Cho Oyu | 1952 W Ridge-W Face

A UK expedition to Cho Oyu in 1952 via W Ridge-W Face, led by Eric Shipton. Summit reached on 9th May 1952. 10 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 2675
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID CHOY52101
Peak ID CHOY
Year 1952
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 W Ridge-W Face
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality UK
Leaders Eric Shipton
Sponsor British Expedition to 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 Canada, New Zealand
Approach Nangpa La
Basecamp Date 1952-05-05
Summit Date 1952-05-09
Summit Time -
Summit Days 4
Total Days 5
Termination Date 1952-05-10
Termination Reason 10
Termination Notes
High Point (m) 6800
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 2
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 10
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 18
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
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 Ripimo Shar (RIPI-521-01) and Palung Ri (PLNG-521-01); attempted Parchamo (PARC-521-01); recon Changtse (CTSE-521-01)
Campsites BC(05/05,5700m),C1(06/05,5800m),C2(07/05,6400m),xxx(09/05,6800m)
Route Notes Hillary - 7 March 79 In 1951 (and 1952) crossed Nangpa La and looked at north side (Gyabrag Glacier) Shipton and Hillary crossed back from Hongu over Mingbo La - 1st crossing of Mingbo La. Attempt on Cho Oyu from Gyabrag Glacier to W Ridge. Reached 22,000 ft by Lowe, Hillary, Bourdillon and Gregory. Lowe, Hillary and 3 Sherpas made first crossing of Nup La, then icefalls across Lumpga Glacier to West Rongbuk Glacier to down to main Rongbuk Glacier to East Rongbuk Glacier. Weak attempt on Changtse made by Lowe and Hillary to 21,500 ft (6600m). From N Face also went to or near site of '22 Everest C3. Lowe and Hillary climbed Palung Ri and another peak. Can't remember Bourdillon and Colledge climbing anything. Shipton, Evans, Lowe and Hillary crossed into Barun.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2439739
Year 1952
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) w ridge-w face

Members

10 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Eric Earle Shipton M 1907 UK Leader London, England - Details Other expeditions
Campbell H. (Cam) Secord M 1913 Canada Climber London, England - Details Other expeditions
Alfred John (Alf) Gregory M 1913 UK Climber Blackpool, Lancashire, England - Details Other expeditions
Thomas Duncan (Tom) Bourdillon M 1924 UK Climber Aylesbury, Buckingham, England - Details Other expeditions
Raymond Leslie Burrows (Ray) Colledge M 1922 UK Climber Coventry, Warwick, England - Details Other expeditions
Robert Charles Evans M 1918 UK Exp Doctor Liverpool, Merseyside, England Physician (surgeon) Details Other expeditions
Edmund Percival Hillary M 1919 New Zealand Climber Auckland, New Zealand Apiarist & alpinist Details Other expeditions
Wallace George Lowe M 1924 New Zealand Climber - - Details Other expeditions
Harold Earle Riddiford M 1921 New Zealand Climber - - Details Other expeditions
Lewis Griffith Cresswell Evans Pugh M 1909 UK Scientist - Physiologist Details Other expeditions

References

9 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
CHOY52101 AJ Evans, R. C. The Cho Oyu Expedition, 1952 - 59:9-18 (May 1953) -
CHOY52101 AAJ - - - 27:581 (1953) -
CHOY52101 - Lowe, George Because It Is There Cassell, London - L293
CHOY52101 MM Dyhrenfurth, G. O. & Dyhrenfurth, Norman Cho Oyu - 60:40-42 (Mar 1978) -
CHOY52101 - Hillary, Edmund High Adventure Hodder & Stoughton, London - H316
CHOY52101 NZAJ Hillary, E. P. & Lowe, W. G. Exploration and Adventure in the Himalaya, 1952 - 15:4-37 (1953) -
CHOY52101 - - http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2016/comparing-hillarys-and-tichys-ascents-of-cho-oyu/ - - -
CHOY52101 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12195358101/Asia-Nepal-Cho-Oyu - - -
CHOY52101 - - https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1953_files/AJ59%201953%209-18%20Evans%20Cho%20Oyu.pdf - - -