Cho Oyu | 2004 NW side

A Spain expedition to Cho Oyu in 2004 via NW side, led by Xabier Ormazabal. Summit reached on 13th October 2004. 1 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 4712
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID CHOY04334
Peak ID CHOY
Year 2004
Season 3
Host Country 2
Route 1 NW side
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Spain
Leaders Xabier Ormazabal
Sponsor Independent climber on Cho Oyu
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 -
Approach From Xixa base camp
Basecamp Date 2004-10-05
Summit Date 2004-10-13
Summit Time -
Summit Days 8
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 6
Termination Notes Abandoned at 7750m due to death of Ormazabal
High Point (m) 8100
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 1
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 1
Total Hired 0
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired True
O2 Used False
O2 None True
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits Climbed Xixabangma first
Campsites BC(05/10),ABC(06/10,5800m),C1(10/10,6100m),C2(11/10,7000m),xxx(13/10,8100m)
Route Notes C1 at 6100m in French Basques's tent C2 at 7000m in tent of Ochoa's expedition. 12th tried to summit, was seen by Barbieri through binoculars to reach summit plateau, was out of sight for 1-1/2 hours and again visible at 1:00 pm (NST). Had left C2 during night with inadequate headlamp; was very casual, had philosophy of no problem through out climb, but had gotten lost on Xixa, where Barbieri met him, and really was suicidal. By 3:00 pm was at 7800m and there sat there for 1 hour; 4:00 pm started descent few meters at a time, intermittently falling over; 5:30 pm darkness coming and saw him at top of fixed rope above C2 (at 7600m). On 14th snowfall made it impossible to see him. 15th saw no movement, so Tirtha Tamang left ABC to search for him;. 16th found his body below C2 tents and to their side and saw tracks of his having slid down from end of fixed rope that was not secured at bottom end of rope at 7400m. Tamang back to ABC 16th. French Basques met him as their descended from C2; they told him wind too strong and he should go down but he went up anyway, knowing he was now alone in C2 and above and in such bad weather that no rescuer could reach him. His body found by Tirtha Tamang at about 7550m; was last seen alive at yellow band about 7700m in 13th evening in descent. Barbieri is "90% sure" he reached summit. [Ed. note] Ormazabal's body was recovered and returned to Spain for burial in Urretxa, Guipuzcoa, Spain.
Accidents Ormazabal's death from exhaustion and fatal fall
Achievement -
Agency Thamserku Trekking?
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2458671
Year 2004
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) nw side

Members

1 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Xabier Ormazabal M 1981 Spain Leader Urretxa, Guipuzcoa, Spain Just finished studies in information technology Details Other expeditions

References

1 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
CHOY04334 CLIM - - - 12:68 (Feb 2006) -