"The trip was great! The team selection was great and I really enjoyed everyone. I thought the information we received pre-climb was very good and the suggestions for conditioning were right on. The sherpas were really amazing people and I enjoyed all of them. The food was delicious."
Here is what Kurt from Durango, CO says:
"I enjoyed the trip to Cho Oyu. I felt that the leaders were all very effective and that they went above and beyond their duty to facilitate a successful expedition."
Here is what Krzysztof from Warsaw says:
"I very much enjoyed dealing with all the staff. The leader was very professional and helpful. The Leaders in training were also great and trustworthy guys. It is worth mentioning that the expedition is a good value for the price."
Here is what Vik from Seattle says:
"The leader was a fantastic climbing leader and I look forward to climbing with him again. The Sherpas and leaders in training were very helpful at taking us around Kathmandu to acquire last minute gear. The staff did a great job organizing the hotels in Kathmandu.
I was really impressed with the food at ABC. It was good and there was plenty of it, all with good variety. It was great that we ran a ropes course down on the glacier for everyone. I think it was helpful to several people and also was a fun way to spend the day."
Here is what Mor from Israel had to say:
"I had a very good trip, I have nothing but good words about the organization and staff. I especially want to mention Arnold as a quite good and team organizer. I have no doubt I would not have succeeded in the climb if it weren't for him."
Here is what Neil, summiter, says about Cho Oyu:
"Reaching the summit was a fantastic feeling - and made even better by a swift descent to ABC knowing that I would not have to climb the scree hill on the way to Camp 1 again (you will get to know that hill very well during the expedition!). Back in basecamp there were celebrations to be had in ABC and yet another brilliant cake from the cook tent!!
All in all, the Summitclimb expedition was a great experience - so much so that we are heading to Everest north side with them in the spring. Everyone at SummitClimb's enthusiasm, the attention to detail and most importantly the feel that the expeditions are put together with people who enjoy climbing and mountains and the people who work and climb there make Summitclimb a great choice.
Cho Oyu is one hell of a mountain. The feeling as you come up over the summit plateau and Everest pops into view beyond is amazing! Oh and when you see Everest clearly - stop climbing - you are on the summit!"
Here is what Arnold, climber of Cho Oyu says:
"The western leaders are good.
Each member has their own private basecamp tent.
The food is good, with the cooks being skillful and friendly.
Basecamp is a comfortable place to relax.
The sherpas are excellent, strong and helpful.
Cho Oyu is a do-able 8000 metre peak.
Compared with other 8000 metre peaks, this is a short trip.
Within the team, members are very free to climb at their own speed, supported by sherpas and leaders.
Cho Oyu is a nice test if you are thinking of Everest.
The team members are friendly.
Tibet is special.
The cost for Cho Oyu is inexpensive compared to other 8000 metre peaks.
These photos were taken on our recent successful expedition where we put 6 members and 5 Sherpas on the summit, and the team returned home safely. Photos in slideshow: David Lepagne, Guntis Brands, Phil Crampton, Johan Frankelius, Herve Coron, & Thierry Auberson. For caption information, please visit our Cho Oyu photo gallery .
Full service includes: Sherpas, hotels, drive to basecamp (bc), yaks to advanced basecamp (abc), ropes, good food on trek, in bc, abc, & climb, group climbing equipment, tents, radios, satphones, etcetera.
Leader: Dan Mazur , Everest expert: 9 Everest expeditions.
Dan Mazur : Over 20 years experience leading climbs & treks in Nepal & Tibet.
2011 Expedition: 7 out of 9 members reached the summit.
World's sixth highest & most accessible 8000 metre/26,200 foot peaks. High altitude "easy" snow climb.
A great way to test yourself at a very high elevation in only 38 days.
Drive to basecamp experiencing the unique culture of the Tibetan plateau.
Combine Shishapangma with Cho Oyu and earn a 20 percent discount.
We help you buy and rent inexpensive mountain climbing, trekking, hiking, and walking gear, equipment, clothing, boots, shoes for sale, purchase and hire at affordable, cheap, low prices.
Please click the logo for payment options including credit card, cheque, bank transfer, etcetera.
