The China Tibet Mountaineering Association has decided to keep Shisha Pangma and Cho Oyu closed to foreign expeditions until the fall.
International climbers can still attempt Cho Oyu from the highly technical Nepal side, where success is rare, but the normal Tibetan route is off-limits. Shisha Pangma, also closed, lies totally within Chinese territory.
The CMTA’s decision has spoiled the plans of those pursuing the 14×8,000’ers. One outfitter told ExplorersWeb that they expected the decision, which has been the norm since COVID.
However, some exceptions have been made.
Shisha Pangma fever turns fatal
In the spring of 2023, a small group scored permits for Shisha Pangma and Cho Oyu, including Kristin Harila of Norway. Thanks to that permission, she became the fastest person to complete the 14×8,000m peaks, finishing in just over six months. Harila smashed the previous record set by Nirmal Purja of the UK. Purja also completed his list thanks to a special Shisha Pangma permit that he obtained in the autumn of 2019.
In 2023, Cho Oyu and Shisha Pangma opened in the fall after weeks of uncertainty. It prompted a bumper crop of climbers to hurry onto expeditions in order to finally complete their long-awaited 14×8,000m list.
Two teams launched a last-minute expedition to Cho Oyu, pressing to the summit in a whiteout because of the time constraint. Luckily, everyone made it safely back down.
They then literally ran to Shisha Pangma. This time, luck was not on their side. The climbers ignored dangerous wind slabs on the mountain’s upper slopes, and four people died in two consecutive avalanches on the same day.
Safer in spring?
The aftermath of the tragedy prompted the CMTA to swiftly close the mountain for the year. Ensued a heated debate about the lack of leadership and pursuing records at all costs. Several veteran climbers noted that the mountain is especially avalanche-prone in the fall. In the spring, when the mountain is typically drier, it is much safer.
Ralf Dujmovits of Germany, a 14×8,000m summiter, UIAGM guide, and veteran expedition leader, explained that Shisha Pangma’s upper slopes on the north side are particularly avalanche-prone in the post-monsoon. The typical southerly winds create dangerous slab conditions on the gigantic slope above 7,300m, he explained.
“That slope is not steep enough to regularly trigger avalanches on its own,” Dujmovits said. “However, when disturbed by the added weight of a climber, or even the vibrations of approaching climbers, the faceted snow can collapse and begin to slide, along with the hundreds of tons of snow on top of it.
“This is typical in autumn, especially when it is very cold [as it was when the 2023 fatalities happened]. There have been several similar accidents like these.”
In 2024, the same pressure existed among commercial climbers to set records of one kind or another related to the 14×8,000’ers, but the ever-unpredictable CTMA refused to open the peak until fall.
Cho Oyu: try south or wait
The Tibetan side of Cho Oyu also remained closed last spring. The measure prompted a risky (and pricey) option by Alasdair McKenzie, a French-UK 19-year-old eager to bag the Guinness World Record as the youngest to do 14×8,000m peaks ahead of his chief rivals, Nima Rinji Sherpa of Nepal, Sherokze Kashif of Pakistan, and Adriana Brownlee of the UK.
McKenzie was the only foreigner on a large expedition that fixed ropes all the way up the difficult Nepal side of Cho Oyu. The team summited after climbing what was supposed to be a new route. However, a year later, they still haven’t shared many details or a topo of the ascent.
As far as we know, no expedition is planned for the south side of Cho Oyu this spring, although since the Nepalese now have a route open, those interested, skilled, and deep-pocketed enough can hire a team to lead them. As leader Gelje Sherpa told ExplorersWeb, the route is not suitable for inexperienced climbers, but strong clients with a solid high-altitude background might attempt it.
Gelje Sherpa on the summit of Cho Oyu after a difficult climb from Nepal last spring. Photo: Gelje Sherpa
No reason provided
As usual, the CTMA has given no reason for keeping these two peaks closed. However, Everest is open, and they may simply be focusing their resources on this more lucrative peak and leaving the other two 8,000’ers for the off-season.
