Cho Oyu

Mt. Cho Oyu, one of the fifth highest mountain in Nepal, remains the safest and most accessible of all the 8000m peaks. It is situated on the Nepalese-Tibetan border. It is located in the Khumbu Region of Nepal, in the eastern section of the country. The most popular climbing route for Cho Oyu is the North West ridge from Tibet. On both sides, Cho, you share a base camp (Nepal and Tibet, China). The majority of climbers approach Cho Oyu from the north side (Tibet side).

Cho Oyu is regarded as the simplest of the eight-thousanders, having the lowest death-to-summit ratio (a quarter of that of Annapurna). After Everest (whose height makes it the most popular), it is the second most climbed eight-thousander, with nearly four times the number of ascents as the third most popular eight-thousander, Gasherbrum II. It's touted as a "trekking peak" that climbers with good fitness but little mountaineering expertise may reach.

It features a flat summit plateau with no cairn (traditional prayer flags on Cho Oyu's summit plateau do not indicate the "technical" summit), which can cause misunderstanding and controversy among climbers (see Elizabeth Hawley).

Location: Mahalangur Himalaya

Elevation: 8,201m