Recent News: Our spring 2011 Cho Oyu Expedition just returned from a successful climb. Click here to read news of our expedition, listen to audio dispatches, and view recent photos of the climb.
PleaseClick here to watch this excellent video of Suzy Madge skiing Cho Oyu, filmed by Squash Falconer
* Our “full-service” expedition includes:
Leaders: Cost includes a very experienced and qualified British, European, or American leader;
Organizer: Jon Christian Otto, fluent Chinese speaker, Tibet and China Expert, with over 10 years Himalayan expedition organizing experience;
Climbing Sherpas for the group;
Transport to base camp for you and equipment to/from Kathmandu, including accommodation and meals on the road;
Yak transport of all equipment from the road to and from advanced basecamp;
Three hot meals per day in base camp. Comfortable tables and chairs and dining tent;
Skillful base camp cooks;
All mountain, and base camp food;
All permit fees and liaison officers;
Use of group gear and supplies: rope, ice, rock, and snow anchor protection; base camp and altitude tents; cookers, fuel, high-altitude food, walkie-talkie radios, solar charging system etc;
Emergency equipment and supplies: medical oxygen, gamow bag, base camp medical kit, high-altitude medical kits, etcetera;
In addition to our top-quality high-altitude tents, we now provide an individual tent (1 tent per person) in base camp.
Your trip includes 2 free Kathmandu hotel nights at the beginning and two free Kathmandu hotel nights at the end of the trip. You will be sharing. If you want your own single room, the cost is an aditional $30 per night and for extra nights $60 per person for single occupancy. Please bring extra cash to pay for your extra nights and / or your single supplement. This a clean and comfortable "two-star" hotel. We use good quality hot water hotels in a central neighborhood, near many tasty restaurants, and excellent mountain equipment and gift shopping, as well as our trekking and mountain climbing office where we meet before and after the adventure.
Organization: Your expedition is organized by Jon Christian Otto, fluent Chinese speaker, Tibet and China expert with ten years experience in organizing expeditions in Tibet. Jon is an excellent communicator, an international diplomat, extremely well organized, with superb attention to each and every detail. Jon is our China/Tibet programme director, heading our Chinese office. For more about Jon, please "click" on the Leadership link above.
Sherpas and Equipment Transport: Our expedition includes transport of all of your equipment from Kathmandu to advanced basecamp, and returned to Kathmandu. We could also bring you to basecamp from Lhasa, Tibet. More and more members are choosing to take the Lhasa option. While climbing on the mountain, we try not to ask our full-service members to carry heavy group equipment (although it is an option if you really want to), such as tents, rope, fuel, food, etcetera. We employ climbing sherpas, and high-altitude porters, to carry group equipment and supplies. For a minimal expense, we can also provide personal sherpas and climbing-guides to individual members who wish to have their own private sherpa or personal climbing-guide. We now encourage members to hire a 1/4 of a sherpa, to help with high altitude equipment transport, both up and down the mountain.
Full personal-private sherpas-
For those who do not wish to carry their own rucksack, or prepare their own meals and drinks above basecamp, we offer full personal-private sherpas (or, you may wish to share one with another member). A personal sherpa climbs and camps with you at all times and carries approximately ten kilos/22 pounds of your personal belongings. He also helps with boiling water and making your meals on the mountain. The cost of hiring a personal-private sherpa is as follows.
A Nepalese sherpa is available for: $5450 USD.
High altitude "personal-equipment-carriage-service"-
Divide the above prices by four if you would like to have approximately 10 kilos of your personal equipment carried up and down the mountain, between camps. You must provide a 48 hour notice while on the mountain. Although the price is less than the full personal-private sherpa, the "personal-equipment-carriage-service" does not involve the additional services provided by the full personal-private sherpa. This service is mainly to help get equipment up and down between camps. If you need more help than this, please consider hiring a full personal-private sherpa.
Chinese truck taking our equipment to basecamp, which we drive to, at 4700 metres (Roland Debare).
