Mára Holeček and Radek Groh reached the 2nd bivouac on Cho Oyu
On Sunday, Czechs Mára Holeček and Radek Groh in the attempt of a first ascent via a new route on the southeast face of Cho Oyu (8,188 m) from the Nepalese side climbed another 300 meters to the second bivouac, fighting for every meter, and then a strong cold wind came up. See the information from yesterday evening on Mára's Facebook page:
"What next?
Ahead of us are only question marks. A crushing fact. After leaving the bivouac, we are fighting for everymeter. The changing strength and steepness of thesnow. The rock sills were covered with different qualitiesof ice. Just a fight. So our progress is rather pitiful. In 6 hours we climbed only 300 vertical meters. At thisspeed, we will be on the top in seven days, it flashesthrough my mind. Of course, some passages will befaster, but which ones with increasing height?Regardless, the end of today's ascent almost froze us. I don't know if it was just a random natural phenomenon, or if it will be the rule in the higher sections of the wall. The thing is that a killer wind is blowing from thenorthwest over the top for 130 km. However, thegoddess has a southeast face, so apart from the tip, itshould be in the lee. And indeed, down on the glacier, not a single “leaf” was moving. So far, climbing had alsobeen a breeze. And suddenly, out of nowhere, a south-eastern cold rushed in. And by the time I reached thestand, my teeth were chattering and I was completelyshivering. Ráďa, who came up behind me, had the sameblissful feelings. All that was left was to quickly set up a bivouac and hide from the bad weather, which with a snap of the fingers changed everything to minus 20 degrees. Whether this is a turbulent effect or just ananomaly, when the wind from Tibet was up and the windfrom Bangladesh was down, we will see in the morning. As always, the morning dawn will show the way.
Maara"