Three records on Cho Oyu 1984/1985

The expedition's aim

After summiting Everest, Andrzej Zawada dreamt about winter expedition on K2. After joint, Polish-Canadian reconnaissance under K2 (winter 1983) and seeing that organising an expedition on Karkoram's highest peak (and the 2nd highest in the world) was impossible at that time, Zawada proposed climbing Cho Oyu (virgin peak during winter). It was a bold idea: he wanted to use a new route - through almost three km high, southeast wall. Until 1984 only one expedition succeeded in climbing this wall - two Austrians, Edi Koblmüller and Alois Furtner, in 1978; they deemed the route extremely difficult. In winter 1982, Reinhold Messner took on the challenge; Wojciech Kurtyka took part in this international expedition. Messner's team gave up already on December 19th and in his correspondence with Elizabeth Hawley, Messner wrote: "We were lucky that we all came back, even without reaching the summit." Nevertheless, Andrzej Zawada decided to take up this challenge.

Facts

Official name of the expedition:
International Winter Cho Oyu Expedition 1984-85

Expedition's status:
international, Polish-Canadian expedition

Route:
new route on the southeast wall

Members: 12

Base established: 30 December 1984

Summit reached: 12 February 1985

Members of the expedition

Polish members

Andrzej Zawada – leader (56 yrs., KW Warsaw)

Andrzej Zawada – lider (56 l., KW Warszawa)

Maciej Berbeka (30 yrs., KW Zakopane)

Eugeniusz Chrobak (45 yrs., KW Warsaw)

Jan Krzysztof Flaczyński – doctor (33 yrs.)

Jan Krzysztof Flaczyński – lekarz (33 l.)

Mirosław Gardzielewski (31 yrs., KW Trójsmiasto)

Mirosław Gardzielewski (31 l., KW Trójsmiasto)

Zygmunt A. Heinrich (47 yrs., KW Cracow)

Maciej Pawlikowski (33 yrs., KW Zakopane)

Jerzy Kukuczka (36 yrs., KW Katowice)

Canadian members

Marten Berkman (23 yrs.)

André Frappier (47 yrs.)

Jacek „Jacques” Olek – deputy leder (40 yrs.)

Jacek „Jacques” Olek – zastępca kierownika (40 l.)

Yves Téssier – lekarz (44 yrs.)

Nepalese base personnel

Chhetrapati Shrestha – liaison officer

Thukten Sherpa – sardar

Ang Dawa Sherpa – cook

Bal Bahadur „Maila” – cook's helper

Mohit Syangbo Lama – runner

The expedition's timeline

Baza (fot. Fundacja Himalaizmu Polskiego im. Andrzeja Zawady).

1984

Organising expedition

Advanced preparations began in July 1984: establishing rules of cooperation with the Canadians, procuring base and climbing equipment from Polish and foreign manufacturers; and finally in November, packing and sending the equipment to Delhi, India; then using truck to Nepal.

December 17

The truck and all Poles reach Kathmandu, the first meeting of the entire international expedition.

December 18 - J. Kukuczka asks Andrzej Zawada for permission to leave the expedition and join the Dhaulgiri expedition. He promises that after attacking the summit he'll go back to Cho Oyu.

December 18

During dinner in Annapurna Hotel, J. Kukuczka informs that he wants to join the Silesian expedition on Dhaulagiri first. After a heated discussion, leader A. Zawada agrees to the plan. Kukuczka leaves the expedition.

Zawadowie na tarasie hotelu Everest View(fot. Fundacja Himalaizmu Polskiego im. Andrzeja Zawady).

December 23

After numerous logistic issues, expedition members and luggage reach Lukla; Andre Frapier, Yves Tessier, E. Chrobak and Z. Heinrich together with the first group of yak caravan set out.

December 24

The second caravan group is organised in Lukla; preparations for Christmas Eve.

Jaki (fot. Fundacja Himalaizmu Polskiego im. Andrzeja Zawady).

December 25

The second caravan group and the rest of the expedition set out from Lukla.

December 30

The first caravan group reaches the site chosen for Base Camp (5200 m) on the so-called Gyazumpa and starts setting up the base on frozen lakes. Two days later the rest of the caravan joins and the base expansion is underway.

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1985

Way to the top

January 3

M. Berbeka and E. Chrobak start reconnaissance and find a way from moraine to glacier.

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January 4

M. Berbeka and M. Pawlikowski traverse the glacier and at the foot of the wall set up the tent for CI (5400 m). Snowfall and wind during the night.

January 5

Wn the BC, liaison officer suffers from psychological problems due to height and difficult conditions. Snow and blizzard.

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January 6-9

The team is looking for the best route and anchoring
the randkluft.

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January 10

M. Berbeka and M. Pawlikowski climb and anchor the randkluft. Above, they notice traces left by Yugoslavian climbers from previous expedition.

We've reached randkluft, it goes 4 m down and then it's easy climb.

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January 12

A. Zawada and M. Gardzielewski take the deposit, climb the wall and set up CII tent (5700 m) on the site of the old Yugoslavian camp.

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Najtrudniejszy odcinek skalny (fot. Fundacja Himalaizmu Polskiego im. Andrzeja Zawady).