Oxygen: You should consider whether or not you wish to use supplemental oxygen. About half of our Cho Oyu team members do. Its not like Everest where oxygen is absolutely necessary, but some Cho-Oyu climbers like it because it gives them a little extra edge of "insurance" that they will be feeling as well as possible when resting in the high camp and on summit day, both climbing up to the summit and on descent. In addition, supplemental oxygen usage has been shown to markedly reduce the incidence of frostbite. Our sherpas will try to help you carry the oxygen, and a couple four-litre bottles should be more than enough, and you also need the mask, hoses, and regulator. Or, you can have the full set of three bottles, which includes mask-regulator-hoses (as well as carriage up to the high camps by our sherpas). All of the equipment is guaranteed to work well together, and it is easy to use, with simple threaded and snap-on fittings which require no tools. We have a 30% buy back policy bottles on unused oxygen, and masks, hoses, and regulators in good condition.
Here are the costings:
A. Three bottle set (we recommend a three bottle set for Cho Oyu): $2150 USD. The price includes three large 4 litre Russian Oxygen bottles, mask-regulator-hoses (as well as carriage up to the high camps by our sherpas). We have a 30% "buy-back" policy on masks, regulators, and unused oxygen bottles in good condition. Extra bottles: $510 USD each.
If purchased separately:
B. Mask + Hoses (guaranteed to be in proper working order and match the bottles and regulator perfectly): We have a 30% buy-back policy on masks and hoses in good condition. $285 USD.
C. Regulator for high-altitude oxygen bottle (guaranteed to be in proper working order and match the bottle and mask and hoses perfectly): We have a 30% buy-back policy on regulators in good condition. $485 USD.
D. One large Russian Oxygen 4 litre bottle for high-altitude climbing (guaranteed to be in proper working order and match the regulator and mask and hoses perfectly): We have a 30% discount buy-back policy on unused oxygen bottles. $510 USD each.
Note: You may have to carry some or all of your own oxygen on summit day, as well as up and down the mountain. If possible, the group sherpas will help stock the high camps, as well as share in carrying extra bottles during summit attempts. If you are concerned you might not be able to carry your own oxygen, you may wish to hire a personal sherpa.
Oxygen buy-back policy:We have a 30% discount buy-back policy on unused oxygen bottles, regulators in good condition, and masks and hoses in good condition. Refunds take 90 days to process from the pre-planned expedition date to process.
Cooks and Food: On the road we eat in the local restaurants as available. In basecamp and advanced basecamp our skillful and hard working cooks prepare three hot meals each day with a very healthy diet of fresh vegetables, cheeses, eggs, and fresh as well as tinned fruits, meats and fish (all meats and fish are prepared separately out of respect for the vegetarians in our midst). They supply you with unlimited hot-drinks, the key to successful acclimatization. We have large weather-proof kitchens and dining tents, with comfortable chairs and tables. On the mountain, above advanced basecamp, we provide you with abundant and nutritious locally available quick-cooking food, so that you may prepare at least three meals and lots of hot drinks each day, in our specially designed high-altitude stoves using our butane-propane expedition mix fuel.
Above advanced basecamp all of our team members cook their own food unless they have a personal sherpa to cook for them. For more about personal sherpas, please click here .
We provide you with a special high altitude stove and fuel canisters. Our stoves are of the "hanging" type, designed to be used inside the tent (well ventilated of course). We have found these to be the best possible stoves for high altitude use, as it is essential to cook inside the tent during stormy weather. Our stoves are suspended above the floor so you have room to sit comfortably and warmly in your sleeping bag while cooking.
Our high altitude fuel is of two types. Above 7000 metres/23,000 feet we use imported propane/butane 250 gramme canisters. Below 7000 metres/23,000 feet we refill the canisters with propane gas. Liquid fuel does not work above 6000 metres/19,700 feet so we don't use liquid fuel above basecamp or advanced basecamp.
Group Equipment: We provide a plethora of top-quality, and time-tested equipment, group gear, and supplies, including: rope, ice, rock, and snow anchor protection; basecamp, advanced basecamp and altitude tents; cookers, fuel, high-altitude food, walkie-talkie radios, bamboo marker wands, etcetera. We now provide an individual tent for each member in basecamp, so you do not have to share. We also have shower and toilet tent for Basecamp. Please see the above EQUIPMENT link, to study what we bring for your use and safety.
