Cho Oyu Climb 2008

Summits, queues & rescues

2008-10-03T01:24:00.000-07:00

The weather has been so bad that today was the first possible Summit day and our only chance.

When we set off at 3.30am from our tent the last thing we expected was to be waiting in the bitter cold wind for 60 people to climb the rock wall on the one fixed rope. For two hours.

Then began the slow, snow slog to the summit... which finally came at 1.15pm.

Out of oxygen, Squash could barely breathe or walk. With stunning views of Everest (just 600m higher than us) it took 40mins for Squash to change her oxygen tank and Suzy to put her skis on.

Rather emotional we descended, Suzy Britain's first female 8000m skier and Squash World's highest ever bum boarder.

We were whizzing down until the abseil, where we watched a Chinese woman who had apparently never seen a figure of eight before, just throw it away. A three hour wait and rescue ensued.

Fairly cold by now, during her abseil, Squash caught her crampon in old rope and flipped upside down, passing out and losing her oxygen mask.... not good.... A knife wielding Sherpa reached her first but fortuitously Dan Mazur, Summit Climb leader, suggested cutting the rope wouldn't be the best plan and rescued her.

Freezing cold by now, as if there hadn't been enough drama, we then came across a snow blind man. It was dark, he was hallucinating. "I'm waiting to be rescued by my team," he said. "How do they know you're in trouble?" We asked. "Because I'm calling them with my flashing headlamp."

Camp was miles away. So, we half crawled, half dragged him down, otherwise he would have died there. What should have taken us half an hour took three.

It was a 20hour Summit day, we bloody made it!

Summit Pants

2008-10-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

Text book Summit attempt; one night at Camp 1, one night at Camp 2, one night at Camp 3 and Summit.

Squash & Suzy's Summit; one night at Camp 1, storm (some of team retreat), two more nights at Camp 1. One night at Camp 2 (7,100m), storm, storm, storm, storm, three more nights at Camp 2 (most of team now retreated).

Suzy has forgotten her Summit pants (matching black frilly with skull and cross bones), which has upset Squash... we're barely talking.

Our patience/survial at this altitude is now being rewarded, this afternoon we will head to Camp 3 (7,550m) and tonight we will make our Summit bid.

Diamox Dreaming

2008-09-25T03:29:00.000-07:00

Suzy has been having a recurring nightmare that the weather has been truly horrific and has not been able to leave her tent for four days.... oh, she was not dreaming.

We have brilliantly entertained ourselves with sit down ping pong, snowball fights, bat and ball and for the first time seen at ABC a solar /cloud powered disco, much to the amazement of the local Tibetans.

Today we are finally trecking up the hill in the swirling snow to camp 1.

This is likely to be our only summit attempt, having lost so much time to bad weather.

Wish us luck, energy and perserverance for our long shot...

Hurricanes and Armpits 19th September

2008-09-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

Picture the scene

Dan "Hey what do you guys think, will this wind die down?"

Suzy and Squash "Yeah, definitely lets stay at camp 1 tonight."

1pm - Two tents fly to their freedom.

4pm - Everyone is in their tents, wondering if staying was really a good idea.

5pm - Kitchen tent collapses, Sherpas frantically running round trying to tie down/save kit.

9pm - The thinnest wisp of nylon separates us from 100mph winds.

Midnight - Everyone is dressed with kit packed, wondering when our worlds might be blown away.

3am - People start bailing into each others tents as theirs are shredding and being blown into the night.

5.30am - The retreat began. Strategy needed to avoid not only losing kit but life as well.

6am - Pin kit and bodies down with ice axes remaining tents fly away.

8am - We cannot stand up in wind, bury kit in hole, climb out of camp 1 over ridge and head back down to advance base camp. Quickly.

8.30am - Squash got very cold and as Suzy staggers over ridge, the pathetic shivering bundle trying to sleep on the icy scree slope needs help.

10am - Amazing what hands in the armpits, breathing exercises, chocolate and water in the mouth can do.

2pm - (All well eating a huge meal in advance base camp). Did we really stay at camp 1 last night and lose the whole camp?

Its been quite an adventurous few days with little food or sleep, we are resting and eating at advance base camp waiting for the winds to die down and then we begin our summit attempt.

Puja's,Pants and Purgatory

2008-09-18T02:36:00.000-07:00

Before the Tibetan Sherpas start climbing, it is tradition that they hold a 'Puja', a request for a safe passage on the mountain. In reality this involves singing, dancing, smoke and alcohol like all the best parties. Climbers are invited to bring their vital climbing equipment to be blessed. It will come as no surprise, therefore, that Squash took all 36 pairs of knickers to the ceremony. We are sure the Lama will be delighted.

Crazy party time was followed by the first tough climbing day, which was supposed to kick off at 7.30am. Despite gentle enticement with cups of tea and egg in bed, Squash could not get Suzy out of her cozy sleeping bag. She finally shambled out of her tent, hoovered half a bowl of porridge, set off at storming rate and wondered why she felt so rough?

It was an 8 hour round trip to camp 1, carrying a load up to stash .

On the steepest scree section of the walk, Squash was first dragged up by a whistling and chortling Sherpa and then relieved of her backpack completely. To complete this good fortune another sherpa offered to carry her half full pink water bottle which she was left carrying. She gracefully declined.

Tomorrow we return to camp 1 where we will be 'sleeping' at 6400 metres and then may head higher for a few days depending on exactly how bad we feel.

Yak faff

2008-09-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

Not only has squash forgotten her camo pants, but the terrorist yaks have forgotten their passports. So whilst we merrily breezed through the Chinese army check point, the yaks were stopped in there tracks, unfortunately the yaks were carrying all our kit.

