Cho Oyu - Autumn 2007

6 week climbing itinerary for only £5,750
(and this price includes your oxygen)

Professionally Led and Organised
by Everest Summiteer Tim Mosedale

What is included

o Peak Fees
o Liaison Officer
o Base Camp manager
o Cook crew
o Sherpas
o Climbing Sherpa(s)
o Oxygen as required (but this is not limitless). We work on 2 to 4 bottles per person.
o Oxygen mask (must be paid for if not returned)
o Regulator (must be paid for if not returned)
o Administration fee for our expedition agent in Nepal - we use one of the premiere trekking and climbing agencies in KTM. They have a proven track record of providing an excellent service, are able to provide full support throughout the expedition and have a tried and tested emergency call out procedure should the need arise
o My fee for administration and planning prior to the expedition and technical support, guiding, instruction, planning and logistics during the expedition
o Western leader(s)
o 2 nights hotel accommodation in KTM at either end of the trip
o Meals in KTM prior to departing for Base Camp
o Hotel accommodation en route to Chinese Base Camp
o All feeding arrangements en route to Chinese Base Camp
o Transport arrangements to / from Chinese Base Camp on a group basis - if you depart early there is an extra charge for travel back to KTM.
o 60Kg baggage allowance KTM - Base Camp - KTM
o Living arrangements during our stay at Base Camp on a full board basis (this includes 3 course meals, services of cook crew, full porter support to / from Base Camp, camping equipment, kitchen tent, dining tent, toilet tent, kitchen utensils etc)
o Personal Base Camp tent
o Solar shower
o Satellite phone for clients' use (US$6.50 per minute)
o Daily weather information
o Food and fuel above Base Camp
o Mountain tents
o Ropes, climbing gear required for equipping the mountain, ice screws, snow stakes etc
o Walkie Talkie Radios for use on the mountain
o Comprehensive 1st aid kit including antibiotics and medicines for use at altitude
o Gammow bag for use at Base Camp
o Emergency oxygen available for use on the mountain. (If this is used it must be paid for)
o Insurance for Base Camp and Sherpa crew
o Airport transfers in KTM

What is not included in the costs

o International flight (approx £550. Please arrange a ticket that is flexible so that you can change the dates if you summit early and want to head back to the UK ahead of schedule)
o Nepalese Visa (approx £20 / US$30). Note - if you are transitting through Nepal for less than 3 days then a 'Gratis' Visa is issued (as at Nov 2005).
o Chinese Visa (approx US$60)
o Inoculation / vaccination costs
o Travel and medical insurance - MUST be valid for Cho Oyu (see here for further details)
o Hire of any equipment for personal use
o Tips for the staff (approx US$150 and an extra US$150 for your summit sherpa)
o Excess baggage charges
o Drinks with meals in Kathmandu
o International departure tax from KTM
o Any drinks and/or food during the trek other than that which is provided by the crew (e.g. soft drinks, snacks, alcohol, etc etc).
o Spending money
o Any costs incurred if leaving the expedition early

A Special Note on The Political Situation

In the past few years Nepal has made the news due to a variety of different political and diplomatic incidents. Despite these hiccoughs Nepal in general has actually remained a very safe area for travellers and mountaineers. On a particularly poignant note the Maoists have specifically said that tourists are not a target (they realise the benefits of our trade and custom. Without the annual influx of tourists the entire Nepalese economy will suffer, which will undoubtedly be detrimental to the way the population feels about the Maoists and cause a backlash).

Bearing in mind that we have had London bombings, occasional riots, the odd national strike, frequent flooding, BSE, Foot and Mouth, warm beer and The Spice Girls - if a tourist were to ask you if the UK is safe to visit what would you say?...

By the same token Nepal is still a safe country to travel through if you stay away from any unsafe areas.

If the situation were to become so serious that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office were to decree that Nepal was not safe for us to travel through then naturally the trip may need to be postponed or cancelled.

Go to Foreign and Commonwealth advice page on Nepal

If the FCO does not issue advice against travel then a disinclination to travel on the basis of a perceived threat or hazard, howsoever formed, will be interpreted as a voluntary cancellation and the relevant cancellation charges will apply.

Please also see the notes associated with insurance below.

