Cho Oyu | 1999 NW side

A Spain expedition to Cho Oyu in 1999 via NW side, led by Joan Carrillo. 1 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 3523
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID CHOY99401
Peak ID CHOY
Year 1999
Season 4
Host Country 2
Route 1 NW side
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Spain
Leaders Joan Carrillo
Sponsor -
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 Thami->Nangpa La
Basecamp Date -
Summit Date -
Summit Time -
Summit Days 0
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 6
Termination Notes Abandoned at 6600m due to death of climber
High Point (m) 6600
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 0
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 1
Summit Members 0
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(5200m?),xxx(6600m)
Route Notes BC a t Nepalese side of Nangpa La ABC at Tibetan side of Nangpa La High point at foot of ice cliff. Carrillo intended to make his unauthorized climb with Cho Oyu veteran Ang Phurba Sherpa of Thami, but he was in Japan, so Carrillo climbed alone although he is known to have modest climbing ability and perhaps no Himalayan experience. He hired young man from Thami named Tendu to carry his scant supplies with him to BC. They erected one small tent and Carrillo went off to the mountain. After 2-3 days he returned to BC because snowfall made climbing dangerous and they did not have enough food to stay much longer. Carrillo said he did not want to go back down but Tendu must do so and Carrillo would return to the climb and leave the mountain after a few days. He never was seen again alive, but what is very probably his body was seen by spring 2000 expeditions. James Norton of one of them went to this body, which had partly been covered by Korean's Sherpas who didn't want to have to look at it. The body was lying on its face straight out in the position of one who had fallen there; his crampons were placed beside him as if he had taken them off and set them there; his shoulders were covered by a jacket/one piece suit which was red or pink and not yet faded, which colors normally do within six months on Himalayan mountains. * Source of above information Tendu Sherpa (Thami) to Ang Phurba Sherpa and wife (they own a lodge in Thami) James Norton Craig John's Team - 20 May 2000 "Jake went to body - boots very new & camp plastic purple; clothing had not faded at all." The Family Carrillo, by Miss Hawley - 28 January, 2000 I have met Ang Phurba and his wife. He was in Japan from 16 Sept to 12 December, so he knows nothing about Mr. Carrillo, but his wife remembers a foreigner with a porter who brought him and two drums to their Thami View Lodge. He asked to meet Ang Phurba. The foreigner was not very tall and spoke little English (he did not talk to anyone); she does not remember the color of his hair but said it was long. She does not remember whether he had a beard nor the date but says it was when she was very busy: Ang Phurba thinks it was probably in or soon after late October. This foreigner stayed at their lodge for two nights, and said he was going to go to climb Cho Oyu. He left Thami with a Sherpa from that village and a yak to carry his two drums. This Sherpa, named Tendu, was not a climber and would stay only at base camp. Tendu returned to Thami alone after about six days and told Ang Phurba's wife that he and the foreigner reached their base camp site the day they had left Thami; it was near the Nangpa La on the Nepalese side. The weather was bad, snow was falling -- but the foreigner left Tendu at base camp and went up to climb because of the weather. Tendu now told him that they should go back to Thami because the bad weather was making climbing dangerous, and they did not have enough food to stay much longer. The foreigner answered that he did not want to go back, but Tendu must go back; the foreigner would go back after a few days. Tendu left the foreigner at base camp and reported this to Ang Phurba's wife. She had not seen him again, and she remained in Thami until 29 November, whe she left to come to Kathmandu.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency None
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 5779
Year 1999
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) nw side

Members

1 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Joan Carrillo Junca M - Spain Leader Sant Joan De Les Abadesses, Girona, Spain - Details Other expeditions

References

1 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
CHOY99401 HIGH - - - 219:70 (Feb 2001) -