Cho Oyu Planning
(26,906FT / 8,201M) | TibetPaperwork
Please return the requested paperwork as soon as possible.
- Passport copy
- Two passport photos
- Flight itinerary
- Bio Data Form (we will reach out if this becomes necessary)
- Trip Evacuation Insurance Confirmation (required)
Trip Insurance & Evacuation Coverage
We strongly recommend purchasing trip insurance. Even with the best planning, unexpected circumstances — such as an injury or family emergency — may prevent you from joining your trip.
Evacuation coverage, however, is required for this trip. Evacuation insurance is not ‘insurance,’ as one must usually contact the insurance company prior to evacuation, and the insurance agency will make payment to directly to those conducting the evacuation.
Trip Insurance Info (opens in new tab)Meet Times & Transport
Note that trip dates exclude travel time from your home country. A day-to-day itinerary can be found with your confirmation letter. Flight reservations for your expedition should be made as soon as possible.
Flying to Kathmandu, Nepal
This climb begins and ends in the Kathmandu, Nepal. For those arriving early or departing after the scheduled itinerary, we are happy to make hotel and airport transfer arrangements.
Upon Arrival: We will pick you up at the airport. Please look for an Alpine Ascents sign upon leaving the terminal. You may encounter individuals approaching to assist you with your luggage. We recommend declining their services and walking out to the pick-up area where you will find an Alpine Ascents representative, who you need not tip.
If you have issues at the airport, you can contact our local representative Jiban Ghimire on his mobile at: 977-985-103-5161, email: [email protected]
Flight Information
Your departure date should be changeable as the actual return to Kathmandu is difficult to predict with lengthy expeditions.
If you would like the assistance of a travel agency, we can recommend our friends at Exito Travel. We recommend using our travel agent as they can best facilitate changes.
If traveling through India please note that that you cannot bring a satellite phone or two-way texting device into India as per the India government. Failure to comply can result in immediate arrest, large fines, the confiscation of the device, deportation, and significant travel delays.
Missed Flights
Your guide will reach out prior to your trip with a local contact number. If you miss your flight, please contact this number. A secondary contact is our Director of Programs, Gordon Janow, at (206) 419-0097 (texting is ok).
Lodging in Kathmandu
The scheduled hotel for this expedition is the historic Yak & Yeti. Alpine Ascents will make the initial hotel reservations. Climbers will be paired in rooms unless a single room is requested. Single Room Supplements are only available in Kathmandu; we cannot pre book private rooms in the Khumbu.
Hotel Yak & Yeti
P.O. Box. 1016, Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: 977-1-4248999, 240520
Website: yakandyeti.com
Getting a Visa
For those who can, we recommend getting a visa from the Embassy before the trip.
For those who will obtain a visa upon arrival at the airport, you will need to have 2 passport photos ready. It is recommended that you expedite the visa process by arriving at the airport with forms already completed using the online visa application process: https://online.nepalimmigration.gov.np/tourist-visa
Online Visa Instructions:
Only complete 15 days or less before departure
Select 30 day visa
Hotel: Yak and Yeti
Street number:1016
Street: Durbar Marg
Municipality: KTM
Ward: 1
District: 3
“Local address” is the same as hotel address
Please be advised that you must have a valid US passport that does not expire for at least 6 months from date of entry for most countries and have blank pages available in your passport.
We will assist in obtaining a visa to enter Tibet/China. Details will be provided prior to the climb.
Gear List
Please refer to your Gear List:
Cho Oyu Gear List (opens in new tab)
You are required to bring every item on this list as described, so be as precise as possible when packing. We are happy to work closely with you on finding the proper gear.
If you plan to rent gear, your rental form must be submitted at least a month prior to expedition start date. Gear is also available for online purchase at the Alpine Ascents Equipment Store where climbers on an Alpine Ascents expedition will receive a discount. Please call our office or e-mail [email protected] with any questions.
Gear Lexicon
If you’re confused by items or language on the Gear List, we encourage you to refer to our Gear Guide for explanations on layering systems, differences between boots, etc.
Gear Guide (opens in new tab)
Other Resources
Below are articles written by veteran Alpine Ascents guides that you may find helpful in preparing and packing for your expedition.
Medications & Prescriptions for Mountain Climbing
Not on the Gear List, but in our Backpacks
Packing Tips
People generally take too much “stuff” rather than too little. Study each item before you pack it. Eliminate redundant items, extra changes of clothing, and excessive “nice to have” luxuries. You will benefit from traveling light because of the costs of excess baggage and because of the frequent loading and unloading of bags. Remember to review your airline’s weight limits and pack accordingly. Traveling light may be your key to summit success. Take everything on the required equipment list and little else.
Organizing Gear
For an expedition of this scale, luggage can feel complicated. Please read through the following guide for smooth and efficient travel.
You need three different types of luggage for this trip:
-
- Climbing Backpack – 65-75 liter pack for carrying gear to basecamp and on the upper mountain.
- Large Duffel Bags – 2-3 of the biggest, burliest duffels available. Approximately 150-liters.
- Small Duffel – useful as a carry-on when traveling to Nepal, and for storing belongings at the hotel that you are not taking into the mountains.
Stage 1 – Travel to Nepal
Pack everything (except for a few items mentioned below) into your large duffels and check it in with your airline. We recommend packing your empty climbing pack inside one of these duffels.
