Cho Oyu | 2001 NW side
A New Zealand expedition to Cho Oyu in 2001 via NW side, led by Martin Schmidt. Summit reached on 24th September 2001. 2 members recorded.
Expedition Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| ID | 3926 |
| Imported | 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634 |
| Expedition ID | CHOY01331 |
| Peak ID | CHOY |
| Year | 2001 |
| Season | 3 |
| Host Country | 2 |
| Route 1 | NW side |
| Route 2 | - |
| Route 3 | - |
| Route 4 | - |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Leaders | Martin Schmidt |
| Sponsor | Independent team (on Boskoff permit) |
| Success 1 | True |
| Success 2 | False |
| Success 3 | False |
| Success 4 | False |
| Ascent 1 | 404,417 |
| Ascent 2 | - |
| Ascent 3 | - |
| Ascent 4 | - |
| Claimed | False |
| Disputed | False |
| Countries | USA |
| Approach | - |
| Basecamp Date | 2001-09-02 |
| Summit Date | 2001-09-24 |
| Summit Time | 0730 |
| Summit Days | 22 |
| Total Days | 27 |
| Termination Date | 2001-09-29 |
| Termination Reason | 1 |
| Termination Notes | - |
| High Point (m) | 8188 |
| Traverse | False |
| Ski | False |
| Paraglide | False |
| Camps | 3 |
| Fixed Rope (m) | 0 |
| Total Members | 2 |
| Summit Members | 2 |
| Member Deaths | 0 |
| Total Hired | 0 |
| Summit Hired | 0 |
| Hired Deaths | 0 |
| No Hired | True |
| O2 Used | True |
| O2 None | False |
| O2 Climb | True |
| O2 Descent | False |
| O2 Sleep | False |
| O2 Medical | False |
| O2 Taken | False |
| O2 Unknown | False |
| Other Summits | - |
| Campsites | BC(02/09,4800m),ABC(06/09,5800m),C1(10/09,6450m),C1.5(16/09,6800m),C2(17/09,7100m),C3(23/09,7500m),Smt(24,28/09) |
| Route Notes | On Boskoff permit and shared BC and ABC but on our own schedule above ABC. Made a C1 because too far for his "older" client, but when to top skipped C1 and C1.5. On summit push both members left C3 at 00:30 am of 24th and on top at 7:30 am (NST), half hour after Marco Chaintore (Focus permit) and Christian Stangl (Asian Trekking International party). Returned to 7700m at top of fixed lines, Schmidt down ahead and then helped Henry Todd's Swedish client be evacuated. Peeters slept at C2 while Schmidt to C1 with Swedish woman, and returned to C2. Brought Peeters and all C2 and C1 gear to ABC 25th. 27th 6:00 pm Schmidt left ABC entirely alone in very strong wind; reached top at 4:45 am 28th, slept on top an hour, curled up in his down suit, got up 5:45 am though still dark and high wind. Down to ABC at 12:00 noon and at BC 5:00 pm. Brice did ascent in 11 hours; Schmidt 11 hours 15 minutes with start slightly lower and in spring had less snow to contend with. Brice did not descend to BC same day as "I was bit tired." Russell Brice - 3 Oct 2001 Schmidt's climb was "on amazing ascent" from ABC to top to BC in one day and on to BC same night, but not a speed record. Brice in spring 1996 climbed from lake (about 5400m - below ABC) to top in 11 hours and down to lake in 3 hours. NZ - USA Cho Oyu Expedition 2001 by Martin Schmidt (NZ Alpine Club) "Hey Randy. It's time to move for the summit." Since 9 pm I have been up brewing teas and preparing for our summit day at our high camp on Cho Oyu. Randy Peeters from California, rocket scientist by trade, is my client for this expedition. "This is it Randy, this is why we have been climbng hard for the past 20 days." Together with the help of the other expeditions the ropes, weather, strength, breathing well and keeping up the pace. These thoughts run at high speed through our minds during the summit bid. For us today the weather is good, we have low winds, clear skies and very cold temperatures. With a short tether attached to Randy and one oxygen cylinder in my pack for back up, we progress quickly to the rock band at 7700m. There are 2 solo climbers above us and unfortunately they are not very experienced at altitude, this becomes apparent when the time comes for them to use the fixed ropes. The first climber launches a good size stone which barrels toward me with only one mission, to hit me square in the arm. Several more will nail us if we don't move out of the firing line quickly. In my head I am upset about being in the line of fire from people who are not aware of others while climbing. I have seen this action way too much in the mountains and it is hurting others if not killing them. I now felt something was not right with the other climbers that were showing negligence. My rescue instincts were being summoned for others, not for Randy and me. We knew where we were at all times. To me, this gut feeling is the highest high on this planet. To know yourself fully above 8000m has got to be one of the most powerful accomplishments for any human being. Randy wanted to experience this and so did the other climbers. This is why we were climbing into this magical