The two Nepali teams on Cho Oyu’s south side are retreating in tough conditions.
Gelje Sherpa’s team set off toward the summit at midnight. According to Seven Summit Treks (one of the expedition sponsors), they reached 7,400m by dawn. Soon after, the wind stopped them in their tracks.
“They are struggling to get onto the col between Tenzing Peak and Cho Oyu Ridge, and weather [forecasts] predict the jet stream at noon. So they will descend back to a safe spot and plan further,” Seven Summit Treks’ CEO Chhang Dawa Sherpa wrote on social media.
Gelje Sherpa’s tracker shows he reached a high point close to 7,500m. Since then, he has been descending fast.
At 12:30 pm Nepal time he was back at 6,800m. Lakpa Dendi’s tracker is unavailable.
Pioneer Adventure’s team put their summit push on hold due to heavy snowfall yesterday. A spokesperson from Pioneer Adventure told ExplorersWeb that forecasts predict bad weather for the next few days.
Jet stream winds are hitting hard from the Chinese (north) side of the mountain. Therefore, the climbers decided to head back to safety. They are currently on their way back to Base Camp.