Pack your small duffel as your carry-on, and remember any usual comfort items for international air travel. Staying relaxed prior to your expedition will contribute to your success on the climb!
Stage 2 – Trip Prep in Kathmandu
It’s nice to have a small selection of town clothes with you, suitable for touring the city, going out to dinner, etc. While in Kathmandu, we complete a thorough gear check and reorganize our luggage. Here’s how we pack:
- Small duffel – anything not coming into the mountains, like your town clothes. You’ll check this in with your hotel and it will be stored until you return.
- Basecamp duffels – the gear you need for climbing the upper mountain but not needed on the trek to basecamp. These 1-2 duffels will be taken straight to basecamp, you will not have access to them while trekking in.
- Trekking duffel – 1 large duffel of the gear you need at night while on the trek to basecamp. This duffel will be carried by yak, you will not have access to it while hiking during the day.
- Climbing pack – the gear you will carry on your back while trekking.
Stage 3 – Cross Border
Cross the border and drive to the small village of Tingri where we spend a few days acclimatizing and getting ready for the climb.
Stage 4 – Trek to Base Camp
During the trek, you will carry your climbing pack with everything you need during the trekking days.
Stage 5 – Climbing the Mountain
Once you arrive at basecamp, you will have access to all your gear except the small duffel of items left at our hotel in Kathmandu. Your guides will advise on what gear to pack each day for the rest of the climb.
Expenses
We recommend using a combination of cash and credit cards for purchases, meals in the city, and extra expenses.
Credit cards are accepted at our hotel and in most restaurants. Smaller establishments do often accept credit cards, but charge a fee. Most climbers bring around $2,000 US dollars. It is best to change money at the Yak & Yeti hotel or an authorized exchange house in Kathmandu. Changing money at the airport is not recommended. We will organize this with our guide staff. Local Nepalese currency can also be obtained at the local ATM.
We will also work with you to change money once we have arrived in Tibet.
Tipping
We will send tipping guidelines prior to departure.
Early Departure/Evacuation
If you need to leave the expedition early, you are responsible for all incurred expenses (evacuation fees, transport, extra hotel nights, etc). A comprehensive trip insurance plan is strongly recommended, which can cover these costs in the event that they occur.
Oxygen on the Upper Mountain
Alpine Ascents provides bottled oxygen on the upper mountain. We also add special logistical support, prior to our summit attempt, team members will spend the night at Camp III sleeping on supplemental oxygen, strengthening the body’s circulation systems. Our summit attempt begins between midnight and 1 a.m. We will climb with supplemental oxygen on summit day.
Overall, Alpine Ascents is a full-service company with your best interest at heart. We want to provide you a risk aware opportunity to climb the mountain with the greatest chance for success and enjoyment.
Our Method of Acclimatization and our General Itinerary
Our approach to acclimatization on Cho Oyu and other 8000m peaks is proven in our long-standing history of success. Proper acclimatization is the most critical factor in a successful trip and you will receive daily lectures and reviews from our guides throughout the trek and climb.
During the trek to Base Camp, our goal is to stay healthy and make sure all climbers are acclimatizing well. We are not on a set schedule and will take extra days anywhere along the trek to further acclimatize, if necessary. It is extremely important that when you reach Advance Base Camp you are feeling good and are comfortable with the thin air at 18,500 ft. (5,638 m).
After moving into your new home at Advance Base Camp, we spend four to five days acclimatizing while making short acclimatization forays to the lower reaches of the West Ridge. We will practice fixed-line travel, rappelling, and crampon work, which prepares us for climbing on the mountain.
With the assistance of our Sherpa team, we’ll place Camp I (21,000 ft.) atop the West Ridge. Over the next 10 days, we’ll establish Camp II (23,100 ft.) and Camp III (24,500 ft.). We will repeatedly move up and down the mountain to enhance strong acclimatization and overall fitness. Once our last camp is set the team will return to Advance Base Camp to rest for a few days.
On the summit rotation our team will move up the mountain and upon reaching Camp III climbers will be sleeping on supplemental oxygen, strengthening the body’s circulation systems. Our summit attempt begins between midnight and 1 a.m. We will climb with supplemental oxygen on summit day.
On the Mountain
Physiology Of Mountaineering
Dehydration, hypothermia, frostbite, and altitude illness are all important health conditions to be aware of while climbing. Please read our overview of these physical factors:
Physiology Of Mountaineering (opens in new tab)
Food & Water
We are aware of the potential monotony of expedition food and Alpine Ascents makes every effort to make meals a positive part of the climb. Our pre-planned meals use a large shipment of food from the US along with food purchased locally in Kathmandu. We take great care in our meal preparation, understanding the importance staying healthy, fueling effectively, and overall enjoyment. Climbers will often have the option of eating local food while on the trek to basecamp.
Alpine Ascents prepares all water by boiling. Climbers will fill water bottles at all meals. Some prefer to supplement this with bottled water which runs from $1- $3/bottle along the trekking route. We prefer that the number of bottles purchased during the expedition be kept to a minimum.
Sherpa Staff
Alpine Ascents employs some of the most respected Sherpa guides, cooks, porters, climbers, and assistants as part of our Cho Oyu team.
Leave No Trace
Alpine Ascents International practices Leave No Trace principles on all expeditions. We believe that given the proper information most people will do all they can to help protect and maintain the environment. Before your climb, please become familiar with Leave No Trace:
7 Principles of Leave No Trace
