Cho Oyu Expedition

This itinerary is approximate only and is flexible, depending on people's needs.

DAY 01 ARRIVE KATHMANDU [1400m]
Flying into Kathmandu on a clear day is in itself an unforgettable experience, with the entire Nepalese Himalaya sprawling out below you. Welcome to Nepal! Take a deep breath though, and be ready to confront the confusion of Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport. After passing through immigration downstairs you collect your baggage, load up your trolley and pass through customs inspection. Outside the airport building look for our representative among the throng. After transferring to your hotel and getting cleaned up there is a briefing on all aspects of the expedition.

DAY 02 & 03 IN KATHMANDU
Two free days in Kathmandu for relaxing, packing and preparing. You can leave any gear which you don't need during the expedition at the hotel. We keep your international air ticket at the office in case any changes need to be made while you are climbing. We can arrange a sightseeing tour, if you wish.

DAY 04 DRIVE TO ZHANGMU
Early in the morning we take a private bus along the Friendship Highway to Kodari where we pass through Nepalese customs then cross the Friendship Bridge and climb to Zhangmu, the Chinese border town. Between the Nepalese and Chinese posts is a huge ever-shifting landslide. Sometimes vehicles can traverse this, sometimes porters have to carry everything. The hotels in Zhangmu are miserable but the Chinese food is authentic. The sherpas sleep on the gear in the back of the truck.

DAY 05 TRAVEL TO NYALAM [3750m]
Our Land Cruisers and truck meander their way up the precipitous mountain "road to hell" as the Chinese literally call it. Although it is rough and menaced by landslides and one hell of a climb, it is also starkly beautiful in the deep gorge. If the road is easily passable this is a relatively short day.

DAY 06 & 07 REST DAYS IN NYALAM
We relax for two days to aid acclimatisation. You are welcome to explore the village and to climb west towards Shishapangma South Face Base Camp, a tough but rewarding day trip.

DAY 08 DRIVE TO TINGRI [4500m]
A spectacular day as we cross the main Himalayan range, driving over the 5150m Lalung La. If the weather is clear the views are absolutely superb. Arriving in Tingri we get our first views of massive Cho Oyu across the grassy plains.

DAY 09 REST DAY IN TINGRI
Set on a large plain, there is little to do here except admire the views and relax.

DAY 10 DRIVE TO CHO OYU BASE CAMP [4800m]
Two hours driving brings us to base camp. Our campsite is known locally as Chinese Base Camp and after establishing our camp we can relax and enjoy the views. The camp is pleasantly situated on grassy patch alongside the river.

DAY 11 & 12 STAY AT BASE CAMP
We spend 2 or perhaps 3 days acclimatising and preparing our equipment for the yaks to carry to Advance Base Camp. All our equipment is transported in blue plastic drums or kit bags and it is usual to have in the region of 60 yaks to transport all our supplies and equipment.

DAY 13 & 14 OVERNIGHT CAMP EN-ROUTE
It is a two day trek up to Advance Base Camp near the foot of the Nangpa La. Yaks do the hard work while we trek carrying only day packs. Everyone will be feeling the altitude, but it is amazing how your fitness builds with time.

DAY 15 TO 37 [23 DAYS] CLIMBING CHO OYU
The expedition leader in discussion with the team members and sherpas manages the day to day running of the expedition. The sherpas carry the majority of the equipment to establish the camps leaving you to familiarise yourself with the mountain and get more acclimatised, a long process. There are several different methods to ready for yourself for the summit bid. We will discuss them in detail on the mountain.

DAY 38 TREK TO CHINESE BASE CAMP
It is likely that we summit and return to Chinese Base Camp prior to day 38 but this day everybody must return.

DAT 39 DRIVE TO NYALAM/ZHANGMU
Back to thick air! If the road is in good condition it is sometimes possible to go to Kathmandu in one day from the Base Camp. More likely though, we will want to enjoy the journey back across the Tibetan plains to the lush valleys of Nepal.

DAY 40 DRIVE TO KATHMANDU
We should arrive in Kathmandu early afternoon ready to enjoy the good restaurants.
41 At leisure in Kathmandu.

Time for a good relaxing and shopping and to celebrate the expedition.

DAY 42 DEPARTURE
Transfer to Kathmandu's airport for your flight home. We prefer to hold your air tickets so that we can sort out any flight changes before you return to Kathmandu, if necessary.

Ama Dablam 6856m

DAY 01 Arrival in Kathmandu. Transfer to hotel.
DAY 02 In Kathmandu. Preparations for the expedition and obtaining permits etc.
DAY 03 Flight to Lukla 2800m [flight duration 40-45 minutes]. This short flight provides glorious views of snow-capped mountain peaks including Mt Everest and the alluring Ama Dablam. After landing at Lukla, we take a short break for refreshments then begin our trek through Phakding to Chumoa for our first night's camp.
DAY 04 From Chumoa, it's a steep climb to Namche Bazaar at an elevation of 3445m.
DAY 05 In Namche Bazaar. Rest day for needed acclimatisation.
DAY 06 Trek to Thyangboche [3863m] with it's famous monastery. We camp overnight near the monastery.
DAY 07 Today we ascend to our Base Camp, situated at an elevation of 4570m.
DAY 08 - 33 Ascent of Ama Dablam. For the climb itself, we have to be flexible with time. It would not be possible to stick exactly to a day to day itinerary during the ascent period, due to unpredictable weather conditions in the mountains. The time will be spent acclimatising and setting up camps before the final assault on the summit.
DAY 34-36 Trek back to Lukla. Overnight Camp.
DAY 37 Return flight to Kathmandu and transfer to hotel.
DAY 38 In Kathmandu - at leisure.
DAY 39 Departure