Cho Oyu Expedition update from Advanced Base Camp

Photos: Zeb Blais

Our Rapid Ascent Cho Oyu expedition team is currently well situated and comfortable in advanced base camp (18,530’ / 5650m). Lead guide Zeb Blais has been reporting on a daily basis, relaying that everyone is feeling great. There has been some weather coming through and the forecast looks to be a bit challenging in the coming days showing more precipitation before dry but windy conditions will return.

Resting, organizing and heading up:

After getting to ABC they rested and spent the time sorting gear, setting up tents and getting comfortable. Yesterday they went for an acclimatization cycle and climbed up to c1 (20,600’ / 6280m), taxing their bodies so that they can recover lower and build the ever crucial red blood cells.

The team woke to 1 centimeter of new snow on the ground before heading out and the weather was overcast and snowing. They walked through miles of moraine and dirt covered glacier until they reached lake camp. There they were greeted with a 1000’ high scree slope that would deliver them to c1.

The trail proved to be difficult and steep and was challenging given the fact that this was the highest they have been so far. Camp 1 was completely obscured by cloud cover. During the descent the clouds parted a bit and they got some views of Pasang Llama Chuli peak and the glacier leading back to ABC, bringing some beauty to a difficult day.

Our amazing Sherpa team has been cranking and carried tents, oxygen, sleeping bags and cook sets to camp 1 and were able to do it in 6 hours round trip! Can you say beast mode!?

Today the team sorted gear for their next rotation, did some laundry, caught a shower and rested.