13/06/2025
14 Days 14 Peaks! 🏔️
A swift guide to choose your 8000er
6. Cho Oyu (8188 M)
– Mahalangur Range, Nepal / Tibet, China
Important notes:
1. Cho Oyu is often known as the world’s most achievable 8000er, thus a great peak to begin the 8000er journey.
2. Because of its approach from the Chinese side, there are chances the mountain doesn’t open often. Accessibility is an issue.
Cho Oyu, the 6th highest mountain in the world, lies in the eastern Himalaya at the Nepal–China border. The Nepal side of Cho Oyu is a sheer vertical wall that has been climbed only a handful of times, so the Tibetan approach is popular. The mountain is especially known for being among the most accessible. After Everest, Cho Oyu is the most climbed 8000er.
The climbing route begins after a long road journey to Cho Oyu base camp, which lies to the immediate north of Nangpa La pass at around 5,700 meters. From BC, the route leads southeast to reach Camp 1 at around 6,400 meters. This is a long journey taking around 7–8 hours, but it isn’t very technical.
Now C1 to C2 is a relatively short ascent of some 4 hours. The route doesn’t have any hazardous sections and is a pretty straightforward climb. C2 sits on the northwest face at around 7,400 meters. The route from C2 to C3 is even shorter — it usually takes around 3 hours and isn’t technical but can be windy. This is the last camp before the summit.
The summit push begins from C3 at around 6–7 p.m. It will be a long journey. The route progresses up the NW face, beginning with a vast snowfield and continuing to the summit plateau. It’s a wide expanse — almost unbelievable at 8000 meters — and climbers must cross it entirely to reach the main summit, says Mikkel Sherpa, SST’s senior climbing guide. The summit offers majestic views of Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Kanchenjunga, and Shishapangma.
Overall, Cho Oyu is a fairly accessible 8000er. The main challenge sometimes becomes its approach, when Chinese authorities close it for mountaineering. We have organized Cho Oyu expeditions for over a decade with competent management, best-in-class logistics, and a veteran Sherpa crew.
Next 8000er tomorrow!