Kathmandu, Nepal – A French climber, Alasdair McKenzie along with a team Nepali Sherpas has successfully climbed the towering Cho Oyu (8,188m) from the Nepalese side. This marks a historic achievement to summit on the Nepali face since 2009.
They achieved the summit on June 7, 2024, via the S-SW Ridge route, also known as the SST-Nepal Route. McKenzie, guided by Gelje Sherpa and his team of Tenging Gyaljen, Chhangba Sherpa, Lakpa Temba Sherpa, Lakpa Tenji Sherpa, and Ngima Ongda Sherpa, reached the summit of 8188 meters above sea level at 8:35 PM Nepal Time. The expedition was organised by seven summit treks.
Cho Oyu, the world’s sixth-highest peak, stands on the Nepal-China border. The standard climbing route lies on the Tibetan side, which is known for being more accessible. However, climbing from the Nepali face is a difficult challenge with steep, vertical walls rising thousands of meters.
The official welcome ceremony was organized by the Department of Tourism (DoT), Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), & Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) for climbers when they reached Kathmandu after their descent.
This wasn’t the first attempt to conquer Cho Oyu from Nepal. Gelje Sherpa himself had made three previous unsuccessful attempts to establish a route on the Nepali side. The last successful climb from the Nepal side was done by Russian climbers Denis Urubko and Boris Dedeshko in 2009.
The success of the French-Nepali team is expected to pave the way for future commercial expeditions on the Nepali side of Cho Oyu. This will open new opportunities for climbers and the Nepalese tourism industry.
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