Cho Oyu - Autumn 2006

Equipment List

Documentation

[ ] Passport (must be valid for 6 months after trip)
[ ] Photocopy of the information pages of your passport (to be sent in advance)
[ ] 4 x passport photographs
[ ] Nepalese Visa (can be obtained on entry - 2 x passport photos and US$30 required. Please note that there are no facilities to obtain photographs at Kathmandu airport. Also note - If transiting through Nepal in less than 3 days then a Gratis Visa is issued - as at Nov 2005). If transiting for more than 3 days you can also contact the Nepalese Embassy to arrange for a Visa in advance
[ ] Chinese Visa - US$ 60
[ ] Insurance - this MUST include helicopter rescue, repatriation, be valid for Cho Oyu and the issuing company must accept we may need to instigate proceedings without first contacting them (see here for further details)
[ ] Money (£50 to £75 personal spending for trip and £100 for Kathmandu depending on souvenir hunting ability. Do not change money at the airport as there are money changing facilities where you will get a better rate of exchange in the Thamel District of Kathmandu)
[ ] There are cash points in Kathmandu so bring your credit cards just in case
[ ] You will need to have departure tax of about £15 to exit Nepal at the end of the trip so don't spend every last rupee.

Base Camp / Trekking and acclimatisation

[ ] 45-55 Litre rucksack
[ ] Boots / Approach shoes
[ ] Tevas / sandals (optional)
[ ] Base Camp booties (with some sort of rugged sole) (optional - available in KTM)
[ ] Waterproof jacket (lightweight (but not too light weight) breathable preferred e.g. Gore-Tex Paclite, eVent or similar)
[ ] Lightweight waterproof trousers (must go over trekking boots / plastic boots)
[ ] Duvet jacket
[ ] Windproof top (optional)
[ ] Fleece (optional)
[ ] Lined windproof (highly recommended instead of the windproof top and fleece mentioned above - Marmot's Driclime, Mountain Hardwear Tempest, Berghaus Rage, Rab VapourRise etc)
[ ] Thermal / wicky tops x 4 or 5 (mix of short and long sleeve). Check out Icebreaker, Macpac and Smartwool
[ ] Thermal leggings. Again check out Icebreaker, Macpac and Smartwool
[ ] Trekking trousers x 2 prs
[ ] Underwear x 5 (minimum).
[ ] Good quality trekking socks x 3 or 4 prs. You can't beat Smartwool
[ ] Light gloves (depends on circulation as to how thick they should be)
[ ] Sunhat (baseball style hats not so good as they offer no ear protection from the sun)
[ ] 3 x 1L Water bottles (See Note 1)
[ ] Water bottle insulation covers (available in KTM)
[ ] 4 season sleeping bag. I recommend the Solar Flare Endurance by The North Face or The Wraith SL by Mountain Hardwear.
[ ] Sleeping bag compression sack
[ ] Sleeping bag liner - optional but stops your bag getting too soiled and adds extra warmth depending upon type (available in KTM)
[ ] Karrimat / Thermarest / Ridgerest (repair kit required if using Thermarest)
[ ] Beanie style hat or silk balaclava (must be comfortable to wear when sleeping i.e. no big seams and poppers to jab you in the head)
[ ] LED headtorch for knocking around Base Camp (Petzl Tikka, Petzl Zipka, Black Diamond Moonlight)
[ ] Sunglasses (See Note 2)
Go to Sunglasses gear review
[ ] Nose guard (optional)
[ ] Sunglasses hard case
[ ] Sun cream - Factor 45 or above. (Small tubes preferred for the mountain)
[ ] Lip salve with sun block
[ ] Toiletries
[ ] Sponge or flannel (makes washing your bits a lot easier)
[ ] Towel
[ ] Small personal 1st aid kit (See Note 3)
[ ] Personal medication (See Note 4)
[ ] Foot powder (optional)
[ ] Wet wipes
[ ] Antibacterial Hand gel (50ml tube should suffice)
[ ] Multi vitamins (optional)
[ ] Penknife / multitool
[ ] Watch with alarm
[ ] Trekking poles (optional / personal preference). It's got to be Leki
[ ] Personal stereo + batteries (optional)
[ ] Camera + Lots of Film + Spare camera batteries
[ ] Waterproof rucksack liner
[ ] Reading books
[ ] Diary
[ ] Pen
[ ] 2 / 3 Kitbags for portering gear and storing it in your tent (90L)
[ ] A few heavy duty plastic bags to pack items in to your kitbag
[ ] Small padlocks that fit kitbag zippers
[ ] Tips for the crew (about US$150 per person for group tips. Also US$150 for your Summit Sherpa)

