Posted: May 07, 2009 01:29 pm EDT
(MountEverest.net) It began as a misunderstanding - the SE or the SW face?

Only Cho Oyu remains on Denis Urubko's list of all 14, 8000ers. The normal route offers an easy climb so Denis planned a speed ascent there last spring. When Chinese politics closed the mountain the expedition was moved to last fall but proved an opportunity in disguise this spring. Awakening a dream from 2001, Denis decided to attempt Cho Oyu not from China - but from Nepal - via the South-East Face.

Originally word was that the climb would go via the unclimbed South West face; when the correction came that the climb would go on the South East face a reader from Montreal, Louis Rousseau, spoke to Polish Himalayan climber Jacques Olek (close friend of Zawada, Kukuczka, Berbeka and Wielicki) and added the following info:

"Olek told me more about the 1985 Cho Oyu winter expedition Led by Andrzej Zawada. On February 12, 1985, Maciej Berbeka and Maciej Pawlikowski made the first winter ascent (repeated three days later by Andrzej Heinrich and Jerzy Kukuczka). It was the fourth ever ascent of an 8000 meter peak in winter."

"On top of that, it was made on a new route via the South-East Pillar. (This South Buttress route is probably the most difficult route on Cho Oyu to be completed successfully.)"

Lena from Russian climb confirmed that Denis's will be the first climb of the SE face in alpine style. The unclimbed South West face will however get a visit soon. Denis Urubko recently bagged the first winter ascent of Makalu with Simone Moro who told ExWeb that he'll give Cho Oyu's SW face a shot this fall, also in alpine style.

Denis SE face expedition includes Boris Dedeshko from the Kazakhstan Army Central Sport Club. Two days ago, Denis reckoned the planned route looked extremely serious but said, “decided to fight ‘till the end – and Boris agrees with me.” The two are now ready to leave Cho Oyu ABC, they told RussianClimb. They are not bringing their sat-phone, so there will be no news from them until they return.

Cho Oyu SE face Expedition sponsors: NewTech, Kazakhstan Kagazy, gear from Sivera, La Sportiva and CAMP

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