Cho Oyu Speed Ascent Update: What Happened Over The Weekend?

This article is part of an ongoing series covering Benedikt Boehm and Prakash Sherpa's planned speed ascent of Cho Oyu, Tibet -- the 6th highest mountain in the world. For background information, click here.

Yesterday, October 1st, Benedikt Boehm and the Dynafit team provided an update from Cho Oyu, Tibet.

Boehm and Prakash Sherpa pushed to Camp 2 on October 1st as part of ongoing acclimatization efforts -- Boehm needs to spend several days and nights at high altitudes to ensure that his body is prepared for the day-long Cho Oyu ascent.

Cho Oyu has several designated camps on its flanks for climbers overnighting on the mountain. Boehm and Sherpa are utilizing these camps as a preparation and training measure.

Boehm somehow had service at Camp 2 last night, so he recounted his experience in correspondence with Powder:

"The day was very exhausting...  Although I will hate the night up here today, it is extremely important for acclimatization. I don't expect to sleep for a minute."

Boehm continued his explanation of the high-altitude brutality:

"There are two steep steps on the way to Camp 2 and I almost puked out my lungs. That was disgusting. That's when I noticed that acclimatization was still taking time, unfortunately. The effort and extreme heat at the top almost knocked me out. I had to lie down quickly. I've never had that before either. I've now drunk 2 liters and luckily it's working again."

Boehm has noticed that Sherpa, who grew up in the high-altitude Nepal, doesn't struggle to sleep during acclimatization.

"Prakash sleeps like a baby. It's just unbelievable. Definitely helpful because up here I have to pee about 5 times a night. Also an annoying acclimatization phenomenon at this altitude. Prakash is really super fit."

After spending the night at Camp 2, the team planned to push to Camp 3 today before climbing back down to advanced base camp before nightfall.

Presumably, at the time of writing this, the team made it to Camp 3 and is now back sleeping at advanced base camp as it is currently nighttime in Tibet. There, they will await conditions for a Cho Oyu summit push -- the current planned date for which is October 6th.

Stay tuned!

Don't miss another headline from POWDER! Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of skiing.

We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging ski-related videos to feature on our channels. Whether you're a professional skier or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on POWDER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality ski videos.