Staff: Our staff, working together as "Everest Parivar Expeditions, Pvt. Ltd." led by the experienced and influential Mr. Murari Sharma, are hospitality experts and have, for the last 21 years, been arranging overland tours, safaris, raft trips, treks, mountain climbs, trek support staff, cooks, peak climbing permits, satellite phone permits, video and film-making permits, translators, liaison officers, climbing Sherpas, oxygen, helicopter flights, air tickets, equipment purchase/hire, storage, import/export, shipping, customs clearance, transport bookings, advance hotel bookings, visas, repatriations, and permits.
Safety:BOTH full-service and basic expeditions are allowed access to our extensive communications equipment, medical supplies, first-aid kits, medical oxygen, and a gamow bag in case of emergency. Thank you for being a well-prepared and safe team member! back to top
Your Nepal visa is conveniently purchased by you upon arrival at the Kathmandu airport. It is not necessary to purchase a Nepalese visa prior to landing in Nepal. In 2008, the cost of a 60 day visa was $40 USD. Please bring cash and 2 extra passport-sized photos (extra photos are necessary to obtain the visa in the airport). Because the expedition is in Tibet, we provide special support to you in Kathmandu in organizing your Tibet-China visa. Be ready to pay up to $220 USD (US citizens) and $135 USD (non-US citizens) for your Tibetan visa. It may be cheaper, but we will tell you and provide a receipt. Thank you.
Additional expenses like bottled or canned drinks on the trek, tips and gratuities, and expenses of a personal nature (ie: laundry or gift shopping) are not included.
We recommend the following tip for our group staff: Cho Oyu: $200. Expect to pay the above tip no matter what.
Tipping Climbing Sherpas on our peak climbs: for a group Sherpa (Tibetan or Nepalese), who helps you to climb above the high camp or up to the summit and back down, expect to pay a summit-attempt bonus as follows: Cho Oyu Summit Attempt Bonus: $200, Summit Success: $400.
Car or Jeep hiring for Tibet members: Please note that your amount of cash you need to bring is about $1000 more than our Nepal trips because it costs that much to hire a jeep to take you out early if you wish to leave before the scheduled end date of the itinerary.back to top
* Our "basic climb" includes:
Coordinator: Dan Mazur, relaxed, friendly and well organized person, and a highly-skilled professional with 18 years of Himalayan experience in getting people to the summit and back down with the highest attention to safety;
Organizer: Jon Christian Otto, fluent Chinese speaker, Tibet and China Expert, with 10 years Himalayan climbing experience;
All permit fees and liaison officers;
Transport to base camp to/from Kathmandu, for you and personal equipment only (boots, ice axe, clothing, sleeping bag), including accommodation and meals on the road;
Yak transport for personal equipment only (boots, ice axe, clothing, sleeping bag) from the road to and from advanced basecamp;
A walkie-talkie radio is provided to stay linked-in with the leader of the full service expedition while on the mountain;
Emergency equipment and supplies: medical oxygen, gamow bag, base camp medical kit, high-altitude medical kits, etcetera;
Access to team fixed ropes and camps (sites, not tents), coordinated with our own "full-service" climbing team.
Other necessary services and supplies (ie: extra yaks, trek services, basecamp meals, high altitude services and equipment), may be purchased and hired at minimal expense. We offer basic climb "packages" as noted below, or, we can furnish individual items such as tents, stoves, gas, food, etcetera.
Our awesome Tibetan Sherpa team with Tunc (pronounced "toonch"). He is a strong friendly climber from Ankara. Here is what SummitClimb leader Phil Crampton has to say about the photo: "The names are from left to right: Wangdu (from Lhatze, Tibet), Tsering Dorje (Nyalam), Tashi Tsering (Shigatse), Tunc Findik (Turkey) and Aden (Shegar). Tunc has climbed Pumori, Broad Peak, Cho Oyu, Everest and guides on Elbrus. All the Tibetan climbers came from the Tibetan Mountain School in Lhasa and have climbed Everest at least once with Tashi making the summit three times. SummitClimb have been supporting the school since day one."
