Cho Oyu | 1985 W Ridge-W Face

A Canada expedition to Cho Oyu in 1985 via W Ridge-W Face, led by Roger Marshall. Summit reached on 5th December 1985. 6 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 233
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID CHOY85401
Peak ID CHOY
Year 1985
Season 4
Host Country 1
Route 1 W Ridge-W Face
Route 2 SW side to N Face
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Canada
Leaders Roger Marshall
Sponsor International Cho Oyu Expedition
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 17th
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries Czechoslovakia, UK, USA
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1985-11-26
Summit Date 1985-12-05
Summit Time -
Summit Days 9
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8188
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 0
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 6
Summit Members 2
Member Deaths 0
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 -
Campsites BC(26/11,5200m),ABC(27/11,5600m),Biv1-4,Smt(05/12)
Route Notes BC near Kangchung - as far as yaks could go Dzasampa. All in BC by 29 Nov and all 6 to Dzampa on 30th. On 1 Dec set off in 3 pairs taking different lines looking for best way up. Czechs got 1/2-day ahead of Burgess and Marshall while 2 Americans lost 2-3 days on wrong approach. Czech pair reached summit while Canadian and American pairs, who were slower moving up mountain, did not and had to abandon climb because of lack of food and race against time, fearing more new snowfall would trap them and prevent their getting out alive. Had very difficult time getting load-carrying yaks to low BC in Nov. Marshall froze several fingers and one toe on 6 Dec and was developing altitude sickness that day. 1 American getting sick on 7 Dec, Becik very slight frostbite on nose. Marshall - 20 Dec 85 2 Czechoslovaks - Becik and Stejskal: 1 Dec - biv on Gyabrag Glacier 2 & 3 Dec - biv at 6400m on Spanish 1984 route 4 Dec - biv at 7400m on Spanish route 5 Dec - to summit and returned to 7400m 6 Dec - biv in descent 7 Dec - ABC Marshall: 1 Dec - biv on Gyabrag Glacier, just below on Schneider map 2 Dec - biv just below ridge near Spanish 1984 C2 at 6000-6100m 3 & 4 Dec - biv at 6800m on Spanish 1984 route 5 Dec - biv at 7400m above Spanish 1984 C4 (on their route) 6 Dec - very cold (-40 to -50 degrees in the morning) and both men had headaches, Marshall blurred vision, so instead of going for summit as planned, they descended Marshall got frostbitten fingers and toe on 6th Dec; they had taken only 5 days food with them and had none above ABC so abandoned climb especially in light of Marshall's frostbite. Athans - 20 Dec 85 2 Americans - Athans and Ballenger 1 Dec - made carry towards North Face and returned to ABC 2 Dec - at ABC 3 Dec - biv on moraine at 5900-6000m north of point 6446 and of rocky area 4 Dec - climbed due east to about 6400m just below col of 6517m south of Palung Ri, then returned to bivouac site of 3 Dec. 5 Dec - biv in moraine of Gyabrag Glacier sout of U on Schneider map, at bottom and south of triangular rock almost east of "c" in Glacier's name. 6 Dec - biv at 6800m on Spanish 1984 route at same site as Canadian pair biv of 3 and 4 Dec 7 Dec - descended (attempted abandoned)
Accidents Marshall froze several fingers and one toe on Dec 6 and was developing altitude sickness that day; 1 American getting sick on Dec 7; Becik very slight frostbite on nose
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route False
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2452080
Year 1985
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) w ridge-w face

Members

6 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Peter George (Pete) Athans M 1957 USA Climber Denver, Colorado Alpine guide & equipment designer Details Other expeditions
Craig Ballenger M 1956 USA Climber Mt. Shasta, California Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Dusan Becik M 1954 Czechoslovakia Climber Bratislava, Czechoslovakia Architect Details Other expeditions
Alan Burgess M 1948 UK Climber Canmore, Alberta Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Roger Gough Marshall M 1941 Canada Leader Boulder, Colorado Writer & alpinist Details Other expeditions
Jaromir (Jaryk) Stejskal M 1949 Czechoslovakia Climber Bratislava, Czechoslovakia Physicist Details Other expeditions

References

4 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
CHOY85401 AAJ Marshall, Roger - - 60:235-236 (1986) -
CHOY85401 - Stejskal, Jaryk & Vranka, Milan Zabudni na Everest Sport, Bratislava - S736
CHOY85401 MM - - - 108:13 (Mar 1986) -
CHOY85401 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198623502/Asia-Nepal-Cho-Oyu-in-Winter - - -