Cho Oyu | 2002 NW side

A USA expedition to Cho Oyu in 2002 via NW side, led by Damian Benegas. Summit reached on 24th September 2002. 5 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field	Value
ID	4166
Imported	2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID	CHOY02321
Peak ID	CHOY
Year	2002
Season	3
Host Country	2
Route 1	NW side
Route 2	-
Route 3	-
Route 4	-
Nationality	USA
Leaders	Damian Benegas
Sponsor	Mountain Madness Cho Oyu Expedition 2002
Success 1	False
Success 2	False
Success 3	False
Success 4	False
Ascent 1	-
Ascent 2	-
Ascent 3	-
Ascent 4	-
Claimed	False
Disputed	False
Countries	Italy
Approach	Lhasa->Xigatse->Tingri->BC
Basecamp Date	2002-09-03
Summit Date	2002-09-24
Summit Time	-
Summit Days	21
Total Days	26
Termination Date	2002-09-29
Termination Reason	4
Termination Notes	Abandoned at 7700m due to bad weather conditions and time limit
High Point (m)	7700
Traverse	False
Ski	False
Paraglide	False
Camps	2
Fixed Rope (m)	200
Total Members	4
Summit Members	0
Member Deaths	0
Total Hired	1
Summit Hired	0
Hired Deaths	0
No Hired	False
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(03/09,4800m),ABC(05/09,5800m),C1(12/09,6400m),C2(15/09,7200m),xxx(24/09,7700m)
Route Notes	C1 was used by all four members and Sherpa. C2 on 15th used by Benegas, Commotto, Peterson and Sherpa started from C2 at 16:00. Struppa (Italian) member left ABC on 20th. He was tired. He left Nepal on 27th. Commotto and Peterson left ABC on 27th and left Nepal on 5th. Sherpa Lama Jangbu Sherpa, Kharikhola, Everest X7, brother of Lhakpa Gelu Lama was last on Everest 2002 Spring
Accidents	-
Achievement	-
Agency	Mountain Madness
Commercial Route	True
Standard Route	True
Primary Route	False
Primary Member	False
Primary Reference	False
Primary ID	-
Checksum	2457874
Year	2002
Summit Success	False
O2 Summary	Used
Route (lowercase)	nw side

Members

Field	Value
ID	32487
Imported	2026-03-06 18:06:05.675609
Expedition ID	CHOY02321
Member ID	01
Peak ID	CHOY
Year	2002
Season	3
First Name	Damian
Last Name	Benegas
Sex	M
Age	0
Birth Date	-
Year of Birth	1968
Calculated Age	34
Citizenship	USA
Status	Leader
Residence	Berkeley, California
Occupation	Alpine guide
Leader	True
Deputy	False
Basecamp Only	False
Not to BC	False
Support	False
Disabled	False
Hired	False
Sherpa	False
Tibetan	False
Summit Success	False
Claimed	False
Disputed	False
Solo	False
Traverse	False
Ski	False
Paraglide	False
Speed	-
High Point (m)	True
Personal High Point (m)	7700
Summit Date 1	2002-09-24
Summit Date 2	-
Summit Date 3	-
Summit Time 1	-
Summit Time 2	-
Summit Time 3	-
Route 1	1
Route 2	0
Route 3	0
Ascent 1	0
Ascent 2	0
Ascent 3	0
O2 Used	False
O2 None	True
O2 Climb	False
O2 Descent	False
O2 Sleep	False
O2 Medical	False
O2 Notes	-
Death	False
Death Date	-
Death Time	-
Death Type	0
Death Height (m)	0
Death Class	0
AMS	False
Weather	False
Injury	False
Injury Date	-
Injury Time	-
Injury Type	0
Injury Height (m)	0
Death Notes	-
Member Notes	-
Necrology	-
Summit Bid	4
Summit Term	3
HCN	0
Checksum	2438164
Summit Note 1	-
Summit Note 2	-
Summit Note 3	-
Death Route	-
Name (lowercase)	damian benegas
Year of Birth	1968
Year	2002
Age at Expedition	34
Role	Leader

