Cho Oyu | 1988 W Ridge-W Face from N

A W Germany expedition to Cho Oyu in 1988 via W Ridge-W Face from N, led by Gerhard Schmatz. Summit reached on 10th May 1988. 4 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 78
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID CHOY88104
Peak ID CHOY
Year 1988
Season 1
Host Country 2
Route 1 W Ridge-W Face from N
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality W Germany
Leaders Gerhard Schmatz
Sponsor German-Swiss Cho Oyu Spring 1988
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 45th,46th
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries Switzerland
Approach Zhangmu->Nyalam->Tingri->Kyetrak (Chinese BC) & BC
Basecamp Date 1988-04-20
Summit Date 1988-05-10
Summit Time 1500
Summit Days 20
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8188
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 4
Summit Members 3
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 -
Campsites BC(20/04,5400m),C1(25/04,6300m),C2(27/04,6700m),C3(09/05,7350m),Smt(10-11/05)
Route Notes BC at 5400m road - on main trading route from Tingri across Nangpa La to Khumbu C1 at 6300m south of point 6446m C2 at 6700m at just below icefall C3 just below yellow band. Left C3 at 8:00 am Chinese time. Engl, Schmatz, Zembsch at 8:15 and Woerner at 8:30. Engl and Schmatz on top at 3:00 pm; Zembsch turned back after 1 hr because thumbs freezing and half-way Woerner turned back sometime later (late morning) but 1st 2 didn't realize it. Engl and Schmatz returned to C3 at 6:00-6:15pm and found other 2 there and Woerner said his problem was hyperventilation that night. Strong winds that night and very cold next morning. Zembsch not willing to go up but Woerner started making tea. Woerner started up on 11th at 9am alone while Engl and Schmatz got ready to go down. Engl from C2 saw Woerner at yellow band 12:30-1:00 pm and thought Woerner coming down, then thought still going up; Engl and Schmatz down to C2 while Zembsch awaited Woerner at C3. From C2 Engl saw Woerner going slowly up last ice field. Woerner reached top 6:00 pm and back to C3 at 10:30 pm in dark and seemed normal. 12th morning Woerner's speech irrational and was unable to get up to put on boots. Zembsch left him at 3 pm to get help; reached BC 13th (where Engl and Schmatz were) at 10:00 pm. Zembsch took oxygen, etc up on 14th morning but could reach only 6500m because 30-40 cm snowfall, avalanche danger, couldn't see and back to BC. 15-16th bad weather. 17th Engl up but only to 6700m because of storm and slept in C2 and back to BC noon 18th. [Woerner stranded and not rescued.] Yak men had come 17th evening to clean BC so we had to start on 18th and we took down tent and at 10:30 evening reached Chinese BC at Kyatrak. Goods at deposit at 5850m and BC at 5400m looted. Woerner had helped two Britons when they were badly confused by high altitude. He was determined to go to summit himself as good for his expedition-organizing business. Guenther Haerter (also on Cho Oyu) - 11 June 88 Members of Haerter's expedition found a body in a tent at 7300m - had been told by Tibetans there was a Japanese dead body up there so did not examine it closely but noted clothing and equipment made in Italy and Switzerland. Hood of down jacket was over his head, his face was brown and he appeared to be slumped over his backpack - his crampons and ski poles were neatly placed outside the tent. No other tents of his expedition were found - others must have cleared mountain.
Accidents Woerner stranded at C3 with AMS
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2452970
Year 1988
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) w ridge-w face from n

Members

4 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Hans Engl M 1944 W Germany Climber Waakirchen, Bavaria, W Germany Carpenter Details Other expeditions
Gerhard Schmatz M 1929 W Germany Leader Neu-Ulm, Bavaria, W Germany Attorney Details Other expeditions
Stefan Woerner M 1949 Switzerland Deputy Leader Zurich, Switzerland Marketing consultant & tour operator Details Other expeditions
Heinz Zembsch M 1943 W Germany Climber Strub, Berchtesgarten, Bavaria, W Germany Alpine guide Details Other expeditions

References

5 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
CHOY88104 AAJ Schmatz, Gerhard - - 63:279-282 (1989) -
CHOY88104 HJ Schmatz, Dr Gerhard & Forno, O. Cho Oyu Expeditions, 1988 - 45:161-163 (1987-1988) -
CHOY88104 MM - - - 122:10 (Jul 1988) -
CHOY88104 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198927903/Asia-Tibet-Cho-Oyu-Ascent-and-Tragedy - - -
CHOY88104 - - https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/45/22/expeditions-and-notes-45/ - - -