A Russian team is currently attempting to summit Cho Oyu, one of the largest mountain faces in the Himalayas, on the South Side. The leader, Andrey Vassiliev, shared with Explorersweb that they had reached 7,700 meters on their last attempt, just 250-300 meters below the summit ridge. After a five-day break in Gokyo, they resumed their climb, having set up a high camp at 7,300 meters and secured ropes up to 7,700 meters.
Their route follows the path of a 1991 Russian expedition, which aimed to ascend the mountain via the East Ridge, a notoriously difficult section of the climb at around 7,900 meters. The most challenging portion lies ahead: the summit ridge. Vassiliev emphasized that the powerful winds from Tibet are their biggest obstacle at this stage. They anticipate needing at least three nights on the ridge, where conditions will be extreme, and they will have to sleep in their down suits under a synthetic blanket without sleeping bags.
One major obstacle is the “Hall,” a vertical wall on the last rocky ridge, which they must rappel down and then climb back up. Past expeditions have been halted by this challenge, but the 1991 Russian team succeeded despite significant difficulties. Now, the Russian team faces this daunting section as they continue their push for the summit.
As of now, they are the last team attempting to climb Nepal’s 8,000-meter peaks, with the exception of a Ukrainian team on Makalu, who has not provided recent updates.