Cho Oyu - Southeast Face

Cho Oyu, the 6th highest mountain in the world at 8,201m, is often considered the easiest of the 14 8,000m peaks, and until permits and visas into Tibet became more difficult to obtain, was the traditional first Himalayan mountain for many Everest aspirants. Anyone who has peered up glacier from Gokyo, though, will know that there is another side to Cho Oyu: its incredibly steep, almost 3,000m high south face, on the Nepali side. With only 4 routes to date, all very bold, difficult and dangerous, this is one of the mightiest alpine walls in the world.

Route List

1: Zakopane Route/Southwest Pillar, Danielak, Gajewski, Konopka, Osika, Pawlikowski et al., 1986

2: Reincarnation, Dedeshko, Urubko, 2009

3: Polish Route/Southeast Pillar, Berbeka, Heinrich, Kukuczka, Pawlikowski, Zawada et al., 1985

4: Furtner-Koblmüller, Furtner, Koblmüller, 1978

5: East Ridge, Bogomolov, Pershin, Plotnikov, Vinogradsky, Yakovlenko, 1991