View source for Cho Oyu

{{short description|6th-highest mountain on Earth}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Cho Oyu
| photo = ChoOyu-fromGokyo.jpg
| photo_caption = The south side of Cho Oyu from [[Gokyo]].
| elevation_m = 8188
| elevation_ref = <br /><small>[[List of highest mountains|Ranked 6th]]</small>
| prominence_m  = 2340
| prominence_ref = <ref name="peaklist">{{cite web|url=http://peaklist.org/WWlists/ultras/china1.html|title=China I: Tibet - Xizang|publisher=Peaklist.org|access-date=2014-05-29}}</ref>
| listing = [[Eight-thousander]]<br />[[Ultra prominent peak|Ultra]]
| translation = Turquoise Goddess
| language = [[Standard Tibetan|Tibetan]]
| location = [[Nepal]] ([[Province No. 1]])–[[China]] ([[Tibet Autonomous Region|Tibet]])
| range = [[Mahalangur Himal]], [[Himalayas]]
| map_caption = Location in Province No. 1, Nepal and Tibet Autonomous Region, China
| map_size = 300
| map_image ={{OSM Himalaya|lat_d=28.1|long=86.7|zoom=7}}
| label_position = right
| coordinates = {{coord|28|05|39|N|86|39|39|E|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_ref =
| first_ascent = October 19, 1954 by [[Herbert Tichy]], {{ill|Joseph Jöchler|de|Sepp Jöchler}}, [[Pasang Dawa Lama]]<br />(First winter ascent 12 February 1985 [[Maciej Berbeka]] and [[Maciej Pawlikowski]])
| easiest_route = snow/ice/glacier climb
}}

'''Cho Oyu''' ([[Nepali language|Nepali]]: चोयु; {{bo|t=ཇོ་བོ་དབུ་ཡ}}; {{lang-zh|c=卓奥友峰}}) is the [[List of highest mountains#List|sixth-highest mountain]] in the world at {{convert|8188|m|ft}} above [[sea level]]. Cho Oyu means "[[Turquoise]] Goddess" in [[Tibetic languages|Tibetan]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/8000MeterPeaks/page10.php|title=NASA Earth Observatory: Cho Oyu|publisher=NASA|date=2018}}</ref>  The mountain is the westernmost major peak of the ''[[Khumbu]]'' sub-section of the [[Mahalangur Himal]]aya 20&nbsp;km west of [[Mount Everest]].  The mountain stands on the [[China–Nepal border]], between the [[Tibet Autonomous Region]] and [[Koshi Province]].

Just a few kilometres west of Cho Oyu is [[Nangpa La]] (5,716m/18,753&nbsp;ft), a [[glaciated]] pass that serves as the main trading route between the [[Tibetans]] and the [[Khumbu]]'s [[Sherpa (people)|Sherpa]]s. This pass separates the Khumbu and [[Rolwaling Himal|Rolwaling]] [[Himalayas]]. Due to its proximity to this pass and the generally moderate slopes of the standard northwest ridge route, Cho Oyu is considered the easiest [[eight-thousander|8,000 metre peak]] to climb.<ref name=peakware/> It is a popular objective for [[professional]]ly guided parties.

==Height==
Cho Oyu's height was originally measured at {{convert|26,750|ft|m}}<!--would be nice to know how old this one is--> and at the time of the first ascent it was considered the 7th highest mountain on earth, after [[Dhaulagiri]] at {{convert|8,167|m|ft}} ([[Manaslu]], now {{convert|8,156|m|ft}}, was also estimated lower at {{convert|26,658|ft|m}}).<ref name=Tichy/> A 1984 estimate of {{convert|8,201|m|ft}} made it move up to sixth place.<!--would be really nice to have a reference for that; I don't know who came up with this number--> New measurements made in 1996 <!--"field verification done in 1996--> by the Government of Nepal Survey Department and the [[Finnish Meteorological Institute]] in preparation for the Nepal Topographic Maps put the height at 8,188 m,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://pahar.in/pahar/Maps--Primary/Nepal/Nepal%20Topo%20Maps/2886%2015%20Pasan%20Lhamu%20Chuli.jpg |title=2886 15 Pasan Lhamu Chuli map |access-date=2016-09-24 |archive-date=2016-09-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924114124/http://pahar.in/pahar/Maps--Primary/Nepal/Nepal%20Topo%20Maps/2886%2015%20Pasan%20Lhamu%20Chuli.jpg |url-status=dead }}</ref> one remarkably similar to the {{convert|26,867|ft|m}} used by [[Edmund Hillary]] in his 1955 book ''High Adventure''.<ref name=Hillary1955/>

