Cho Oyu Solo Winter Ascent, 1988. Until early this year, only six men had climbed an 8000er alone, none in wintertime. Spaniard Fernando Garrido took five days for his lonely ascent, beginning on February 2, 1988 from a camp at 5850 meters near the foot of Cho Oyu’s western slopes. On February 6 at six P.M., in cold and windy weather, when daylight was fading fast, he stood on the summit. He describes the top of Cho Oyu as looking like the rim of a volcanic crater and to make sure he had reached the highest point, he says he went all around the rim before descending that night to 7600 meters, where he had left his sleeping bag. Two days later, Garrido was safely back in his glacier camp. (The route was said to be the west ridge-west face route.—Editor.)

Elizabeth Hawley