Cho Oyu | 1991 W Ridge-W Face from N (direct)

A France expedition to Cho Oyu in 1991 via W Ridge-W Face from N (direct), led by Hughes Griscelli. Summit reached on 25th September 1991. 10 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 573
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID CHOY91303
Peak ID CHOY
Year 1991
Season 3
Host Country 2
Route 1 W Ridge-W Face from N (direct)
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality France
Leaders Hughes Griscelli
Sponsor Cho Oyu 1991
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 87th,88th,91st
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries Italy, Poland, Spain
Approach KTM->Tingri->BC
Basecamp Date 1991-09-05
Summit Date 1991-09-25
Summit Time 1045
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 9
Summit Members 4
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 ChineseBC(07/09,4900m),ABC(07/09,5650m),C1(14/09,6300m),C2(19/09,6950m),C3(24/09,7500m),Smt(25-26,28/09)
Route Notes BC at normal site C1 at normal site. Wanda Rutkiewicz and yaks arived at ABC while other members arrived only on 10th after more acclimatization. On 15th climbers deposited gear at 6700m and all down to ABC that day for rest. 18th all 8 to C1 and Wanda on up to ice tunnel-depot at 6700m. 19th all to C2. 20th all except Wanda down to ABC to C2. 24th all towards C3 site but Wanda was behind the others, couldn't find their trail and made biv in snowhole 100m below them. 25th 2 to top, while Wanda passed C3 and up to 7700m and back to C3 because of strong wind and poor visibility; that night, 3:15 am (NST) she left C3 in fullmoon light and slight wind and reached [the top at] at 10:45 am. In her descent chose wrong couloir far from her C3 and alone so impossible for her to make trail in deep snow to traverse to C3, so went on down and finally reached expedition's C2 (passing a body in a tent - whose?) and 27th to ABC. On 27th 2 Spaniards going up from ABC to C1 as she passed them; they were heading for top. Wanda left ABC 28th am and with 2 members reached KTM night of 29th. One member had left ABC on 26th, 2 members few days earlier. Fernandez and Quetglas - 13 Oct: De Leo reached summit 25 Sept and when descending met De Dea at 8100m going up - De Leo asked De Dea to help him descend: De Leo very tired and frostbite beginning in his fingers and toes, so De Deo turned back at 8100m to help his friend; "psychologically Guido was on summit." Fernandez, Quetglas and Tirtha Tamang went up to C2 on 27 Sept. 28th Quetglas left C2 6:00 am Chinese time and arrived at C3 9:00 am with very cold toes. Went into Japanese tent, which was empty at the time because Japanese were going to summit, and used Japanese cooker, etc., to heat water to warm his feet. The C3 established by Wanda and Christian was now gone. Stayed 3 hrs until sun was on the face, then at 12:00 up. Met descending Japanese at 8000m at about 3:00 pm, and reached summit at 5:00 pm; returned to C2 and slept there. Fernandez on 28th to C3 with Tirtha Tamang. 29th both to 7800m, then Ferandez developed stomach trouble and both to BC same day and climb finished (this was same day USSR and US climbers reached summit). Quetglas and Fernandez then went to Xixabangma, where they joined Spanish team, but no summit success. De Dea claims to have reached summit bid but did not - Wanda by telephone 1 Oct. Grenier says on 5 Oct only Christian and Sergio on summit on 25 Sept.
Accidents De Leo frostbitten fingers and toes (white); 1 Sherpa altitude sickness
Achievement 1st Polish woman on summit
Agency Trekking International
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2454206
Year 1991
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) w ridge-w face from n (direct)

Members

10 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Guido De Dea M 1962 Italy Climber Aosta, Italy Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Sergio De Leo M 1963 Italy Climber Aosta, Aosta, Italy Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Ramon Alfredo Fernandez Corcoces M 1959 Spain Climber Palma de Mallorca, Islas Baleares, Spain Photojournalist Details Other expeditions
Aldo Garioni M 1955 Italy Climber Brescia, Italy Financial consultant Details Other expeditions
Pierre Hughes Griscelli M 1953 France Leader Calenzana, Corsica, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Christian Kuntner M 1962 Italy Climber Prad am Stilfserjoch, Bolzano, Italy Teacher Details Other expeditions
Bartolome (Tolo) Quetglas Riera M 1959 Spain Climber Palma de Mallorca, Islas Baleares, Spain Justice Details Other expeditions
Wanda Rutkiewicz F 1943 Poland Climber Warsaw, Poland Photographer, writer & lecturer Details Other expeditions
Annie Shintu M 1956 France Exp Doctor Calvi, Corsica, Italy Physician Details Other expeditions
Tirtha Tamang M 1965 Nepal H-A Worker Lapcha, Gorakhani, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

9 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
CHOY91303 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth - - 66:265-266 (1992) -
CHOY91303 AAJ - - - 66:266 (1992) -
CHOY91303 MM - - - 143:5 (Jan 1992) -
CHOY91303 - Rutkiewicz, Wanda Karawana Do Marzen Hudowski & Marcisz, Krokow - -
CHOY91303 - Reinisch, Gertrude Wanda Rutkiewicz, Karawane der Traume Bergverlag Rother, Munich - -
CHOY91303 - Reinisch, Gertrude Wanda Rutkiewicz, A Caravan of Dreams Carreg Ltd, Ross-on-Wye, Hereford, UK - -
CHOY91303 - Kuntner, Christian 13-1/2 Achttausender Provinz Verlag, Brixen, Bolzano, Italy - -
CHOY91303 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199226503/Asia-Tibet-Cho-Oyu-West-Side-from-the-North-Ascents-and-Attempts-Post-Monsoon - - -
CHOY91303 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199226601/Asia-Tibet-Chu-Oyu-Ascent-and-Shisha-Pangma-Attempt - - -