Cho Oyuचोयु
The 'Turquoise Goddess' rises west of Everest above the Nangpa La trade pass. Statistically the most attainable 8,000er, it became the standard first eight-thousander for aspiring high-altitude climbers — mostly from the Tibetan side.
Height
8,188 m
World rank
#6
among the world's highest mountains
First ascent
1954
19 October 1954
District
Solukhumbu
Koshi Province
- Border
- Nepal–China (Tibet) border
- Standard route
- Northwest Ridge from Tibet (the usual commercial route); Nepal-side routes are far harder
19 October 1954
Summit party
Herbert Tichy, Josef Jöchler (Austria) & Pasang Dawa Lama (Nepal)
Lightweight Austrian expedition — climbed without supplemental oxygen
The first 8,000er climbed in autumn, by a tiny three-man summit team — a landmark for lightweight style.
What the record shows
Some sources still list 8,201 m; the accepted height is 8,188 m.
Because the standard route lies in Tibet, Chinese permit closures periodically push commercial traffic to attempt the rarely climbed and much harder Nepal-side routes.
The nearby Nangpa La (5,716 m) is the historic Sherpa trade and migration pass between Khumbu and Tibet.
Firsts & records
First winter ascent: 12 February 1985 — Maciej Berbeka & Maciej Pawlikowski (Poland)
Safety record
Fatality rate ≈1.4% of summits — statistically the safest eight-thousander (Himalayan Database-derived compilations).
Fatality 'rates' are summits-to-deaths ratios that shift as traffic grows — the year of each figure is stated.
Most visitors experience this region not by climbing but on foot: Nepal's trekking routes reach base camps and viewpoints beneath Cho Oyu without the technical risks of the summit.
The peak in context
The highlighted marker is this mountain; the others show all eight of Nepal's eight-thousanders.
Cho Oyu — frequently asked
How tall is Cho Oyu?+
Cho Oyu is 8,188 m high, making it the 6th-highest mountain in the world. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal on the Nepal–China (Tibet) border.
When was Cho Oyu first climbed, and by whom?+
Cho Oyu was first summited on 19 October 1954 by Herbert Tichy, Josef Jöchler (Austria) & Pasang Dawa Lama (Nepal), as part of the Lightweight Austrian expedition — climbed without supplemental oxygen.
How dangerous is Cho Oyu?+
Fatality rate ≈1.4% of summits — statistically the safest eight-thousander (Himalayan Database-derived compilations).
Where is Cho Oyu located in Nepal?+
Cho Oyu sits in Solukhumbu district of Koshi Province. The standard climbing line is the Northwest Ridge from Tibet (the usual commercial route); Nepal-side routes are far harder.
Sources & data note
Profile of Cho Oyu compiled from the listed sources. Heights follow UIAA-accepted surveys; ascent and fatality statistics derive from Himalayan Database compilations and are dated in the text.