Field	Value
ID	32488
Imported	2026-03-06 18:06:05.675609
Expedition ID	CHOY02321
Member ID	02
Peak ID	CHOY
Year	2002
Season	3
First Name	Matthew W. (Matt)
Last Name	Commotto
Sex	M
Age	0
Birth Date	-
Year of Birth	1952
Calculated Age	50
Citizenship	USA
Status	Climber
Residence	New Orleans, Lousiana (but also works in Angola)
Occupation	Marketing manager
Leader	False
Deputy	False
Basecamp Only	False
Not to BC	False
Support	False
Disabled	False
Hired	False
Sherpa	False
Tibetan	False
Summit Success	False
Claimed	False
Disputed	False
Solo	False
Traverse	False
Ski	False
Paraglide	False
Speed	-
High Point (m)	True
Personal High Point (m)	7700
Summit Date 1	2002-09-24
Summit Date 2	-
Summit Date 3	-
Summit Time 1	-
Summit Time 2	-
Summit Time 3	-
Route 1	1
Route 2	0
Route 3	0
Ascent 1	0
Ascent 2	0
Ascent 3	0
O2 Used	True
O2 None	False
O2 Climb	True
O2 Descent	False
O2 Sleep	False
O2 Medical	False
O2 Notes	From C2 to 7700m & back to C2
Death	False
Death Date	-
Death Time	-
Death Type	0
Death Height (m)	0
Death Class	0
AMS	False
Weather	False
Injury	False
Injury Date	-
Injury Time	-
Injury Type	0
Injury Height (m)	0
Death Notes	-
Member Notes	-
Necrology	-
Summit Bid	4
Summit Term	3
HCN	0
Checksum	2432105
Summit Note 1	-
Summit Note 2	-
Summit Note 3	-
Death Route	-
Name (lowercase)	matthew w. (matt) commotto
Year of Birth	1952
Year	2002
Age at Expedition	50
Role	Member

Field	Value
ID	32489
Imported	2026-03-06 18:06:05.675609
Expedition ID	CHOY02321
Member ID	03
Peak ID	CHOY
Year	2002
Season	3
First Name	John Linker
Last Name	Peterson
Sex	M
Age	0
Birth Date	-
Year of Birth	1955
Calculated Age	46
Citizenship	USA
Status	Climber
Residence	Pittsboro, North Carolina
Occupation	Physician
Leader	False
Deputy	False
Basecamp Only	False
Not to BC	False
Support	False
Disabled	False
Hired	False
Sherpa	False
Tibetan	False
Summit Success	False
Claimed	False
Disputed	False
Solo	False
Traverse	False
Ski	False
Paraglide	False
Speed	-
High Point (m)	True
Personal High Point (m)	7700
Summit Date 1	2002-09-24
Summit Date 2	-
Summit Date 3	-
Summit Time 1	-
Summit Time 2	-
Summit Time 3	-
Route 1	1
Route 2	0
Route 3	0
Ascent 1	0
Ascent 2	0
Ascent 3	0
O2 Used	True
O2 None	False
O2 Climb	True
O2 Descent	False
O2 Sleep	False
O2 Medical	False
O2 Notes	From C2 to 7700m and back to C2
Death	False
Death Date	-
Death Time	-
Death Type	0
Death Height (m)	0
Death Class	0
AMS	False
Weather	False
Injury	False
Injury Date	-
Injury Time	-
Injury Type	0
Injury Height (m)	0
Death Notes	-
Member Notes	-
Necrology	-
Summit Bid	4
Summit Term	3
HCN	0
Checksum	2433484
Summit Note 1	-
Summit Note 2	-
Summit Note 3	-
Death Route	-
Name (lowercase)	john linker peterson
Year of Birth	1955
Year	2002
Age at Expedition	47
Role	Member

