Cho Oyu | 1993 W Ridge-W Face from S

A Spain expedition to Cho Oyu in 1993 via W Ridge-W Face from S, led by Joaquin Betelu. Summit reached on 24th April 1993. 9 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 1209
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID CHOY93102
Peak ID CHOY
Year 1993
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 W Ridge-W Face from S
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Spain
Leaders Joaquin Betelu
Sponsor Basque Cho Oyu Expedition
Success 1 False
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 -
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1993-04-11
Summit Date 1993-04-24
Summit Time -
Summit Days 13
Total Days 20
Termination Date 1993-05-01
Termination Reason 14
Termination Notes Abandoned at 6400m due to Chinese 'checkpost' at narrow icefall leading from Gyabrag Glacier to C2
High Point (m) 6400
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 1
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 8
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 2
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
O2 Used True
O2 None False
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical True
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(11/04,5300m),ABC(18/04,5350m),C2(24/04,6400m),xxx(24/04,6400m)
Route Notes BC at true Kangchung ABC northeast of Nangpa La C2 near point 6445 (near Germans). No C3 because problem with Chinese officials with Swiss. Caught Germans from Nepal side & depanded payment to let them pass: $5000 to return to their BC, $15,000 to continue climb. This Spanish team not caught, heard about this from Germans & decided not to continue climb. After 22 April this team went down to ABC. Then came much snowfall over 2 days & waited at ABC. 28th up to C1 with Germans (Spanish half-hour behind Germans & saw Germans caught by 3 men, 1 with rifle in army uniform), so Spanish to ABC & waited to try again. 29th Germans leader to BC for many while other Germans wait at Swiss camp. Spanish spent Sherpas on 1 May to see situation & reported Chinese still there which they were & would stay till Swiss finished 20 May. Spanish haven't food for 25+ more days. Sherpas brought down C2 & team left ABC 2 May. Betelu left team on 29th May because he is doctor & Dilip Sherpa, cook of Ibanez, very sick from pulmonary edema which almost killed him (Ibanez was higher on mountain & didn't know problem). Ibanez was on this expedition's permit but was independent of the others, had his own Sherpa climbing with him, his own Tamang cook, his own gear & climbed independently; he pitched his camp 1 the day before this expedition pitched theirs; he also withdrew from mountain becasue of Chinese controllers, reached Kathmandu 7 May. His highest point was C2, went down because of bad weather & heard from Germans about Chinese charging to climb. Alvaro Lopez: 30th April, 3 members caught by Chinese at 6100m going to camp at 6400m; took them to BC of Swiss but on the way, German leader met them & said Basques were members of his team & since Germans had paid already $15,000 so Chinese let them go (this second time this had happened on Cho Oyu so maybe Germans had funds in case needed). ** Oxygen used for sick cook.
Accidents None except Ibanez cook's edema (oxygen used by cook)
Achievement -
Agency Asian Trekking
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2454785
Year 1993
Summit Success False
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) w ridge-w face from s

Members

9 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Jose Joaquin (Kiko) Betelu Corcuera M 1956 Spain Leader Pamplona, Navarra, Spain Physician Details Other expeditions
Naiara Ezeiza Uribe F 1977 Spain Climber Eskoriatza, Guipuzcoa, Spain High school student Details Other expeditions
Roman Ezeiza Aranburu-Zabala M 1957 Spain Climber Eskoriatza, Guipuzcoa, Spain Technician Details Other expeditions
Cesar Izar de la Fuente M 1954 Spain Climber Vitoria, Alava, Spain Mechanic Details Other expeditions
Luis Laborda Gonzalez M 1956 Spain Exp Doctor Tarragona, Spain Physician Details Other expeditions
Alvaro Lopez de Arbina Ibanez M 1957 Spain Climber Vitoria, Alava, Spain Mechanic Details Other expeditions
Patxi Sanchez-Dehesa de la Bergara M 1955 Spain Climber Vitoria, Alava, Spain Staff member, city sanitation department Details Other expeditions
Garbine Uribe Beristaini F 1959 Spain Climber Eskoriatza, Guipuzcoa, Spain Saleswoman, food market Details Other expeditions
Dilip Sherpa M - Nepal Cook - - Details Other expeditions

References

2 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
CHOY93102 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth - - 68:220 (1994) -
CHOY93102 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199422002/Asia-Nepal-Cho-Oyu-from-Nepal-in-the-Pre-Monsoon-Season - - -