The Challenge8000 team will attempt to summit Mt. Cho Oyu (8201m) on September 24th 2009. Summit day has been brought forward by a few days due to expected strong winds towards the end of the month. The final summit push will start from Camp 2 (altitude of 7150m) on Wednesday 23rd at midnight Nepal time (20.20 hours Malta time) and the team is expected to reach the summit by 12 noon next day. The descent to Camp 2 is expected to take between 6 to 8hours.
The team has been preparing for this historical day since they left Kathmandu, Nepal on the 30th August, steadily climbing higher to attain the necessary acclimatisation. They reached Cho Oyu basecamp at 5700m on the 9th September where they set up tents on the moraine (rock covered ridge on the side of the glacier) facing the north face of Cho Oyu. This camp has been the Team's home and supply depot as they moved up and down the mountain. Acclamatisation treks left from here and this is where the Team come back for rest and restocking of food provisions.
The Challenge8000 team has gone through 2 cycles of acclimatisation on Cho Oyu. On September 14th, they climbed and slept at Camp 1 located on a snowy ridge at 6400m and then climbed to just below an ice cliff to 6750m before returning back to basecamp. On September 17th, the team returned to Camp 1, climbed past the ice cliff to set up Camp 2 at 7150m on a broad snowy shoulder. The team spent the night at Camp 2 and next day, climbed a further 300m, then descending more than 1700m to basecamp to rest.
Climbing above Camp 1 requires the use of ice axe and ropes, insulated mountaineering boots and crampons (12 metal prongs attached to the sole of the boots to grip the snow and ice), down jackets and pants, insulated hand mitts and warm head gear. The team also normally carry backpacks weighing at least 15kgs
The second cycle is in itself a major achievement by the Challenge8000 team – spending the night above 7000m and climbing close to 7500m – which is a national altitude record; both without the use of supplementary oxygen. During the summit push, the team will be using supplementary oxygen (one 6 litre oxygen bottle carried in the climbers' backpack). The main purpose of using oxygen is to climb faster and therefore reducing the possibility of frostbite and exposure to high altitude injuries.
The Challenge8000 team will attempt to climb Mt. Everest in March 2010. Mt Everest is 650m higher and lies a mere 30 km from Cho Oyu. Mt. Everest can easily be seen from the summit of Cho Oyu, weather permitting.
