and the North Face dropped away steeply below. We
spent about half an hour on the summit, then climbed down quickly, getting
through the rock band by dark. From there it was just a long walk down the 400
meters and back to our tents at Camp II. We'd been climbing about 19 hours and
up for 24 by the time we were back happily in our sleeping bags.
Jaime was to spend a
total of five days above 7,000 meters, but deep snow on the 21st and 22nd
precluded them reaching above Camp III again. Hugh Lowther and Jose Rodriguez
both climbed to 7000 meters earlier in the expedition, but the effects of high
altitude didn't allow them to continue onto the summit this time.
Over the next few
days, we will pack up our climbing equipment, have two lunches every day and
soon be heading home.
Robert M Anderson
Expedition Leader
www.jagged-globe.co.uk
- Cho
Oyu 2000: Corrections with additions
3 Spanish (all 17th)
and 3 Australian (16-17th) reached the summit of Cho-Oyu on 16-17th May 2000. The name of the
Spanish Expedition is"8.201 M Cho-Oyu" led by Jordi Tosas. Jordi
Tosas is believed to be the first Spanish climber to descend from the summit with his snow
board. Other summiteers
are Joseba Gutierrez and Ricardo Valencia rather than Ricardo V. Martinez(41)
and Joseba Koldo Jauregui(30) as earlier reported by Asian Trekking. Along with
Sherpas Ringee and Sonam.
Australian
Alpine Army Cho-Oyu Expedition led by Roger Grose. Summiteers are Leader Roger
Grose (16th), Brian
Laursen (16th) and Matt Sheply (17th) . They reach the summit on 17th
May 2000.
Both of
these Expeditions were supported by Asian-Trekking.
Sources:
Asian trekking, Barrabes, Jordi Tosas, and the Australian
Alpine Army Cho-Oyu Expedition
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Jordi Tosas on the
Summit of Cho Oyu !!
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Click on the picture to see
full a wonderful full sized version.
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