The Wrath of the Turquoise Goddess: Battling blizzards on Cho Oyu, the world's sixth highest mountain

by Mark Horrell

In the Autumn of 2010, Mark Horrell set off to Tibet with a dozen other hopeful mountaineers, including an Olympic rowing champion and a former Welsh rugby international, to climb 8201m Cho Oyu, the sixth highest mountain in the world, whose name translates as the Turquoise Goddess in Tibetan.It was to be an extraordinary season on the mountain believed to be the simplest and safest 8000 metre peak in the world. Battered by blizzards for weeks, many climbers were caught in avalanches, and the mountain was abandoned by nearly all the teams at Base Camp before a single summit had been attained, but perhaps even more remarkably no one had died.The eventual tally for the season was just two successful summits and one death. This is Mark Horrell's diary from the expedition, and tells the story of how events unfolded on what was to prove one of the least successful climbing seasons Cho Oyu has seen. It includes many of the author's photographs.

Genres: Adventure, Travel

114 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 26, 2011

About the author

For many years Mark Horrell has been writing what has been described as one of the most credible Everest opinion blogs out there. He writes about trekking and mountaineering from the often silent perspective of the commercial client.

For nearly 20 years he has been exploring the world’s greater mountain ranges and keeping a diary of his travels. As a writer he strives to do for mountain history what Bill Bryson did for long-distance hiking.

Several of his expedition diaries are available from the major online bookstores. He has published two full-length books: Seven Steps from Snowdon to Everest (2015), about his ten-year journey from hill walker to Everest climber, and Feet and Wheels to Chimborazo (2019), about an expedition to cycle and climb from sea level to the furthest point from the centre of the earth.

His favourite mountaineering book is The Ascent of Rum Doodle by W.E. Bowman.

Reviews

[Peter McGinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read several of the journals in this climbing/trekking series by Mark Horrell. The last one I read wasn’t up to his usual standard as far as the humor and personal anecdotes were concerned, but he seemed to regain his touch with this book. He employs his usual candor about his abilities or lack thereof, and shares his appreciation of the beauty of the scenery that he earns the right to I view with his hard exercise, at times bordering on suffering for his love of exploration. It is refreshing in a way to hear from a climber who does not suffer from summit fever but for whom the journey is, in the end, enough. I have been happy to support his climbing habit in my small way by buying these journals. On to the next one!

[chucklesthescot · Rating 3 out of 5]

The aggressive beggars en route to Cho Oyo would really have tried my patience. I get annoyed at those World Vision guys on British streets trying to stop you walking away from them by blocking or grabbing you, so screamed demands for money would NOT have gone down well with me on this trek! I would have been yelling at them just like Mark!

This is such a beautiful looking mountain. I would happily join this trip just to get to photograph it. I love mountain scenery of any kind. There were dramas at Base Camp with severe altitude sickness, and the usual slow Japanese climbers who seem to lack ability but will not bloody move to let proper climbers get by them. The avalanche conditions are dangerous which makes this a frustrating trip for everyone.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another very enjoyable account of the author's mountaineering adventures, this time of his attempt to climb Cho Oyu, the world's sixth highest mountain. The story is easy to relate to as Mark avoids using overly technical climbing jargon. Having trekked and travelled in the region Mark is describing, I was transported by his account and felt as if i were right there with him!