Field	Value
ID	32490
Imported	2026-03-06 18:06:05.675609
Expedition ID	CHOY02321
Member ID	04
Peak ID	CHOY
Year	2002
Season	3
First Name	Daniele C.
Last Name	Struppa
Sex	M
Age	0
Birth Date	-
Year of Birth	1955
Calculated Age	47
Citizenship	Italy
Status	Climber
Residence	Fairfax, Virginia
Occupation	Professor at George Mason University
Leader	False
Deputy	False
Basecamp Only	False
Not to BC	False
Support	False
Disabled	False
Hired	False
Sherpa	False
Tibetan	False
Summit Success	False
Claimed	False
Disputed	False
Solo	False
Traverse	False
Ski	False
Paraglide	False
Speed	-
High Point (m)	False
Personal High Point (m)	0
Summit Date 1	-
Summit Date 2	-
Summit Date 3	-
Summit Time 1	-
Summit Time 2	-
Summit Time 3	-
Route 1	0
Route 2	0
Route 3	0
Ascent 1	0
Ascent 2	0
Ascent 3	0
O2 Used	False
O2 None	True
O2 Climb	False
O2 Descent	False
O2 Sleep	False
O2 Medical	False
O2 Notes	-
Death	False
Death Date	-
Death Time	-
Death Type	0
Death Height (m)	0
Death Class	0
AMS	False
Weather	False
Injury	False
Injury Date	-
Injury Time	-
Injury Type	0
Injury Height (m)	0
Death Notes	-
Member Notes	-
Necrology	-
Summit Bid	1
Summit Term	7
HCN	0
Checksum	2433351
Summit Note 1	-
Summit Note 2	-
Summit Note 3	-
Death Route	-
Name (lowercase)	daniele c. struppa
Year of Birth	1955
Year	2002
Age at Expedition	47
Role	Member

Field	Value
ID	41954
Imported	2026-03-06 18:06:05.675609
Expedition ID	CHOY02321
Member ID	05
Peak ID	CHOY
Year	2002
Season	3
First Name	Lama Jangbu
Last Name	Sherpa
Sex	M
Age	0
Birth Date	-
Year of Birth	1964
Calculated Age	38
Citizenship	Nepal
Status	H-A Worker
Residence	Kharikhola, Solukhumbu
Occupation	-
Leader	False
Deputy	False
Basecamp Only	False
Not to BC	False
Support	False
Disabled	False
Hired	True
Sherpa	True
Tibetan	False
Summit Success	False
Claimed	False
Disputed	False
Solo	False
Traverse	False
Ski	False
Paraglide	False
Speed	-
High Point (m)	True
Personal High Point (m)	7700
Summit Date 1	2002-09-24
Summit Date 2	-
Summit Date 3	-
Summit Time 1	-
Summit Time 2	-
Summit Time 3	-
Route 1	1
Route 2	0
Route 3	0
Ascent 1	0
Ascent 2	0
Ascent 3	0
O2 Used	False
O2 None	True
O2 Climb	False
O2 Descent	False
O2 Sleep	False
O2 Medical	False
O2 Notes	-
Death	False
Death Date	-
Death Time	-
Death Type	0
Death Height (m)	0
Death Class	0
AMS	False
Weather	False
Injury	False
Injury Date	-
Injury Time	-
Injury Type	0
Injury Height (m)	0
Death Notes	-
Member Notes	Brother of Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa and Dawa Nurbu (Danuru)
Necrology	-
Summit Bid	4
Summit Term	3
HCN	0
Checksum	2436667
Summit Note 1	-
Summit Note 2	-
Summit Note 3	-
Death Route	-
Name (lowercase)	lama jangbu sherpa
Year of Birth	1964
Year	2002
Age at Expedition	38
Role	Hired

5 recorded members.

Name	Sex	Year of Birth	Citizenship	Status	Residence	Occupation
Damian Benegas	M	1968	USA	Leader	Berkeley, California	Alpine guide	Details Other expeditions
Matthew W. (Matt) Commotto	M	1952	USA	Climber	New Orleans, Lousiana (but also works in Angola)	Marketing manager	Details Other expeditions
John Linker Peterson	M	1955	USA	Climber	Pittsboro, North Carolina	Physician	Details Other expeditions
Daniele C. Struppa	M	1955	Italy	Climber	Fairfax, Virginia	Professor at George Mason University	Details Other expeditions
Lama Jangbu Sherpa	M	1964	Nepal	H-A Worker	Kharikhola, Solukhumbu	-	Details Other expeditions

References

0 recorded references.