Shishapangma, whose name means “God of the Grasslands”, is the world’s 14th highest mountain, and the only 8,000er that lies entirely in Tibet. Cho Oyu, which translates as “Turquoise Goddess” in Tibetan, straddles the border between Tibet and Nepal, but is easiest to climb from the northern, Tibetan side. Among the world’s 8,000m peaks, both are regarded as relatively easy. Tackling these two sacred mountains together is challenging, but possible.
Climb the two sacred mountains
Despite standing an imposing 8,188m above sea level, Cho Oyu, the world’s sixth highest mountain is actually a relatively straightforward climb. Its flat summit plateau, and the relatively gentle slopes approaching it don’t require the same level of technical climbing expertise that, say, Kanchenjunga or Makalu do. Alongside Shishapangma, it’s often the first 8,000m peaks that climbers tackle, and the relatively proximity of the two peaks means that climbing them one after the other, in a single expedition, makes perfect sense.
Beginning with Shishapangma, we aim to summit both peaks within 54 days, an objective that’s made feasible not just by the relative ease of the climbs, but by the accessibility of the base camps - both are reachable by motor vehicle, reducing the need for arduous treks in or out. Our expedition plans are based on those successfully implemented by our leaders, Nimsdai and Mingma David, during the former’s record breaking Project Possible push of 2019.