We arrived in advance base camp 5700m (after a storming trek up) with nothing but Squash's face cream, one down jacket between us and a bar a chocolate covered kendal mint cake, perfect!

Offers of international aid from the Slovenians, Italians and Chinese ensured we would make it through the night. However somehow Dan managed to convince the Chinese army the yaks were of no political threat and at midnight the yaks, with all our kit, sauntered by moonlight into advance base camp. Nice!

We woke up to 20cm of snow this morning with a smattering of yak splat, however the view from our tent is spectacular, we both feel great and all is well.

Undercover Cho

2008-09-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

Received Plymouth 12 Sept pm

We didn't realise this would be such a mission. We thought our only hurdle would be crossing the border - ohh - and of course climbing the 8200 m mountain. But in fact with the current sensitive political situation it appears to be necessary for the Chinese to watch our every move. This started with undercover spies on the Nepali side of the border and now our Tibetan kitchen boys got taken away and now at intermediary base camp we have been told:

' Do not leave the camp. And and just to let you know we have dogs...'

Squash has been tucking and rolling from tent to toilet while Suzy keeps her cover. We plan to leave for advance base camp tomorrow. In full camouflage obviously. Sadly amongst her 36 pairs of knickers, Squash has no 'camo-pants'.

Finally we've made it!

2008-09-12T11:17:00.000-07:00

Across the border from Nepal to Tibet and after a few days of dusty, spluttery driving and the occasional ghastly acclimatisation walk, we're in base camp. It's a beautiful spot with the peaks of Cho Oyu and other sacred mountains encircling us. We are on the path that the Dalai Lama used to escape Chinese occupied Tibet.

This morning we awoke to the tinkle of yak bells and were inspired to take a shriekingly cold bath in the nearby lake.

We wish the other Lipsticks, Carole, Kath, Lou, Inga and Alison were here with us to join in the base camp frisbee, the gossip and the ridiculous ten minute argument about the exact time and the communal time setting.

We appear to be having an amazing little window on what boys actually talk about amongst themselves - fascinating...!

Polite dinner conversation

2008-09-05T18:49:00.000-07:00

"That's a big watch, does it measure heart rate?" enquired Squash.

"Well I was running for 1 1/2 hours with a heart rate of 160 but then some one told me this was too high and didn't leave enough time for recovery so I dropped it to 150 so that I could train more frequently yeah 13 not 30 miles an hour and then it's great 'cos I can download it all onto my computer and see my training pattern and improvement so getting fitter with my speed improving yeah and then I was on an inclined treadmill for 3 hours with a 25kg backpack and I also calculated my VO2 max Miguel Indurain had one of over 90 and Lance Armstrong 76 that swimmer eats 12,000 calories a day I've done a 6000m peak so have hired a porter although I don't know how much use he'll be so that's why I can run a marathon in three and a half minutes."

"Do we take that as a yes then?" Interjected Suzy

"And............." he continued

And then there were two....

2008-09-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

Originally there were five Lipstick Blondes on the trip to Cho Oyu, Carole, Suzy and Squash attempting a summit and Lou and Inga, 'mountain virgins', going for Advanced Base Camp.

However, just a week before we departed Carole was told that she could not get a visa for Tibet as she was a 'wicked' journalist.

Read the email below to see how she felt about that.....

To all my lovely climbing ex companions,

Just got back from Norway and decided to be all adult about my expulsion from Team GB Lippy - and not to get mad but get even. To that end I have bought some new wool and will sit at home and crochet all my frustrations out in a new range of lipstick blond head bands. Still at the design stage but will keep you in the loop (geddit!!!).

So I am abandoing all hope of getting to the mountain with you but Paul and I are going to tackle a few peaks on Dartmoor with a wet copy of the BMC magazine over our faces in a bikini with just some chocolate covered kendal mint cake for food just so I get some sense of what I am missing.

You girls all have a great time and just remember the lipstick blond mantra, "You may get to the summit, but consider carefully replacing your Jimmy Cho's with some ugly clumpy boots."

Just remember lipsticksblondes, Eyes and teeth!

Grounded Carole

Then when we arrived in Kathmandu yesterday we were greeted with the news that Inga and Lou also couldn't get a visa, as they were 'trekkers' not climbers'... and therefore must be secret spies on some kind of massive under cover mission!

So... that leaves just Suzy and squash in a group of 20 men. Awful. To see how we survive our predicament contiue to read our blog....

who are the lipstickblondes?

2008-09-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

In 2003, four women who love laughter and adventure with equal ferocity came up with a drunken, cunning plan to form the first ever all women's adventure racing team. A hilariously unmacho name, the 'lipstick blondes' was decided and off we ran, biked and kayaked.
In 2004 we climbed Aconagua, a 7000m peak in Argentina. On the descent, as we staggered and shambled down the scree, a big idea was formed: to ski and board some of the World's highest peaks. Over the next few years amidst adventure races, ultra marathons and babies, other mountains such as Elbrus and Denali were summitted and skied and then we reconvened for an attempt on Mustagata, a 7500m peak in China.
Ski mountaineering is a wondeful sport which combines meditative climbs and adrenaline filled descents, and big mountains have a wonderful mind freeing aspect to them. Few Brits ski mountaineer and few women do big mounatinsa so we thought it would be cool to make a film of out trip to encourage other people to get out there and do stuff. You can read more about this wonderful trip and see the film on www.lipstickblondes.com
Our current trip on Cho Oyu is an extension of the fantastic experiences we have had so far and we will be blogging around every other day...