realm. Randy climbed well through the rock band. Each step was understood by his inner drive to succeed. He had always wanted to summit an 8000m mountain and now was the time for his ultimate test. With each step upward, his pace was simple enough to be successful, but warmth was leaving his body like a lizard on an iceberg. I wanted him to summit without oxygen but his feet were suffering. The oxygen was not for his strength but for his warmth. At 7900m it was crunch time - put Randy on oxygen or risk severe damage to his feet. I don't lose feet, noses, fingers or hearts while in the mountains, so the oxygen went on and his feet instantly stepped into a hot spring. He couldn't carry this cylinder himself, which is why I am his guide, he knows I'll do everything for him, except whip his ass. So with oxygen being sucked by Randy, the road to the summit opened up. It looked a bit funny to others when they saw the two of us, a long oxygen hose coming out of my pack and attaching itself to Randy's regulator, two feet away. The ultimated would have been to summit Randy without oxygen, but we listened to our inner hearts and we have all our digits to this day. My gut instinct was still on alert because of the other climbers around. We were the 3rd and 4th climbers to summit that day. Several other climbers were on their way to the summit later in the morning. I couldn't help thinking. "Why didn't these people leave earlier in the morning, it's getting too late". But who am I to tell these people anything? I am here to take care of one person and I am very happy to have made the summit with Randy. Short tethering Randy was straightforward from the summit downward. A few steep sections, some bad snow conditions and Randy getting tired set the scene for the next 2 hours. Getting to the top of the fixed lines went smoothly and down we went to high camp. Upon reaching this camp, another guide Henry Todd came up to me and asked me to help get one of his clients down off the mountain as soon as possible. Randy and I had been on the summit when Henry's client had suffered a stroke. He had brought her down to the high camp with another climber's help only to get stuck with her on his own. Realising this rescue needed to happen right away I told Randy to stay at high camp while I helped take the woman down to camp 1. Randy was tired but together after his summit and he realized the thought of getting some food and rest. It took the rest of that day to get her down to Camp 1, with the crux being the ice fall at 6600m. Henry down-climbed and side-stepped to the base of it while I set up the lowering system. Thank goodness for good gear and solid ice. Two more hours and we were at camp I feeling relieved to help her down this far. Soon others were beginning to help us and several other climbers came up from advance base camp to help get this woman back to the relative safety of advance base camp (ABC). There was a tent waiting for her with medical gear, oxygen and good company from people who wanted only the best for her. The next day, I went back up the mountain to get Randy and all of our gear. The excitement that lives in us after summiting a big mountain remains for the rest of our lives. Randy was complete with his goals and looked forward to sharing this excitement with others especially with his wife Doris who was to meet him in KTM in just a few days. For me, I had been thinking of going back up the mountain to try for the world speed record. I had talked to Russell Brice a few days before and he had completed this task in just over 12 hours from High Lake Bivy. I wanted to try from ABC and do it in less than 11 hours. I had run up Aconcagua back in 1989 after doing the south face with clients, so I knew what it takes to run 3000m in one shot. Feeling strong and eating well were good indication for me to try in 2 days time. But word got out about the rescue and the cheap Chinese brandy started to flow. For me, this moment was everything. I had done my work well getting Randy to the summit and back down safely and had helped rescue another soul from the death zone. I had not seen much of Russell since 1994 when we guided together on a new route on Everest. It wasn't long before we were sipping radiator fluid together. We got pretty drunk and talked all night about everything and nothing. Thanks Russ, I needed that but somewhere in the spirit of things I had forgotten that I wanted to leave the next afternoon for a one day summit push from ABC. I don't normally go after cheap brandy especially while I am preparing for a one day summit push of an 8000m mountain but I got caught up in the spirit of the moment and just went with the flow. With my head spinning and rejected food flung over the rocks I struggled to focus on packing my gear. At our 5800 