Cho Oyu, New Route. It was reported that during an Out There Trekking Expedition in the pre-monsoon season, Russian guide George Kotov and American client Bill Pierson managed to find 1000 meters of new climbing on the north side of Cho Oyu. From the normal Advanced Base Camp, the two set up Camp I on the Palung La (6500m) below the north-northeast ridge climbed last year by Sebastian Rucksteiner and Oscar Cardiach. Camp II was established at 6600 meters on the prominent rib to the left of the ridge and forming the left edge of the triangular facet. After a rest at ABC, the two began climbing on May 18, reaching the 6600-meter camp the same day. On the 19th they climbed farther up the rib, camped, and continued on the next day to the top of the rib, reporting angles of up to 40° on new snow over blue ice, with the last day involving a section of waist-deep snow. From the top of the rib they traversed across to the top camp of the standard route (7600m) and made it to the summit on the 21st. (High Mountain Sports 181)