Cho Oyu | 1987 W Ridge-W Face

A Spain expedition to Cho Oyu in 1987 via W Ridge-W Face, led by Fernando Garrido. Summit reached on 6th February 1988. 1 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 319
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID CHOY87401
Peak ID CHOY
Year 1987
Season 4
Host Country 2
Route 1 W Ridge-W Face
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Spain
Leaders Fernando Garrido
Sponsor Fernando Garrido Winter Expedition Cho Oyo
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 41st
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1988-01-10
Summit Date 1988-02-06
Summit Time 1800
Summit Days 27
Total Days 29
Termination Date 1988-02-08
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8188
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 1
Summit Members 1
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 2
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 -
Campsites BC(10/01,5200m),BC2(22/01,5400m),C1(20/01,5850m),C2(29/01,6400m),C3(04/02,7000m),Smt(06/02)
Route Notes 1st BC at normal site (west of point 6296m) 2nd BC "g" of Nangpa Glacier C1 at Gyabrag Glacier (near "a" of Glacier) C2 at start of West Ridge, just south of point 6446m C3 very little down on side of major sharp West Ridge. "I did it" - Tenzing helped me to make C1 and then I climbed alone. I went slowly, took 4 days". 29th Garrido went alone with gear for C2 and slept there, came down to BC on 30th. 1st Feb started up from BC with Tenzing to C1 (Tenzing and runner carried food supplies while Garrido carried no load). (24th-26th new BC destroyed by wind). 1st Feb slept in C1. 2nd Feb Garrido started solo push leaving Tenzing to wait and take photos with long lens (route not visible from BC). Garrido slept in C2 2nd and rested there on 3rd because too windy to continue upwards. 4th Slept in movable tent at 7000m. 5th tried to go to top but too late start (at 9:00 am) and went only tp 7600m before returning to C3 at 7000m. 6th started up again, this time with sleeping bag (without food, drink, fuel) and left sleeping bag and rucksack at 7600m and taking only camera, headlamp and ice axe. Moved very fast towards top and reached summit at 6 pm (found empty oxygen bottle only, no poles. Went all way aroud rim of volcano-like structure). Getting dark at summit; in descent could follow own tracks to rocky barrier where had some trouble but reached sleeping bag at 10 pm. Had been very windy all day and throughout night but not too cold and had rock protection. 7th to C3 only beaues very tired. 8th to C1 and fixed no ropes so had problems descending to rocky areas - also had only ice axe. Wants next climb also solo on 8000er: "I don't like to climb with people." This was the first winter solo ascent of any 8000er and the first solo of Cho Oyu. Garrido crossed the Nangpa La from Nepal into Tibet and scaled the standard (Tichy) route entirely alone from his C1 at 5850m on the Gyabrag Glacier near the site of advance base camps for many teams starting from within Tibet. Two Nepalis had helped him establish and stock C1, and one of them remained in that camp to take photos with a long lens while Garrido made his summit push. He started up on 2nd Feb, climbed to his C2 at 6400m to where he alone had previously carried its gear, and slept there two nights, waiting for the winds to abate. On the 4th he moved up with a tent to 7000m and slept there, and on the 5th tried to go to the summit. But he had made too late a start on the 5th (he did not move till 9:00 am) and went to only 7600m before retreatng to C3 at 7000m. On the 6th he left C3 at 7:30 am, took no tent, food or fuel but only a sleeping bag, which he left at 7600m. From there he continued up with only a camera, headlamp and one ice axe. He moved very fast towards the summit, went all the way around the summit rim to make sure he reached the very highest point, which he reached at about 6:00 pm. In his descent, although it was now getting dark, he could follow his own tracks until he reached a rock barrier, where he had trouble finding his way. He had fixed no rope, but managed at 10:00 pm to find his sleeping bag and bivouaced at 7600m. It was very windy all the day and the wind continued throughout the night, but he had protection from the rock, and the temperature was not extremely low; he did not get frostbitten. On the 7th he went down only as far as C3 at 7000m because of exhaustion, but on the 8th he rejoined his Sherpa at C1. He claimed the first winter solo ascent of any 8000m mountain and the first solo of Cho Oyu.
Accidents No frostbite ('I was afraid of it but I got none')
Achievement 1st winter solo of any 8000er, 1st solo of Cho Oyu
Agency Kunga
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2452875
Year 1987
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) w ridge-w face

Members

1 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Fernando Garrido Velasco M 1958 Spain Leader Barcelona, Spain Ski & alpine instructor Details Other expeditions

References

7 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
CHOY87401 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth - - 62:211 (1988) -
CHOY87401 HJ Garrido, Fernando Cho Oyu, 1988 - 45:45-49 (1987-1988) -
CHOY87401 MM - - - 120:11 (Mar 1988) -
CHOY87401 - Nicolas, Pedro Himalayismo Espanol Ediciones Desnivel - -
CHOY87401 - Garrido, Fernando 8000 Metros, Solo y en Invierno Prames, Zaragoza, Spain - -
CHOY87401 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198821102/Asia-Nepal-Cho-Oyu-Solo-Winter-Ascent-1988 - - -
CHOY87401 - - https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/45/7/cho-oyu-1988/ - - -