Personal Mountain Equipment

(this is IN ADDITION to the above equipment already listed)

[ ] 60-75 Litre rucksack. This needs to be comfortable when loaded and should have side compression straps rather than side pockets.
[ ] Down suit. Check out the Absolute Zero Oversuit by Mountain Hardwear, the Himalayan Suit by The North Face and the Expedition Suit by Rab. If funds are a real problem then Down suits are available from 'Shonas' in Kathmandu. They are slightly heavier than the ones mentioned above but are of good quality and will set you back around £150. Please contact me in advance if this is your preferred option so that I can make sure that one is set aside for you as they are in high demand during the expedition season.
[ ] OR a High Altitude Down Jacket and a pair of Down Salopettes or trousers. I used the Absolute Zero parka and the Absolute Zero Pants by Mountain Hardwear on Everest and found them to be awesome. Whatever you get you must make sure that they are compatible with each other and that there is sufficient overlap - if the jacket rides up and the wind starts getting in then you are going to have real problems.
[ ] Windproof Oversuit (optional)
[ ] 5 season sleeping bag. Have a look at the Inferno Endurance by The North Face and the Ghost SL by Mountain Hardwear
[ ] Sleeping bag compression bag
[ ] Bivvy bag (optional but is a great way to protect your sleeping bag from getting damp when the frozen condensation melts in the morning as the sun comes up. Rab do the 'Survival zone' which is lighter than Gore-tex, packs down smaller and is a fraction of the price)
[ ] 5 season foam sleeping mat (don't bring 2 Thermarests as they will slip on each other)
[ ] One Sport Everest boots / Scarpa Phantom 8,000ers (See Note 5)
[ ] Foot warm up pads (air activated heat pads)
[ ] Overboots (must fit over plastics - optional. Depends on circulation)
[ ] Crampons - Heel clip and 'French' straps or thermoplastic 'Y' toe piece preferred. (See Note 6)
[ ] Crampon antiball plates
[ ] 4 x long heavy duty plastic cable ties (emergency crampon repair)
[ ] Headtorch (with spare bulbs and batteries. Note:- Halogen / LED combination with remote battery pack preferred due to excellent battery life when using LED e.g. Petzl Arctic, Petzl Myobelt 5, Petzl Duobelt LED 5, Black Diamond Spaceshot, Black Diamond Polar Star etc)
[ ] If using AA batteries then remember that whilst Lithium batteries come in at a whopping £6.99 a pair they are substantially lighter and last up to 5 times longer than Alkaline batteries, particularly in cold conditions. In the long run it means that for every 4 AA Lithiums (£13.98) you would need 20 Alkalines (£20) which would weigh in at half a kilo!! I can source AA Energizer lithium batteries for you at £9.50 for 4 - let me know if you are interested.
[ ] Fleecy salopettes or similar
[ ] Warm good quality mountaineering socks x 4 prs. Again it's got be Smartwool
[ ] Liner gloves
[ ] Mountain gloves
[ ] Down mitts (Have a look at Rab and The North Face). Again cheaper ones are available in Kathmandu at Shonas.
[ ] Mountain hat that covers the ears or a headband and beanie
[ ] Balaclava
[ ] Face mask (Thin neoprene skiers mask covering nose and face to protect from cold wind). The North Face do the 'Heat Exchange' balaclava which I used on Everest when going up and down the higher parts of the mountain without oxygen and it was brilliant. It doesn't appear on their web site though so you may need task specifically with your local retailer or buy online. Check out Needlesports
[ ] Light weight harness. I highly recommend the Troll Alpinist - unfortunately it has now been superceded by the Mountain Technology Alpine Harness which is shit. Also recommended are the DMM Super Alpine, Troll Quartz or Black Diamond 'new' Bod (it's got a belay loop). DMM have just brought out the Super Couloir which looks the biz. I haven't used one yet but have tried it on in the shop. It's very similar to the old Super Alpine and Troll Alpinist but with a few extra added features as well. It packs down small, is easy to put on and is very light. Please note - DO NOT bring a Black Diamond Alpine Bod (Why not? See Note 9 )
[ ] Belay plate / lightweight Figure of 8
[ ] Jumar (available for hire)
[ ] 5 x locking Karabiners. HMS / Pear Shaped Karabiners preferred due to ease of use with gloves on and wide gate opening (but NOT the DMM Boa - they don't fit through the holes in the jumar). 'Autolocking' style karabiners are NOT recommended.
[ ] 1 x 1m and 1 x 1.5m lengths of 5mm cord
[ ] 1 x 4m length of 9mm dynamic cord
[ ] 1 x 120cm sling
[ ] Helmet
[ ] 1 x ice axe with leash - this needs to be longer (65cm or longer) rather than shorter so that you can collapse over it at altitude.
[ ] or 1 x technical axe to be used in conjunction with a trekking pole
[ ] Plastic bowl or Tupperware box for meals above Base Camp (See Note 7)
[ ] Plastic insulated mug (See Note 8)
[ ] Plastic spoon
[ ] Pee bottle (wide mouth Nalgene 1 litre water bottle)
[ ] Zinc oxide sun block stick