m ABC, this took some time to do with a raging head. At 6 pm that night I began. In my mind I had divided the route into sections. After reaching Lake Camp from ABC in one hour, I them made Camp I in 45 minutes. There I changed into boots and crampons, had some food and drink and kept on running to C2. I had every inch of the route dialed in to my mind and body by this time and everything was clicking. The sky checked out well and I climbed straight through the later part of the night reaching C2 at 11:30 pm, half an hour behind my schedule. The temperature dropped and the wind increased two fold. I had to dig a hole to get out of the wind so that I could change once again into my down suit. My thermos bottle was still warm with black tea, which put a smile on my face. Ah, nothing beats a warm cuppa on the way to an 8000m summit. The next section was the crux of the climb. Since my summit with Randy, the wind had blown half a metre of new snow into the footsteps. So much for cruising to the summit. Posthole digging and poor visibly became a test of my will power. I just climbed straight upwards, knowing that I would soon hit the rib of rock, which leads to C3. At times a wand would appear to confirm that I was still on route. What should have take me 45 minutes took 1.5 hours. My feet and fingers were well prepared now for the summit being warm from all the hard work. Leaving at 1:30 am from C3 was the highlight of my ascent. I knew that if I could run up the rock bands, hit the summit ridge and race across the final summit plateau, I would be home free to descend with the ultimate smile from within the soul. Free of the new snow the rock band went quickly. Above the bands of rock came the second crux. Still in darkness and with the temperature starting to squeeze my watch, the route was not easily found in high winds and spindrift. Wow, did the winds ever pick up. This section was filled with more unconsolidated snow. Did I mention that this was frustrating? The will power has engage full time during these moments. It didn't help that the 130 km/h winds prevented me from seeing much, which made me go too far to the right and almost over the side, into Nepal. Looking up and seeing pitch black, then watching my Suunto watch to try to keep me on pace, my inner smile was re directed for a moment or two., What should have take 1.5 hours had already taken 2.5 hours. Above 8000m with clients I have to make sure that they are well and capable of making the summit in time for getting back to the high camp safely, with all fingers and toes and smiles. So looking at the watch is routine for me. But when racing up an 8000m mountain, the watch becomes an enemy that has to be sorted out. It was 4:00 am now, and I had reached the height of 8100m with the sunrise still 1.5 hours away. I felt around this land with my other senses, with my eyes, the flatness of the summit came to me. I knew I needed to hoof it from here if I wanted to get below the 11 hour mark. The winds were so strong but my inner warmth was solid. I was so warm and dry that I knew I could rest on the summit till the morning came and take the summit photo with the sun rising over Everest and Kangchenjunga. At 4:45 am my goal was complete. From ABC it had take 10 hours and 45 minutes to be standing in darkness upon the summit of Cho Oyu, the Goddess of Turquoise. The running technique for the past 100m ws not one used by Carl Lewis. By my limbs new better than to stress too much about any record. I just felt really good up on that summit of Cho Oyu, I wanted to capture the moment so I curled up in Husky ball and slept for an hour. The sun rose enough by this time to get my photo and start the run down to ABC. Summiting twice in 4 days was magical and will always be within my blood. It is this experience captured that I want to share with my special clients from around the world. It takes time to be called to the Himalayas and when you know it is your turn, you will find a way to make it happen. |
| Accidents | Nothing |
| Achievement | - |
| Agency | Mountain Madness |
| Commercial Route | True |
| Standard Route | True |
| Primary Route | False |
| Primary Member | False |
| Primary Reference | - |
| Primary ID | - |
| Checksum | 2457508 |
| Year | 2001 |
| Summit Success | True |
| O2 Summary | Used |
| Route (lowercase) | nw side |
Members
2 recorded members.
| Name | Sex | Year of Birth | Citizenship | Status | Residence | Occupation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randall Louis (Randy) Peeters | M | 1945 | USA | Climber | Sacramento, California | Rocket scientist | Details Other expeditions |
| Martin Walter (Marty) Schmidt | M | 1960 | New Zealand | Leader | Hastings, New Zealand | Alpine guide | Details Other expeditions |
References
2 recorded references.