원정 개요

Did not go to N Ridge because of time lost through illness and ridge very rocky and icy. So with priority to reach 2 summits, went to normal route to do climb. Left low BC 7 May.


Yves Detry - 29 Oct 1996

Yves Detry confirmed that none of summit party on 30 April actually reached highest point - reached 8000-8100m and turned back.


Liz Hawley - 12 Nov 1996

After having heard that none of this team actually reached the summit, I checked two weeks ago with one of them, Yves Detry, when he was here on another climb, and he confirmed that all of seven (Chamoux, Detry, Hinkes, Rakoncaj, Rossi, Royer and Valet) turned back on 30 April 1990 after having reached 8000-8100m but without having gained the true summit. I am deleting them from my list of summiters.


30 Aug 1997 - Inaki Ochoa (Spanish Lhotse leader)

Chamoux told Ochoa that his party did not reach Cho Oyu's highest point on 30 April 1990 - said they got to plateau it was very misty. They moved around a bit, could see little. (Juanito Oyarzabal says Chamoux's footprints on Makalu in 1995 stopped at pyramid, did not continue to summit; there are doubts about Chamoux's Broad Peak summit claim and others).


Hinkes - 3 June 1999

Hinkes is confident that he reached summit, but saw nothing on top and could see only few yards ahead in mist so saw nothing from top. In summit area he continued alone for one hour after reaching summit plateau; he wandered around for a while, then went down and eventually bumped into the others. He can make money guiding Cho Oyu, so will do so and be sure to get to highest point.


John Cleare - 16 Feb 2000

We note that you have Alan Hinkes marked down as a disputed on Cho Oyu. As you're probably aware its common knowledge that he only reached the edge of the plateau, but there seems to be a conspiracy of silence because of his "race" to complete the 14. We tend to feel that we should just leave him off the list.


Inaki Ochoa - 24 March 2005

Chamoux told Ochoa that Hinkes did not reach the summit (reaffirmation of 1997 statement).


Yves Detry - 26 Jan 2006 (email to Richard Salisbury)

CHO OYU - 30th April 1990

When the 7 climbers have finished to climb the NNW Face, we were in the clouds. We have walked a long moment until arriving at the summit flat area and we have walked again. Everybody was at sight of the other. We, all the ESPRIT D'EQUIPE, decided to stop, estimating we were on top. It was difficult to know exactly where we were because of the fog on this big and flat area. At this time, I did the picture of the seven climbers, fixing my camera on the top of my ice axe, which is a "Team's exploit". I remember, when I came back to KTM and talked to Miss Hawley, telling her the last part of the climb as I write just before. Miss Hawley has decided we were not on top, maybe we were on top, maybe not exactly, have we walked enough? I am a climber and a guide with my clear conscience, I just want to explain and transmit my experience. I can talk about this ascent until the summit. Nevertheless if you can describe the last part of the CHO OYU's ascent, I will read that with serenity. Twelve days after, on the 12th of May, the same team was on top of XIXAPANGMA West Summit and I did the picture of the six other climbers because the summit was to sharp and I said "L'ESPRIT D'EQUIPE is to take the picture without to be on !!!".

I hope my text will help you. Is it a problem to be on the summiters's list or not?

All my best regards.

Yves DETRY