Select your Social NetworkGoogle BookmarksDel.icio.usFacebookBloggerYahooMyWebDiggRedditStumbleupon
• 
• 
• 
• 

The Challenge8000 team has successfully reached the summit of Mt. Cho Oyu (8201m) on September 24th 2009 at 07.05am Nepal time (0325hrs Malta time). Greg Attard, Marco Cremona and Robert Gatt took just 8.5 hours to climb the 1050m from Camp 2 where they had been resting. They had climbed 700m from Camp 1 a few hours before. The ascent of Mt Cho Oyu, one of only 14 mountains over 8000m and the sixth highest in the world, is the highest that has been climbed by Maltese nationals.

The final summit push started on the 22nd September where the team moved from Advanced BaseCamp (ABC) to Camp 1, 'sleeping' at an altitude of 6400m. Next day, the Team climbed to Camp 2 (altitude 7150m) a snowy shoulder where they had already spent one night acclimatising previously. Here, the Team rested for few hours before starting off towards the summit. They wore down clothing and high altitude mountaineering boots and carried supplementary oxygen in their backpacks.

The final climb started at night time on 23rd September at 10.30pm Nepal time. The weather was good and clear, with light winds and temperature of 15 below zero at Camp 2. The first 500m were a steep snow slope, then a series of rock bands of mixed snow, rock and ice led to a second slope of steep snow after which came the summit plateau, a moderate westward slope leading to a broad summit. Most of the climb was made in darkness with just a head torch to show the way. The Team's progress was hampered by a queue of slow climbers from other expeditions and some climbers needing medical assistance.

The Team reached the summit on 24th September at 07.05 hours Nepal time. Summit temperature measured 29 deg. C below zero and including wind chill factor from the moderate summit winds bringing it down to 40 deg. C below zero. The Team spent just over half hour on the summit, admiring the views of the Himalayan massif and especially that of Mt Everest, the Team's next objective, just 30km away.

The descent was made easier due to daylight conditions and the Team returned to Camp 2 by 11.30 Nepal time, making it a 13 hour return climb to the same camp. The Team descended back to basecamp next day and are now packing up their belongings to return back to Kathmandu by the 30th September.

The Challenge8000 team will attempt to climb Mt. Everest in March 2010. Mt Everest is 650m higher and lies a mere 30 km from Cho Oyu.

Select your Social NetworkGoogle BookmarksDel.icio.usFacebookBloggerYahooMyWebDiggRedditStumbleupon
• 
• 
• 
•