The great bastion of Cho Oyu stands astride the Nepal/Tibet border, just 70 kilometres west of Everest. It is the world's sixth highest mountain and of the fourteen 8,000 metre peaks, it is regarded as one of the most straightforward to climb. The normal route ascends the north-west face from the Tibetan side of the Nangpa La, the old trading route to Nepal. This will be our route of ascent.

Cho Oyu was first climbed by an Austrian expedition in 1954. It was only climbed twice more (Indian 1958, German 1964) before the Chinese closed Tibet to foreign expeditions. Since its reopening in the 1980's, Cho Oyu's normal route has now had over 1660 ascents, with well-supported teams being successful in most seasons. The mountain is accessible, technically easy, with one short steep section relatively low down.

The Nepalese side of the mountain comprises the formidable south face, which has only been climbed a handful of times. It is illegal to attempt the north-west face from Nepal, as it would entail a clandestine entry into Tibet. Our expedition will be entering Tibet by flying into Lhasa from Kathmandu and then driving over the Tibetan plateau to the north side of the mountain. From the road-head, three days walking leads to the base camp. After the climb, we will leave Tibet by road, crossing the Nepalese border by the Friendship Bridge at Zhangmu. This is a quick exit, and we will arrive back in Kathmandu on the same day that we leave base camp.