==Climbing history==
Cho Oyu was [[1952 British Cho Oyu expedition|first attempted in 1952]] by an expedition organised and financed by the [[Joint Himalayan Committee]] of Great Britain as preparation for an attempt on Mount Everest the following year. The expedition was led by [[Eric Shipton]] and included [[Edmund Hillary]], [[Tom Bourdillon]] and [[George Lowe (mountaineer)|George Lowe]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/6h1/3/3|title=Cho Oyu expedition team, 1952|encyclopedia=The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography|first=Shaun|last=Barnett|date=7 December 2010}}</ref>  A foray by Hillary and Lowe was stopped due to technical difficulties and avalanche danger at an ice cliff above {{convert|6650|m|ft|-1|abbr=on}} and a report of Chinese troops a short distance across the border influenced Shipton to retreat from the mountain rather than continue to attempt to summit.<ref>Hillary, pp. 79-80</ref>

The mountain was first climbed on October 19, 1954, via the north-west ridge by [[Herbert Tichy]], {{ill|Joseph Jöchler|de|Sepp Jöchler}} and [[Sherpa (people)|Sherpa]] Pasang Dawa Lama of an [[Austria]]n expedition.<ref name=evnews/> Cho Oyu was the fifth [[eight-thousander]] to be climbed, after [[Annapurna]] in June 1950, [[Mount Everest]] in May 1953, [[Nanga Parbat]] in July 1953 and [[K2]] in July 1954. Until the ascent of [[Mount Everest]] by [[Reinhold Messner]] and [[Peter Habeler]] in 1978, this was the highest peak climbed without supplemental oxygen.<ref>Günter Seyfferth, [http://www.himalaya-info.org/PDF-Dateien/Cho%20Oyu%201954.pdf Cho Oyu, 8201 m, Erkundung, Erstbesteigung, Erstbegehungen, Ereignisse] {{in lang|de}}</ref>
[[File:Chooyu.jpg|thumb|left|Viewing Cho Oyu via Tingri]]

