Mount Cho Oyu Expedition (8,201 m)

While our office prepares the documents for your Chinese group visa and Tibet permits, you have a relaxed day to recover from jet lag. Your climbing Sherpa checks your personal equipment, from boots and crampons to down suit and sleeping bag, so that anything missing can be bought or hired in Kathmandu. There is also time to visit Swayambhunath or Pashupatinath, or simply rest at the hotel.

Our team submits the visa application and permit paperwork, which requires your original passport. Meanwhile, we hold a full expedition briefing covering the overland journey, life at base camp, the climbing plan, oxygen use, communication and safety procedures. It is a good opportunity to meet your climbing Sherpa and fellow members properly and ask any questions about the weeks ahead. The afternoon is free for final shopping.

A final day in Kathmandu while the visa is processed. Use it to pack your expedition bags, which will travel by vehicle to Chinese Base Camp and by yak to Advanced Base Camp, and to buy snacks for the high camps. Pack a separate overnight bag for the drive through Tibet. In the evening we confirm the departure time and collect your passport with the visa, ready for the border crossing.

We leave Kathmandu early and drive north via Trishuli and Dhunche, through the Langtang region, to Syabrubesi and on to Timure near the Rasuwagadhi border. The road follows the Trishuli River through steep, forested hills and can be rough and slow in places, so the drive takes about 7-8 hours. We overnight in a simple lodge close to the border, ready for an early crossing in the morning.

After breakfast we cross the bridge at Rasuwagadhi into Tibet, complete immigration and customs formalities on the Chinese side and meet our Tibetan driver and liaison staff. A short drive up the forested Kyirong valley brings us to Kyirong town at about 2,700 m, a pleasant place with a mild climate. The rest of the day is free to rest and adjust, as the border procedures can take several hours.

Today the road climbs out of the green Kyirong valley onto the Tibetan plateau, crossing high passes above 5,000 m with sweeping views of the Himalaya and passing the turquoise lake of Peiku Tso, with Shishapangma rising beyond. The drive takes about 6-8 hours. We descend to Tingri at about 4,300 m, a small town on the open plains with a fine view of Cho Oyu on clear days. Drink plenty, as the altitude gain is considerable.

This important rest day helps your body adjust to the altitude of the plateau. We take a gentle hike to the hill above town, gaining a couple of hundred metres for wide views across the plains to Cho Oyu and Everest, before returning to rest. The afternoon is free for reading, final checks of personal equipment and getting to know the Tibetan staff who will support the drive and the yak transport.

A drive of a few hours across the high plateau and along rough tracks brings us to Chinese Base Camp at about 4,900 m, where the road ends. Our kitchen team sets up camp, with individual tents and a dining tent, and we meet the yak herders who will carry the expedition loads higher. The landscape here is stark and beautiful, a high, open valley ringed by moraine and snow peaks, and a first taste of life in camp.

Three nights at Chinese Base Camp give your body time to adjust before moving higher. We take short acclimatisation hikes on the surrounding hills each day, following the principle of climbing high and sleeping low, while the yak loads are weighed and organised. Your climbing Sherpa runs refresher sessions on fixed-rope technique and checks crampons, harness and oxygen equipment. Meals are prepared by our cook team in the dining tent.

We set out on foot while the yaks follow with the loads, walking along the moraine and grassy slopes beside the Gyabrag Glacier for about 5-6 hours to Intermediate Camp at about 5,400 m. The pace is deliberately slow and steady. The camp is simple but comfortable, with the kitchen team serving hot food. This overnight stop breaks the ascent to Advanced Base Camp into two manageable stages for better acclimatisation.

A walk of about 4-5 hours over rocky moraine brings us to Advanced Base Camp at about 5,700 m, set at the foot of Cho Oyu's north-west face with a direct view of the route. The yaks deliver our equipment, and the team sets up individual tents, the dining tent and kitchen. This is home for the climbing period. Take it easy on arrival, drink plenty and rest well, as the altitude is now significant.

The first days at Advanced Base Camp are for rest and preparation. A puja ceremony is held to bless the team and ask for safe passage on the mountain, an important ritual for every Sherpa. Your climbing Sherpa leads short training sessions on the glacier nearby, practising jumar and descender work on fixed ropes and moving efficiently in crampons, and fits and tests your oxygen mask and regulator ready for the summit push.

The route climbs a steep scree slope and snow ridge to Camp I at about 6,400 m. After a night or two, you return to ABC to rest, then climb back through Camp I and the short ice cliff above it, protected by fixed ropes, to Camp II at about 7,100 m. Sleeping at Camp II is the key acclimatisation step. Between rotations you rest at ABC, while the Sherpa team stocks the high camps with tents, fuel, food and oxygen.

When the forecast shows a window of calm weather, you climb to Camp I, Camp II and Camp III at about 7,450 m, using supplementary oxygen on the upper mountain. Summit day starts before dawn, climbing through the Yellow Band on fixed ropes to the vast summit plateau, where the highest point offers a magnificent view of Everest and Lhotse. You descend to Camp II or lower, then on to ABC. Spare days cover weather delays.

After clearing Advanced Base Camp and packing all rubbish and equipment for the yaks, we walk down past Intermediate Camp to Chinese Base Camp in about 6-7 hours. With every step down, the air feels thicker and your legs stronger. In the evening we celebrate the expedition with the climbing Sherpas, cooks and yak herders, a fitting way to thank the whole team that has supported you on the mountain.

We load the vehicles and drive back across the plateau to Tingri, a few hours away. After weeks in tents, a guesthouse bed and a hot wash feel like real luxury. The afternoon is free to rest, sort personal equipment and enjoy the views of Cho Oyu from the plains, now seen with the satisfaction of having stood on its slopes. Overnight in Tingri.

The drive retraces the route across the high plateau, past Peiku Tso and over the passes, before descending into the forested Kyirong valley, a drive of about 6-8 hours. The change from dry, brown plateau to green forest and running streams is striking. We overnight in Kyirong town, where the lower altitude makes for a deep, comfortable night's sleep before the border crossing.

After a short drive to the border, we complete the exit formalities, cross back into Nepal at Rasuwagadhi and meet our vehicle for the drive to Kathmandu via Syabrubesi, Dhunche and Trishuli. The journey takes most of the day, often 8-9 hours including the border procedures, and the road is rough in places. On arrival in Kathmandu, we transfer you to your hotel for a well-deserved rest.

A free day in Kathmandu to rest, shop or explore. You might visit Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur or the Boudhanath Stupa, or simply relax in the hotel garden. This day also acts as a buffer in case of delays on the overland journey. In the evening the team gathers to celebrate the expedition, share photographs and say thank you to the Sherpa team for their hard work and support.

After breakfast and final packing, a Nima Adventure representative transfers you to Tribhuvan International Airport in good time for your flight home. If you would like to continue your travels, our Kathmandu office can arrange a trek, a safari in Chitwan National Park or a tour in Bhutan. We hope Cho Oyu is the first of many great Himalayan climbs with us.