KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 29
A five-member team of Russian climbers is all set to begin the final summit push on Mt Cho Oyu from Nepal side in a day or two, according to the expedition organizer.
Iswari Paudel, Managing Director at Ice Eight Thousand Pvt Ltd, said that Andrey Vasiliev-led team was all prepared to make the final summit push after spending a couple of nights at the base camp. "As per the latest communication, Russian alpinists plan to begin a summit push from the base camp on October 30/31," Paudel said, adding that the team is now at 6,700m.
Russian alpinists including Andrey, Vitaly Shipilov, Viktoriia Klimenko, Sergei Kondrashkin, and Kirill Eizeman obtained a climbing permit to attempt the most difficult Southwest Ridge from the Nepal side. The same route was attempted by Nepali teams in 2021 and 2022 while they retreated after reaching a maximum height of 7,600m in the winter season.
Under the Himalayan Guides Cho Oyu Expedition organised by Ice Eight Thousand Pvt Ltd, Vasiliev, Shipilov, Kondrashkin reached at 7350, on the ridge before the summit and spent night in snow cave at 7200 on October 25, according to the Russian Mountaineering Federation.
