Cho Oyu | 1990 W Ridge-W Face from N

A France expedition to Cho Oyu in 1990 via W Ridge-W Face from N, led by Benoit Chamoux. Summit reached on 30th April 1990. 9 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 418
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID CHOY90103
Peak ID CHOY
Year 1990
Season 1
Host Country 2
Route 1 W Ridge-W Face from N
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality France
Leaders Benoit Chamoux
Sponsor L'Esprit d'Equipe to Cho Oyu and Xixabangma
Success 1 False
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 -
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed True
Disputed False
Countries Czechoslovakia, Italy, Netherlands, UK
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1990-04-04
Summit Date 1990-04-30
Summit Time -
Summit Days 26
Total Days 33
Termination Date 1990-05-07
Termination Reason 3
Termination Notes Abandoned at 8100m (claimed success)
High Point (m) 8100
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 9
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 4
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 Xixabangma (central summit)
Campsites LowBC(04/04,4800m),HighBC(19/04,5700m),C1(21/04,6500m),C2(25/04,7300m),xxx(8100m,30/04)
Route Notes Did not go to N Ridge because of time lost through illness and ridge very rocky and icy. So with priority to reach 2 summits, went to normal route to do climb. Left low BC 7 May. Yves Detry - 29 Oct 1996 Yves Detry confirmed that none of summit party on 30 April actually reached highest point - reached 8000-8100m and turned back. Liz Hawley - 12 Nov 1996 After having heard that none of this team actually reached the summit, I checked two weeks ago with one of them, Yves Detry, when he was here on another climb, and he confirmed that all of seven (Chamoux, Detry, Hinkes, Rakoncaj, Rossi, Royer and Valet) turned back on 30 April 1990 after having reached 8000-8100m but without having gained the true summit. I am deleting them from my list of summiters. 30 Aug 1997 - Inaki Ochoa (Spanish Lhotse leader) Chamoux told Ochoa that his party did not reach Cho Oyu's highest point on 30 April 1990 - said they got to plateau it was very misty. They moved around a bit, could see little. (Juanito Oyarzabal says Chamoux's footprints on Makalu in 1995 stopped at pyramid, did not continue to summit; there are doubts about Chamoux's Broad Peak summit claim and others). Hinkes - 3 June 1999 Hinkes is confident that he reached summit, but saw nothing on top and could see only few yards ahead in mist so saw nothing from top. In summit area he continued alone for one hour after reaching summit plateau; he wandered around for a while, then went down and eventually bumped into the others. He can make money guiding Cho Oyu, so will do so and be sure to get to highest point. John Cleare - 16 Feb 2000 We note that you have Alan Hinkes marked down as a disputed on Cho Oyu. As you're probably aware its common knowledge that he only reached the edge of the plateau, but there seems to be a conspiracy of silence because of his "race" to complete the 14. We tend to feel that we should just leave him off the list. Inaki Ochoa - 24 March 2005 Chamoux told Ochoa that Hinkes did not reach the summit (reaffirmation of 1997 statement). Yves Detry - 26 Jan 2006 (email to Richard Salisbury) CHO OYU - 30th April 1990 When the 7 climbers have finished to climb the NNW Face, we were in the clouds. We have walked a long moment until arriving at the summit flat area and we have walked again. Everybody was at sight of the other. We, all the ESPRIT D'EQUIPE, decided to stop, estimating we were on top. It was difficult to know exactly where we were because of the fog on this big and flat area. At this time, I did the picture of the seven climbers, fixing my camera on the top of my ice axe, which is a "Team's exploit". I remember, when I came back to KTM and talked to Miss Hawley, telling her the last part of the climb as I write just before. Miss Hawley has decided we were not on top, maybe we were on top, maybe not exactly, have we walked enough? I am a climber and a guide with my clear conscience, I just want to explain and transmit my experience. I can talk about this ascent until the summit. Nevertheless if you can describe the last part of the CHO OYU's ascent, I will read that with serenity. Twelve days after, on the 12th of May, the same team was on top of XIXAPANGMA West Summit and I did the picture of the six other climbers because the summit was to sharp and I said "L'ESPRIT D'EQUIPE is to take the picture without to be on !!!". I hope my text will help you. Is it a problem to be on the summiters's list or not? All my best regards. Yves DETRY
Accidents 3 including Chamoux had edema 5-16 April & used pressure bag
Achievement -
Agency Trekking International
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2453692
Year 1990
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) w ridge-w face from n

Members

9 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Benoit Chamoux M 1961 France Leader La Roche-sur-Foron, Haute-Savoie, France Alpinist Details Other expeditions
Yves Detry M 1948 France Climber Cluses, Haute-Savoie, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Gerda De Groene F 1962 Netherlands Exp Doctor Amsterdam, Netherlands Physician Details Other expeditions
Alan Charles Hinkes M 1954 UK Climber Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Josef Rakoncaj M 1951 Czechoslovakia Climber Turnov, Czechoslovakia Sports teacher Details Other expeditions
Mauro Rossi M 1957 Italy Climber Gravellona Toce, Novara, Italy Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Pierre Alain Royer M 1955 France Climber Les Houches, Haute-Savoie, France Cameraman Details Other expeditions
Giuseppe Enzio M 1955 Italy BC Manager Armeno, Novara, Italy Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Frederic Valet M 1965 France Climber Jarrier, Eure, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions

References

3 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
CHOY90103 AAJ Hinkes, Alan - - 65:290-291 (1991) -
CHOY90103 MM - - - 134:9 (Jul 1990) -
CHOY90103 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199129002/Asia-Tibet-Cho-Oyu-and-Shisha-Pangma-Central-West-Summit - - -