Notes :

1. Nalgene Lexan wide neck preferred - won't burn your hands when it's hot, easy to fill with hot water and won't stick to your lips when cold. Platypusses (Platypae?) / Camelbacks are fine for trekking but are absolutely NO good for early starts on the mountain - the tubes freeze even with insulators. NOTE - Please DO NOT bring Sigg bottles. They are a nightmare to fill with hot water, they will invariably burn you if you use them as hotties in your sleeping bag, you'll spill water everywhere when you try and fill from a pan of water when cooking on the mountain, they are prone to leaking if dropped or damaged and will stick to your lips when they are cold. Don't say I didn't warn you!!
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2. Glasses MUST provide 100% UVA/UVB block. Category 4 are required on the mountain. If you are wanting to look chic then sunglasses are fine for knocking around Base Camp but must hug the cheeks reasonably well so that light doesn't bounce up from the rocks and ground around you. Alternatively glacier glasses with detachable side pieces may be the answer. For the mountain Category 4 glacier glasses are a must.
Go to Sunglasses gear review
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3. Plasters, blister kit, paracetamol, diamox, throat lozenges, re-hydration salts, immodium, dextrose tablets - all these items are available in Kathmandu. Please note that Diamox and antibiotics such as Amoxycillin and Ciprofloxacin are also readily available in KTM at a fraction of the cost of a prescription. There will also be a comprehensive expedition 1st aid kit but it is handy if you have a few bits and pieces to be able to deal with minor injuries and ailments yourself whilst on the mountain. For more information please read 'Health, Hygiene and Altitude issues' which will expand on this in more detail.
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4. I need to be notified of any personal medication that people may be bringing so that I can prepare the group 1st aid kit accordingly. I will also need to know of any allergies to food or drugs that members may have. This will all be in confidence unless it is deemed important enough for other members to know about - in which case this will only be done with your consent.
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5. Make sure that your boots are oversized for you so that you can comfortably wear 2 pairs of good quality mountaineering socks in them. To that end make sure that you buy a couple of pairs of socks that are plenty big enough to fit over your regular socks without constricting your circulation. It's also worth making your own insole from a section of sleeping mat if there is enough volume in the boot to allow for this. DO NOT even think of bringing Scarpa Alphas. You may be able to use Scarpa Vegas with the high altitude liners but this is only an option if you have very good circulation. If in doubt err on the side of caution as it would be a shame to have to turn back because you have cold feet.
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6. Your crampons must be totally compatible with your boots. This is not only in terms of the rigidity of the boot and the crampon but also you need to pay attention to the curvature of the boot and crampon. If the boot has an asymmetric shape from heel to toe then the crampon will need to have an asymmetric shape or you can often buy asymmetric bars to cater for this. Also the curve of the crampon should match the curve of the sole - don't try and force a boot with a turned up toe on to a crampon with a totally flat profile or vice versa. You will possibly need an extension bar if your boots are of a larger size. The best bet is to take your boots to a reputable outdoor shop with staff who are knowledgeable in these matters. Please DO NOT bring metal toe bail crampons unless they are a VERY good fit and there is a very deep recess for the bail at the front of your boots. Please bear in mind that if you buy metal toe bail crampons that you may be very limited to the next pair of boots that you buy as the fit has to be very precise. With crampons that have a heel clip and 'French' straps or thermoplastic 'Y' toe piece at the front you will have much more flexibility with the boot / crampon fit in the future.
