Cho Oyu Expedition

To begin your Cho Oyu Expedition, start by reaching Kathmandu, Nepal. Upon your arrival at the International Airport in Kathmandu, your agents will receive you warmly and drive you to your hotel.

You can unwind, have a small meeting with the expedition team about the trip, and stroll around the bustling streets of Kathmandu later on.

Your guides and instructors will brief you about the expedition and complete paperwork and other preparation essential for the journey. Also, go over your expedition gear, and if necessary do some last-minute shopping.

Once everything is finalized, you can go on a tour around some historical and cultural sites in Kathmandu, such as Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Museum, Narayanhitti Palace, and more.

Today, after a filling breakfast we’ll leave Kathmandu and take a scenic drive to Rasuwaghadi, the Nepal-China border. Along the way, you’ll get to enjoy the beautiful scenery of farmlands, small villages, picturesque landscapes, and deep forests.

Rasuwaghadi is a historical fort ruin at the border with Tibet. Upon arrival, we’ll complete border customs procedures and enter Tibet, spending the night there.

With filled stomachs, we’ll move on our journey to Gyirong, our first town across the border. With a short scenic ride via the Himalayan foothills, with breathtaking views of lush valleys, terraced farms, mountains, and rivers.

As we reach Gyirong take this moment to enjoy the breathtaking views of the surrounding peaks.

We’ll achieve significant altitude gain at Gyirong, so we’ll take a rest day to acclimatize. Take plenty of rest and prepare for the next step of your journey. Also, you’ll spend the day experiencing the Himalayan region’s cultures, and Tibet’s lovely landscapes.

The route today passes along the border of Tibet surrounded by lush woodlands and majestic Himalayas. The drive will take about 7 hours depending on various conditions, however, the long drive will be worthwhile given the awe-inspiring mountains you’ll see along the way.

We’ll take yet another acclimatization day at Tingri adapting to higher altitude. You will also be taken on short hikes to certain vantage points nearby. Tingri is a beautiful town, so do small hikes and rest soaking in the serene surroundings.

The drive today will take about 4 hours and take your right to the camping site. The site offers a clear view of high massifs right in front and is nestled between aird and rocky hills. Reaching the base camp, you can unwind, stretch, and explore the surroundings.

After spending a night camping in the Chinese Base Camp, wake up to stunning views of the Himalayas including Cho Oyu. then after having some meals, you’ll do some light exercises, interact with other climbers, and take short hikes around the base camp.

Your guides and instructors there will also provide you with short briefings and training about climbing techniques and the uses of gears.

Today we’ll trek to the Cho-Oyu Base Camp located at 5,100m height. The trek up will be tough over the rugged arid terrains of highlands. You will be guided by your guides and instructors, so there’s no need to worry.

Along the way, you’ll come to witness the vast landscapes of the highlands, The Gyabrag Glacier, and stunning high snow-covered massifs all around. The scenery itself makes the hard trek fruitful.

Upon reaching the base camp, we’ll set up our camps and rest, acclimatize to the higher altitude, and enjoy the north face of the massif, you will attempt to summit later on.

Early in the morning to avoid the ever-changing weather and winds, we’ll make our way towards the Advance base camp moving across a Nangpa La Glacier along with yaks to carry the loads and gears.

Upon reaching the advanced camp, located on an icy ridge. This point serves as the starting point for climbers attempting to reach the top of Cho Oyu, the sixth-highest peak.

To reach the summit of Mt. Cho Oyu at 8,201m, we’ll need a lot of time to prepare ourselves physically and mentally. You’ll leave the base camp and head to the upper camps located at a height that is placed carefully.

Starting with a hike up to the first camp at 6,400m along the Gyabrag Glacier, then via a steep rocky path. Then, the next day with a 5-7 hour hike on 35-38 degree snow inclines, we reach Camp 2 nestled on a glacier cliff. The third camp is at a height of 7500m and we traverse across a tough snowy route which makes it very demanding.

Now, for the next couple of days, you will acclimatize to higher altitudes by hiking between these camps and returning to the lower camps for the night.

Now after proper acclimation and getting accustomed to the weather and trails, you’ll begin attempting to summit the majestic massif.

We’ll leave the lower camps and head to camp 3, then leave the third camp as well, and head upwards. With a strenuous hike up walking on steep narrow paths with snow and slippery ice for almost 9 hours, you’ll reach the top of the mountain.

The walk on the summit day will be the most demanding and intense needing more concentration and effort to navigate the difficult 7,800 m steep snow slope known as the yellow band.

After reaching the summit, you’ll experience a high that makes you feel like you’re on top of the world, which is technically true. Then, taking in the feat, we’ll make our way down to the base camps.

After around 20 days of attempting to summit Mt. Cho Oyu, you’ll descend back to the Advanced Base Camp this day. The feeling of reaching the top of the sixth-highest peak in the world will be awesome, but will also be strenuous. So, take plenty of rest here at the ABC.

Following the same route you took before, we’ll return to the Chinese Base Camp. starting the trek early gives us a lot of free time later on to unwind, reflect on our journey, and engage with other climbers at the camp.

Early morning after a hefty breakfast get on a bus ride to Gyirong. We’ll traverse over the Tibetian plateau’s lovely landscapes with lush woodlands and stunning Himalayas views keeping you refreshed throughout.

With a last 6-7 hour bus or private jeep ride, we’ll get back to Kathmandu. The drive will be long so rest up on the comfy seats of the bus enjoying the passing views of rivers, hills, small settlements, and mountains at a distance.

After arriving in Kathmandu, rest out your exhaustion and have a good evening with the team.

Enjoy this extra day at Kathmandu packing and touring around attractions of Kathmandu. You can also walk around the streets of Thamel, go shopping for souvenirs, and relax at pubs and cafes there.

You’ll depart from Nepal today with unforgettable memories of summiting the sixth-highest peak in the world. The memories, sceneries, and experiences you’ve gained on this journey will forever be with you.

Moreover, for a smooth transition, your agent will drop you off at the airport.