Cho Oyu is considered the easiest [[eight-thousander]],{{refn|group=nb|Of the fourteen mountains surpassing the magic number 8000 metres in height, it is considered the easiest one to climb, and only the highest, Everest, has had more ascents.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2010/goddess-of-turquoise-my-attempt-on-cho-oyu/|title=Goddess of Turquoise: my attempt on Cho Oyu|publisher=Mark Horrell|date=August 2010}}</ref>}} with the lowest death-summit ratio ({{frac|25}}th of [[Annapurna]]'s).<ref name="dead1">{{cite web|url= https://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2013/05/daily-chart-18 |title=Stairway to heaven |publisher=The Economist |date=29 May 2013 |access-date=2015-09-07 }}</ref><ref name="dead2">{{cite web|url= http://www.8000ers.com/cms/download.html?func=startdown&id=184|title=ALL 8000ers – ASCENTS vs FATALITIES|publisher=8000ers.com|date=2008}}</ref> It is the second most climbed [[eight-thousander]] after [[Everest]] (whose height makes it the most popular), and has over four times the ascents of the third most popular [[eight-thousander]], [[Gasherbrum II]].  It is marketed as a "trekking peak", achievable for climbers with high fitness, but low mountaineering experience.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}  It has a broadly flat summit plateau with no [[cairn]] (the traditional [[prayer flag]]s on Cho Oyu's summit plateau do not mark the "technical" summit),{{refn|name="summit"|group=nb|Many people who climb Cho Oyu in Tibet stop at a set of prayer flags with views of Everest and believe they’ve reached the top, unaware they still have to walk for 15 minutes across the summit plateau until they can see the Gokyo Lakes in Nepal.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2014/when-is-a-summit-not-a-summit/|title=When is a summit not a summit?|publisher=Mark Horrell|date=12 November 2014}}</ref>}} which can be a source of confusion, and debate, amongst climbers (see [[Elizabeth Hawley]]).{{refn|name="cho"|group=nb|Miss Hawley uses the “did you see Everest” as her standard question, I have mentioned this to her as well.  I have summitted Cho Oyu 4 times and will be heading for my fifth this coming season. Each time I have watched the Koreans and Japanese go only to where they can see Everest, not the summit, because they know this is what will be asked.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://explorersweb.com/2017/05/09/cho-oyu-summit-where-is-it-exactly-2017-05-09-60289/|title=Cho Oyu summit: Where is it exactly|publisher=Explorersweb.com|date=September 2017}}</ref>}}
{{clear left}}

==View==
{{Himalaya annotated imagemap|caption=Southern and northern climbing routes as seen from the [[International Space Station]]. (The names on the photo are links to corresponding pages.)|width=400|align=right}}