January 17-29 - two teams (Berbeka - Pawlikowski and Chrobak - Gardzielewski) anchored the most difficult part of the route - hanging serac, fault above CII - and set up CIII.

January 13-28

Wn changing weather conditions, with heavy snowfalls, camps are extended, equipment transported and difficult terrain above CII anchored. Z. Heinrich suffers from injury - a rock hit his heel; he's unable to climb for a few weeks.

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You should take Messner's tent when you set out, I was surprise how fast it went - 12:30 and I'm on the pass.

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January 29

M. Berbeka and M. Pawlikowski take the equipment deposited on 6500 m and set up CIII.

January 30 -
February 4

Anchoring route above CIII.

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February 5

E. Chrobak and M. Gardzielewski set out from CIII and anchor the way above the camp. They take the equipment to crevasse called "Sinusoid" (6900 m) and bivouac there.

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February 6-8

E. Chrobak and M. Gardzielewski anchor the way through "Organ"; on 7250 m they run out of rope, move the bivuac and set up CIV.

Jerzy Kukuczka powyżej obozu III (fot. Fundacja Himalaizmu Polskiego im. Andrzeja Zawady).

February 8 - after the successful attack on Dhaulagiri, J. Kukuczka reaches the BC.

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February 9

Exhausted E. Chrobak and M. Gardzielewski descend from CIV to CII. M. Berbeka and M. Pawlikowski ascend from CIII to CIV. New team, Z. Heinrich and J. Kukuczka, ascend from BC to CI.

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Beautiful, cloudless sky, no wind. Conditions are perfect for climbing at 8 am. (…) Hello, both Maćki in camp III.

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Maciej Pawlikowski przy obozie IV (fot. Fundacja Himalaizmu Polskiego im. Andrzeja Zawady).

February 10 - M. Berbeka and M. Pawlikowski anchor the second key part - ice pillar over CIV.

February 11

M. Berbeka and M. Pawlikowski move the tent and equipment from CIV over a rocky barrier at 7550 m. There they set up CV. Z. Heinrich and J. Kukuczka climb from CII to CIII.

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Pierwsi zdobywcy Cho Oyu zimą - Maciej Pawlikowski w Maciej Berbeka (fot. Fundacja Himalaizmu Polskiego im. Andrzeja Zawady).

February 12 - 2:20 pm M. Berbeka and M. Pawlikowski reach the summit of Cho Oyu.

Februrary 12

Around 7 am, M. Berbeka and M. Pawlikowski leave CV; first through icy snow slope and then snowy pillar they summit Cho Oyu at 2:20 pm.

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February 13

J. Kukuczka and Z. Heinrich try to climb from CIII straight to CV, but do not manage to reach it before the night - they spend the night 40 m from the tent; the next day and night they rest in CV.

And everything went to hell. We wanted to attack today, but it's too late now. We've only just reached the tent.

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Druga para zdobywców - Andrzej Zyga Heinrich i Jerzy Kukuczka (fot. Fundacja Himalaizmu Polskiego im. Andrzeja Zawady).

February 15 - 5:30 pm Z. Heinrich and J. Kukuczka reach the summit of Cho Oyu.

February 15

Z. Heinrich and J. Kukuczka leave CV around 6:30 am and reach the summit at 5:30 pm. During the descend in complete darkness they bivuac on 7700 m.

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Anyone frostbitten? Zyga says no. I'm a bit. Where exactly? Exactly two toes (…)

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Maciej Berbeka na szczycie (fot. Fundacja Himalaizmu Polskiego im. Andrzeja Zawady).

Jerzy Kukuczka na szczycie (fot. Fundacja Himalaizmu Polskiego im. Andrzeja Zawady).

Andrzej Zyga Heinrich na szczycie (fot. Fundacja Himalaizmu Polskiego im. Andrzeja Zawady).

February 18-19

Taking down the base, caravan to Lukla.

February 22-24

Flying back from Lukla, everyone meets in Kathmandu
in Shakti Hotel.

March 1

Official briefing in Ministry of Tourism; Andrzej Zawada
receives certificate confirming the first successful
summiting of Cho Oyu in winter.

March 17

Mountaineers are welcomed on Okęcie airport in Warsaw.

The expedition's result

For the first time in the history of himalaism, a new route on eight-thousander was established in winter. It was a great feat of Berbeka-Pawlikowski duo, especially because climbing southeastern wall was extremely difficult - on par with rock and ice alpine routes. But here, they were climbing higher than Mont Blanc. The expedition was - as Andrzej Zawada used to say - successful and lucky. Additionally, apat from two records on Cho Oyu, Jerzy Kukuczka added a third one - as the first person in the world he summited two eight-thousanders in one winter. Climbing Cho Oyu was undoubtedly one of the greatest sport achievements in winter mountaineering on eight-thousanders.

"It was the first winter climb, and the route was wonderful, through the wall that even famous Messner couldn't manage."

The expedition's aim

Facts

Members of the expedition

The expedition's timeline

Organising expedition

Way to the top

The expedition's result

Three records on Cho Oyu
1984/1985