Autumn 2003: International Mountain Guides 8000 meter Coverage

Dispatch 13

Cho Oyu Expedition Time

Dispatch 13: 5:30 pm September 26 NEPAL TIME 

Seven members of the IMG Cho Oyu team have reached the SUMMIT, and have returned to Camp 2.   I spoke to Chris several times in the last 12 hours as the summit bid progressed.  Here is the wrap up:  

The team spent two nights at Camp 2 on the ascent to wait for better weather (it was after the first of these two nights at Camp 2 that Mark started getting cerebral edema, and had to go down with Chris...he is doing fine and is now on his way back to Kathmandu).  The remaining summit team went on to Camp 3 on the 25th.  All members of the summit team left Camp 3 on schedule in the early morning dark.  Shortly above Camp 3 Jim decided to turn back and descended with Karma Rita back to Camp 3.  Karma Rita went back up and rejoined the team at the Yellow Band, where Josef decided to turn back.  Karma Rita again descended to Camp 3 with Joe, then the three of them descended to ABC safely, meeting Nancy (who had climbed up to sleep at Camp 2) and Panuru.  They are all down safe at ABC, along with Tamara, Chris, and Ang Jangbu.

The remaining summit team members pushed on up, with excellent weather.  Adam and Phu Nuru summitted first, at about 9:30am.  Lanta, Peter, and Mike summitted about 11:00am with Ang Pasang and Danuru.  Justin, Garrett, Mingma, and Lindon turned from the plateau, just below the summit, at about 12:30pm.  They all descended safely and are back down at Camp 2, where they are spending the night, planning to descend to ABC tomorrow.  Over the next couple days all the gear will be brought down and the team will finish packing up.

Yaks have been ordered to arrive ABC on the 29th, and the team plans to descend and travel to Tingri on the 30th.  On October 1 the plan is for the team to cross the Friendship Bridge to Nepal, and to arrive Kathmandu that evening.

While the climb is far from over, it is certainly a big relief to know that everyone is safe and getting ready to head for home, and that we have succeeded with our twelfth Cho Oyu expedition with putting over 100 people on the summit of the world's sixth highest mountain.

Congrats to the team and thanks to everyone who has made the trip possible.  Also, thanks to Alpine Ascents and Adventure Consultants for letting us use their satellite phones after our sat phone mysteriously stopped working.

—Eric Simonson
International Mountain Guides

EverestNews.com coverage will include dispatches from the IMG Cho Oyu Expedition along with exclusive dispatches from Nancy Norris as she warms up for Everest 2004, when she hopes to attempt to become the oldest American woman (at age 60!)to summit Everest.

Eric Simonson, veteran expedition leader, Everest Summiter, author and motivational speaker. To book Eric