===Timeline===
[[File:中国地质大学（武汉）登山队登顶卓奥友峰.JPG|thumb|Ascent by a team from [[China University of Geosciences (Wuhan)]] on 2 October 2008]]
*1952 First [[Mount Everest reconnaissance from Nepal#1952 Cho Oyu reconnaissance|reconnaissance of north-west face]] by [[Edmund Hillary]] and party.<ref name=evnews/>
*1954 First ascent by Austrians {{ill|Joseph Jöchler|de|Sepp Jöchler}} and [[Herbert Tichy]], and [[Pasang Dawa Lama]] (Nepal)<ref name=evnews/>
*1958 Second ascent of the peak, by an [[India]]n expedition. Sherpa Pasang Dawa Lama reaches the peak for the second time. First death on Cho Oyu.<ref name=evnews/>
*1959 Four members are killed in an avalanche during a failed international women's expedition.<ref name=evnews/><ref>{{cite journal | title = Asia, Nepal, Cho Oyu | journal =American Alpine Journal| date=1960|  issn= 0065-6925 | volume =#12 | pages= |  access-date =19 December 2024 |url =http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12196015601 }}</ref>
*1964 A controversial third ascent by a German expedition as there is no proof of reaching the summit. Two mountaineers die of exhaustion in camp 4 at {{convert|7600|m|ft|-1|abbr=on}}.<ref name=evnews/>
*1978 [[Eduard Koblmueller|Edi Koblmüller]] and Alois Furtner of [[Austria]] summit via the extremely difficult southeast face.<ref name=evnews/>
*1983 [[Reinhold Messner]] succeeds on his fourth attempt,<ref name=evnews/> with [[Hans Kammerlander]] and [[Michael Dacher]].
*1984 Věra Komárková (USA) and Dina Štěrbová (Czechoslovakia) become the first women to climb Cho Oyu. Štěrbová is also the first woman from Czechoslovakia to climb an 8,000er.
*1985 On February 12, [[Polish people|Poles]] [[Maciej Berbeka]] and [[Maciej Pawlikowski]] make the first winter ascent via a new route on the southeast face. It is the only winter ascent on an [[eight-thousander]] made on a new route and the first winter ascent without additional oxygen support. The ascent was repeated three days later by [[Andrzej Heinrich]] and [[Jerzy Kukuczka]], with Kukuczka setting an additional record for climbing two eight-thousanders during the same winter, as he had earlier climbed [[Dhaulagiri]].<ref name=aaj1992>{{cite aaj | title = Cho Oyu's Three-Kilometer-High Face| date= 1986|issn = 0065-6925 | first =Andrzej | last =  Zawada | isbn= 978-0930410278 | volume =28 | issue=60 | pages=6–13 | access-date = 18 May 2024 |article_id=12198600700}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | title = My Vertical World: Climbing the 8000-Metre Peaks | date=1992|  first = Jerzy| last =  Kukuczka    |  isbn =0340534850 |publisher =Hodder & Stoughton | access-date = 8 April 2024 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=-3ATAQAAIAAJ&q=0340534850}}</ref>
*1988 On November 2, a Slovenian expedition consisting of Iztok Tomazin, Roman Robas, Blaž Jereb, Rado Nadvešnik, Marko Prezelj and Jože Rozman reach the summit via the never before climbed north face.
*1994 On May 13 [[Carlos Carsolio]] sets a world record speed ascent from base camp to summit, ascending in 18 hours and 45 minutes.<ref name=outside_carsolio/>
*1994 First solo ascent via the South West face by Yasushi Yamanoi.<ref name=thebmc/>
*2000 Russian-Finnish expedition of nine climbers summitted the top, but two of them disappeared in the attempt and were presumed dead.<ref name=Russ-Finn/>   
*2004 Second summit by a double amputee ([[Mark Inglis]])<ref name=bbc_2006/>
*2007 Second Indian ascent. Expedition led by Abhilekh Singh Virdi.<ref name=blogspot/>
*2009 [[Clifton Maloney]], husband of [[Carolyn Maloney|US Representative Carolyn Maloney]] and at that time the oldest American to summit an [[eight-thousander]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://thevillager.com/villager_335/cliftonmalonoey71.html|title=Clifton Maloney, 71, died on one of highest peaks|website=thevillager.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010042556/http://thevillager.com/villager_335/cliftonmalonoey71.html|archive-date=10 October 2016|access-date=2017-11-08}}</ref> died at age 71 after summiting on 25 September. His final words were "I’m the happiest man in the world. I’ve just summited a beautiful mountain."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gothamist.com/2009/09/27/rep_carolyn_maloneys_husband_dies_during_mountain_climb.php|title=Rep. Carolyn Maloney's Husband Dies During Mountain Climb - Gothamist|date=2009-10-01|access-date=2017-11-08|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091001141450/http://gothamist.com/2009/09/27/rep_carolyn_maloneys_husband_dies_during_mountain_climb.php|archive-date=2009-10-01}}</ref>
*2011 Dutch climber [[Ronald Naar]] dies after becoming unwell at {{convert|8000|m|ft|-1|abbr=on}}.<ref name=outside_naar/><ref name=dutch_news/>

==See also==
[[File:Cho Oyu, Nepal.jpg|thumb|Viewing Cho Oyu, from the southwest, via mountain flight]]
* [[1952 British Cho Oyu expedition]]
* [[Nangpa La shooting incident]] (in 2006) 
* ''[[Cho Oyu 8201m – Field Recordings from Tibet]]''
* [[List of deaths on eight-thousanders#Cho Oyu|List of deaths on Cho Oyu]]
* [[List of ultras of the Himalayas]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=nb}}

