Cho Oyu
8,188m
The world's sixth highest peak and widely considered the most accessible eight-thousander — a popular first 8,000m summit for aspiring high-altitude mountaineers.
Elevation
8,188m
First Ascent
October 19, 1954
First Ascent By
Herbert Tichy, Sepp Jöchler & Pasang Dawa Lama (Austrian expedition)
Base Camp Trek
16 days
Permit Fee
USD 7,500
Difficulty
AD (most accessible 8,000er)
Cho Oyu (8,188m) is the world's sixth highest mountain, located in the Khumbu sub-section of the Mahalangur Himal, approximately 30 km west-northwest of Mount Everest on the Nepal-Tibet border. Its name means 'Turquoise Goddess' in Tibetan (from 'Cho' meaning goddess and 'Oyu' meaning turquoise).
First climbed on October 19, 1954 by Herbert Tichy, Sepp Jöchler, and Pasang Dawa Lama of a small Austrian expedition — remarkably without supplemental oxygen — Cho Oyu is widely regarded as the most accessible of the fourteen eight-thousanders via its standard northwest ridge route. The mountain has become a popular stepping stone for mountaineers preparing for Everest, with one of the highest success rates and lowest fatality rates (roughly 1-1.5%) among 8,000m peaks.
Despite being considered 'easy' by eight-thousander standards, Cho Oyu remains a serious high-altitude undertaking. Most commercial expeditions access the mountain from the Tibet (China) side, where the standard route is technically straightforward.
From the Nepal side, Cho Oyu can be viewed spectacularly from the Gokyo Valley, one of the most beautiful areas in the Khumbu. The Gokyo Lakes trek offers stunning turquoise glacial lakes ranging from approximately 4,600m to 5,000m with Cho Oyu towering directly above. The summit of Gokyo Ri (5,357m) provides one of the finest viewpoints in the Himalayas, with panoramic views of Cho Oyu, Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu. The best climbing season is autumn (September-October).