Cho Oyu Climb with International Mountain Guides

Thanks for your interest in our Cho Oyu Expedition climbs and treks. Cho Oyu is the 6th highest mountain in the world (8,201m) and is a classic Himalayan climb. Since 1995 we have seen 143 climbers reach the summit of Cho Oyu with our IMG teams on the 16 expeditions that we have conducted via the original 1954 route from Tibet.

Every trip that IMG has done to Cho Oyu has been different, and we're proud to have the best climbing record on the mountain. Our programs are recognized worldwide as well organized with first-rate logistics and experienced leaders, conducted under the direction of legendary climber and expedition leader Eric Simonson, Ang Jangbu Sherpa, and our top notch IMG Sherpa team.

For 2008 we are also offering a Personal Sherpa Option for an additional cost of $4600. We will assign exclusively to you one of our very best Sherpas, who has summitted Cho Oyu and Everest many times, been through the Khumbu Sherpa climbing school, and who speaks English well. As a small two-person team, you will be able to take advantage of the "best of both worlds" with all the "horsepower" of the main IMG team at your disposal, in case of emergency, but also having the additional flexibility afforded by a climbing partner who is committed to climbing exclusively on your own schedule, when you want to. Your personal sherpa will also be available to help carry your personal gear to the higher camps.

A Letter from Eric Simonson to Cho Oyu Climbers

Dear Prospective Cho Oyu Team Members,

Thanks for your interest in IMG's Cho Oyu Expedition. We're proud to have the best climbing record on the mountain.

How hard is the summit climb? You need to have solid cramponing skills and be able to rappel with a pack on. You'll be jumaring on fixed ropes. There is a short, steep section of nearly vertical ice on the spectacular ridge between Camp 1 and Camp 2 that requires front-pointing skills. Most importantly, you need good common sense and the ability to learn and adapt.

Climbing 8,000m peaks in the Himalaya is serious business. I am proud of the way we conduct ourselves, and I think we provide the best package available. I encourage you to contact me to discuss in person all the details of our programs. As you shop around for a Cho Oyu expedition, consider the following:

• Our guides are truly professionals and are great teachers as well as climbers. Our Sherpas are top-notch, too. We pay them well and they like working with us. Some of them have been on many climbs with us. The same goes for our cooks and camp staff.
• We establish Base Camp (15,500') and leave it in place for the duration of the expedition. Other teams often move everyone to ABC without leaving a Base Camp. What happens if you get sick and have to descend?
• We provide oxygen for sleeping at high camp (24,500') and for the entire summit day. We have seen again and again how teams without oxygen are strung along to their limits, and for most humans, it just isn’t safe. We also bring a Gamow Bag in case of altitude sickness.
• We spend several nights (at 11,000') in Lhasa and Shigatse coming across Tibet to Base Camp. Other teams come straight to Base Camp from Nepal. That saves them money, but people often get altitude sickness going so quickly to Base Camp.
• Consider the length of your trip. If everything goes well, you can do it in six weeks. We allow extra time, if necessary, to make sure we can make a second summit bid if we miss on the first time up.
• We have a satellite communication system at Base Camp, giving us better emergency contact with the outside world. Each member is provided with a walkie talkie for the climb.

In short, we do the climb in top style with the goal of safely putting as many people on top as possible. We invest in the staff and equipment that make this most likely to happen. We want to keep our reputation as one of the best high-altitude guide services in the world. When you join the INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN GUIDES team, you are not joining just a "commercial expedition" but a professionally organized and guided expedition team. There IS a difference!!

I look forward to hearing from you.

—Eric Simonson, IMG Himalayan Programs Director

Ama Dablam Extension

For climbers interested in staying in Nepal to do more climbing, we are offering Ama Dablam immediately after the Autumn Cho Oyu Expedition, with a 10% discount for Cho Oyu climbers.