Cho Oyu | 2009 NW side

A New Zealand expedition to Cho Oyu in 2009 via NW side, led by Marty Schmidt. Summit reached on 24th September 2009. 2 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 6647
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID CHOY09357
Peak ID CHOY
Year 2009
Season 3
Host Country 2
Route 1 NW side
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality New Zealand
Leaders Marty Schmidt
Sponsor Schmidt & Maloney-Slow & Easy to Cho Oyu
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 -
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries USA
Approach By road to BC
Basecamp Date 2009-09-03
Summit Date 2009-09-24
Summit Time 0930
Summit Days 21
Total Days 25
Termination Date 2009-09-28
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 1
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(03/09,3700m),ABC(06/09,5600m),C1(12/09,6400m),C2(19/09,7000m),C3(23/09,7400m),Smt(24/09)
Route Notes Scmidt & Maloney = Slow & Steady to Cho Oyu The two members climbing policy is in the team's name: slow and steady. Marty's client, Cliff Maloney, was nearly 72 years old. They spent three nights in BC, took two days to trek to ABC, spent two nights in ABC, bivouacked at C1 site the night of 8 September, but the next day, the 9th, went back to ABC and rested there on the 10th. On the 11th they climbed to and bivouacked at 6000m, went up on the 12th to C1 for just one night, then down to ABC to rest again. They began their slow push for the summit on 16 September, when they returned to C1. On the 17th, they went up to bivouac at C1.5 at 6700m, Schmidt's bivvy site just above the icefall. They made C2 at 7000m on the 19th. That day Schmidt climbed to C3's site to deposit C3's tent, etc., a supply of oxygen for Maloney and bivy gear. Both members slept in C2 for the night, then down to C1 on the 20th and rested there on the 21st; Schmidt believed it was wise not to go all the way down to ABC, and this gave Maloney a good rest before going for the top. On the 22nd they returned to C2, then occupied C3 on the 23rd, and slept there from 4;00 pm to 12:00 midnight, (Nepali time), when they got up for their final climb to the summit. They left the camp at 2:00 am on 24 September and were on the top at 9:30 am with Maloney leading all the way. Oxygen: Schmidt used none. But it was used by Maloney on their final climb to the top; he climbed on it from C2 to C3, slept on it in C3, used it on their summit day to the top and back to and in C3, which they reached at 4:00 pm. He continued to use it during the descent to C2 on the 25th, that night in C2 and on the 26th, when he died at 10:15 am. Doctors in New York concluded that a blood clot in the brain was the cause of his death. Schmidt escorted Maloney's body all the way to his home town, New York City. Schmidt left BC on 28 September; a large landslide blocked the road to Zhangmu and held up other team's departures, but the Chinese army helped Schmidt over the debris and carried the body with him (but not their baggage, which had to be left behind at BC). Schmidt reached Kathmandu on the 29th and left for New York with the body the next day. Maloney was the husband of a Democratic member of the U.S House of Representatives from New York City; Mrs Hillary Rodham Clinton was a US senator from New York State before she became Secretary of State in 2008. Her request for speedy repatriation of Maloney's body presumably helped to get it home from Tibet-China through Nepal quickly.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency Himalayan Guides
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2460663
Year 2009
Summit Success True
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) nw side

Members

2 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Clifton Harlan Wells (Cliff) Maloney M 1937 USA Climber New York, New York Private investor Details Other expeditions
Martin Walter (Marty) Schmidt M 1960 New Zealand Leader Christchurch, New Zealand Alpine guide Details Other expeditions

References

0 recorded references.