Cho Oyu
8,188m
The world's sixth highest peak and considered the easiest 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, Joseph Jöchler & Pasang Dawa Lama (Austrian expedition)
Base Camp Trek
16 days
Permit Fee
USD 7,500
Difficulty
AD (least difficult 8,000er)
Cho Oyu (8,188m) is the world's sixth highest mountain, located in the Khumbu sub-section of the Mahalangur Himal, 20 km west of Mount Everest on the Nepal-Tibet border. Its name means 'Turquoise Goddess' in Tibetan.
First climbed on October 19, 1954 by Herbert Tichy, Joseph Jöchler, and Pasang Dawa Lama of an Austrian expedition, Cho Oyu is widely regarded as the easiest of the fourteen eight-thousanders to climb. The standard northwest ridge route from Tibet is technically straightforward, and the mountain has become a popular stepping stone for mountaineers preparing for Everest.
Despite being considered 'easy' by eight-thousander standards, Cho Oyu remains a serious high-altitude undertaking. The mountain's relative accessibility has made it one of the most commercially guided peaks above 8,000m.
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 at over 4,700m 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.