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7. A 1 to 2 litre round (no corners for food to hide in) tupperware box works well for cooking and eating on the mountain. For instance, when we have couscous you can add the water, seal the lid and place it in your down sleeping bag. 7 minutes later 'Hey presto!' - you have a meal and you haven't spilt a drop.
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8. Again this is very much a personal preference. A mug works really well at Base Camp for keeping drinks warm - but on the mountain a 1/2 litre wide mouth Nalgene bottle will do a better job, there is less likelihood of spillage and it is very versatile.
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9. It's not often that I get really opinionated about kit because there is so much good stuff out there nowadays. But I am afraid that I find the Black Diamond Alpine Bod to be an unacceptable piece of gear. Yes it's light and packs down small and is easy to put on but it has some MAJOR drawbacks. It doesn't have a belay loop which means that you have that funny dangly bit at the front of the harness. 'So what?' I hear you say. Well there are 2 downsides to this. Firstly they recommend that for abseiling you clip a locking karabiner vertically in to the leg loop and waist belt, which means that it is captive, which means that you could quite easily get a 3 way load (BAD). There have been a number of instances in the past where Fig of 8s have broken locking karabiners open (VERY BAD) and people have become detached from their abseil rope (EXTREMELY BAD). I hasten to add that this has not happened with any of my clients. I would also add that I don't know what harnesses these people were wearing at the time - but it would appear that they did have their locking karabiner in the manner described rather than in their belay loop. The second drawback of this dangly bit is that it is quite possible for you to only connect yourself to the dangly bit and to 'miss' the waist belt by accident. Hard as it may seem to you in the comfort of your sitting room or office when you read this, but there have been occassions where people have inadvertently clipped in to their rucksack waist belt rather than their harness waist belt. You are tired, you have big gloves on, you have a big down jacket on that obscures your vision, you clip in to the leg loop dangly bit but not the waist belt of your harness, you have a big rucksack on and before you know it you are upside down. Why take the risk? Just DO NOT come along with an Alpine Bod.
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Discount

I have negotiated a group discount with Needlesports on clothing and equipment of 15% for orders over £1,000 and up to 20% if over £2,000 (depending upon what items are being ordered). Please contact Needlesports directly on info@needlesports.com and mention that you are on this expedition. If you are only needing a few items and won't qualify for extra discount then contact me and I can put you in touch with a fellow client and you can put in an order together.

Whilst this is a comprehensive list you will know what items of clothing and equipment you regularly use and what works well for you. If you have any questions about what is required, or what can be hired, then please do not hesitate to contact me.

Tim Mosedale