Equipment Requirements

I provide a comprehensive kit list for the trip but some of the notable items that you will require are:

o One Sports Everest boots / La Sportiva Olympus Mons / Scarpa Phantom 8,000ers
o 4 & 5 season sleeping bags
o Down Suit

What is next?

o To secure a booking for Cho Oyu 2006 I require a non refundable deposit of 15% of the trip cost per person.
o I will require you to forward your flight itinerary (I can provide a good contact for your flight requirements) as soon as you have made a booking.
o I will also require a copy of your trip insurance which MUST be valid for Cho Oyu - see below. The sooner you take this insurance out the better since you are covered from the day of payment for cancellation cover should your circumstances change and you are unable to make the trip. Remember this is insurance that you MUST have for the trip so why not take it out sooner rather than later for your personal protection?
o 50% of the outstanding balance needs to be paid 6 months prior to the trip.
o Lastly I require the final balance to be paid in full 3 months prior to the trip.

See Here for the pricing policy

Cancellation Policy

If, for legitimate, unforeseeable reasons, you should need to cancel your place on the trip then the following cancellation refunds will apply :-

From booking to 90 days prior to trip - Loss of deposit

From 90 days to 60 days prior to trip - 20% refund

Less than 60 days prior to trip - No refund

To that end please make sure that you take out appropriate insurance.

Which brings us to the next point

Insurance

I have negotiated an insurance policy to cover this Cho Oyu trip. This is arranged through Campbell Irvine. The cost for a 43 day trip is £385 (as at Nov 2006).

Please note that you are covered for the expedition even if the FCO advise against travel. If, however, you get tangled up in a riot in Kathmandu, and are injured as a result, then you are not covered for that event (or any other event that one could perceive as being referred to by the FCO site such as strikes, curfews etc that are related to the present political situation).

This insurance is appropriate to Cho Oyu and covers the following:

Please refer to Campbell Irvine for further details if you have any queries.

If you wish to take out a policy for the trip please contact me for an application form. I will send you the appropriate paperwork and information for you to complete. You will then need to forward this to Campbell Irvine with a cheque for the appropriate amount.

Please note:

CANCELLATION COVER starts immediately your application and payment is received or at the time of the trip being booked, which ever is the latter. A certificate will be issued and sent to you within a few days. So, for your protection, you are advised to sign up for this at the time of booking.

Also please note the following:

You MUST notify Campbell Irvine if there are any pre existing conditions that may give rise to a claim (this includes the health of close relatives. For instance if their condition should deteriorate and give you cause you to cancel). For Pre Departure Medical Screening there is a helpline number for you to ring in the insurance policy paperwork that I will send out. They will quote accordingly. If you are in ANY doubt please contact them for further assistance.

I have been informed that these costs will almost certainly be going up in the New Year so please book early. Remember - the sooner you book the sooner you are covered for the trip.

Extensions

If you wish to extend your stay with a visit to Chitwan National Park, a rafting trip, bungee jump, mountain biking, cultural tour of Bhaktapur, sunny bolted climbing in Thailand or whatever takes your fancy, then please ask for details and I can advise accordingly.

Why timmosedale.co.uk?

o I provide a personal service throughout - from your initial contact to standing on top of our mountain. To that end you will not be getting conflicting advice from someone in an office who hasn't actually been there, as happens with many trekking companies.
o I am a full member of The Association of Mountaineering Instructors and a qualified instructor holding my Mountain Instructors Award, Winter ML, MIC training and current 1st aid certificate appropriate to the outdoors and wilderness environment. This is quite a rare amongst trek leaders, many of whom are totally unqualified - but that is not to say that they are not good at their jobs.
o Since I have no office, admin staff, brochures and general business overheads I offer quality treks at very competitive prices. I use the same in-country agents as many of the big trekking companies and so you can be assured that the quality will be the same. The difference is that with me you will be getting incredible value for money.
o I am working in conjunction with Ian Wade who is a prolific mountaineer and a very experienced trip leader. He has 3 successful 8,000 metre peaks under his belt (2 completed without oxygen and, most recently, Everest) and over 60 ascents of peaks over 6,000 metres.
o Lastly, I am an active year round climber and mountaineer and have successfully climbed and guided 12 6,000 metre peaks as well as Ama Dablam. Most recently I summitted Everest and I also have numerous Alpine seasons, Greenland expeditions (over 50 new ascents), Scottish winters, and over two thousand rock climbs under my belt. You are in experienced, safe and qualified hands.

Any Questions?
If you have any queries then please do not hesitate to contact me on climb@timmosedale.co.uk - I reply to all e mails as soon as I receive them so if you don't hear back immediately please bear in mind that I may be out of reach for a few days. Alternatively you can call me on 017687 71050 or 07980 521079.

Once you have signed up for the trip, and paid a deposit, I will be available to come and meet you to discuss the trip in more detail if you require (mainland UK - free if within 100 miles of Keswick, £15 supplement per 100 miles thereafter, elsewhere please ask for cost). Alternatively you can arrange to come to Keswick and we can meet up there.

In the meantime 'Live the dream'

Yours - Tim Mosedale