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name=bbc_2006>
  {{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4774989.stm
   | title = Double amputee scales Mt Everest | work = BBC News
   | date = 16 May 2006 | access-date = 2014-05-17}}</ref>
<ref name=blogspot>
  {{cite web | url = http://theworldmountain.blogspot.com/2011/06/timeline-climbing-of-cho-oyu.html
   | title = Timeline Climbing Of Cho Oyu | publisher = blogspot.com
   | date = June 2011 | access-date = 2014-01-15}}</ref>
<ref name=dutch_news>
  {{cite web | url = http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2011/05/dutch_mountaineer_ronald_naar.php
   | title = Dutch mountaineer Ronald Naar dies during China climb
   | publisher = DutchNews.nl
   | date = 23 May 2011 | access-date = 2014-01-15}}</ref>
<ref name=evnews>
  {{cite web | url=http://www.k2news.com/co5.htm
   | title=Cho Oyu History  | author=Everest&nbsp;News.com | access-date=2008-04-12}}</ref>
<ref name=Hillary1955>
  {{cite book | last = Hillary | first = Edmund | title = High Adventure
   | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=TZTe2AJMeO4C&pg=PA49
   | page = 49 | publisher = Oxford University Press |  year = 2003 | orig-year= 1955 | isbn = 9780195167344
 }}</ref>
<ref name=outside_carsolio>
  {{cite web | url = http://outside.away.com/outside/disc/guest/carsolio/profile.html
   | title = Guest: Carlos Carsolio
   | publisher = Outside Online | year = 2000
   | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070813135324/http://outside.away.com/outside/disc/guest/carsolio/profile.html
   | archive-date = 13 August 2007 | access-date = 2014-01-15}}</ref>
<ref name=outside_naar>
  {{cite web | url = http://outside-blog.away.com/blog/2011/05/dutch-climber-ronald-naar-dies-on-cho-oyu.html
   | title = Dutch Climber Ronald Naar dies on Cho Oyu
   | publisher = Outside Online | work = The Outside Blog Dispatches
   | date = 25 May 2011 | access-date = 2014-01-15}}</ref>
<ref name=peakware>
  {{cite peakware|id=1092|name=Cho Oyu }}</ref>
<ref name=Russ-Finn>{{cite web
   | url = http://www.cetneva.spb.ru/en_cho3.htm
   | title = Russian-Finnish Expedition Cho-Oyu 2000
   | last = Yershov
   | first = Andrew
   | publisher = 
   | date = 27 May 2000
   | access-date = 2022-05-17
   | archive-date = 2015-06-09
   | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150609062536/http://www.cetneva.spb.ru/en_cho3.htm
   | url-status = dead
   }}</ref>
<ref name=thebmc>
  {{cite web | url = https://www.thebmc.co.uk/piolets-dor-asia-honours-urubko
   | title = Piolets d'Or Asia honours Urubko
   | last = Griffin | first = Lindsay 
   | publisher = The British Mountaineering Council
   | date = 11 Oct 2011 | access-date = 2014-01-15}}</ref>
<ref name=Tichy>
  {{cite book | last = Tichy | first = Herbert | title = Cho Oyu: by favour of the gods
   | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=xWo1AAAAIAAJ
   | publisher = Methuen | year = 1957 | page = 195 | access-date = 2016-10-28}}</ref>
}}

==Sources==
*{{cite book | last = Hillary | first = Edmund | title = High Adventure
   | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=TZTe2AJMeO4C&pg=PA49
   | publisher = Oxford University Press | year = 2003 | orig-year= 1955 
 }}
*Herbert Tichy, ''Cho Oyu - Gnade der Götter'', (Vienna: Ullstein 1955)

==External links==
{{commons category-inline|Cho Oyu}}
* [http://www.summitpost.org/cho-oyu/150294 Cho Oyu page on Summitpost.org]
* [http://www.himalaya-info.org/cho_oyu_geschichte.htm Cho Oyu page on Himalaya-Info.org (German)]
* {{cite peakware|id=1092|name=Cho Oyu}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081120161030/http://www.8000ers.com/cms/content/view/57/188/ Ascents and fatalities statistics]
* [http://lenin-peak.net/ Cho Oyu from Kyrgyzstan]
* [https://www.4dvt.com/cho-oyu-nepal-china.html Birdseye view video]

{{Eight-thousander}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Eight-thousanders of the Himalayas]]
[[Category:Mountains of Tibet]]
[[Category:China–Nepal border]]
[[Category:International mountains of Asia]]
[[Category:Mountains of Koshi Province]]
[[Category:Ultra-prominent peaks of Asia]]