Trip Report
Omi Tso Go
Thursday February 8, 2018 1:26am
Couldn’t quite make the summit. Bailed off 150 meters below the top in super strong winds. Ended up having to wait around six hours for the wind to let up. It was blowing so hard I was having difficulty standing up. Maybe I’ll try again sometime?

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Credit: johnkelley
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top left corner top right corner
Credit: johnkelley
bottom left corner bottom right corner

top left corner top right corner
Credit: johnkelley
bottom left corner bottom right corner

top left corner top right corner
Credit: johnkelley
bottom left corner bottom right corner

top left corner top right corner
Credit: johnkelley
bottom left corner bottom right corner

top left corner top right corner
Credit: johnkelley
bottom left corner bottom right corner


  Trip Report Views: 3,317
johnkelley
About the Author
johnkelley is a climber from Anchorage Alaska.

Comments
Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber
Out Of Bed
  Feb 8, 2018 - 04:35pm PT
With the utmost respect WOEwA!! Dang that is a serious trip.Thnx for sharing this.
Sir,I looked for it on Google, Are these pix of the peak?I know,your opinion of me. In a perfect world I'd have fallen off the planet, I'm glad to see you have not, also Come on gang show some respect what? No one but me can muster a "Well Done"

or how about you with legs left, Go -get on it- and go help get it done?
again, for my past infractions,

my apologies to you John.

if any one missed it 2 years ago I called out Jim Beyer, and John took me apart for it. Im still the same as#@&%e that it takes to climb and tell what i think, regardless of what anyone else has to say, I have the most respect for those who are getting after it, Mike M ? You seeing this?
johnkelley

climber
Anchorage Alaska
Author's Reply  Feb 8, 2018 - 04:18am PT
Yeah same peak but way less snow. That photo’s has to be from early post monsoon season. It’s the pointy summit to the right of Khang Nuchago (sp?) in the second photo.

Thanks for the apologies too. I’d pretty much forgotten about it

Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber
Out Of Bed
  Feb 8, 2018 - 04:37pm PT
I'm glad, to hear you dont hold the grudge. Your ferocious. Those mountains are too, thnxs again,

the link

http://expeditionwise.blogspot.com/2016/05/unclimbed-peak-expedition-nepal-2016.html
it is from some brits who went but did not attempt

of course, I will leave it if thats ok? but also, I will go get on some "Climbers" cases for not posting.
people are looking at this - not posting & thats weak sauce - svks
johnkelley

climber
Anchorage Alaska
Author's Reply  Feb 8, 2018 - 04:20am PT
I’ve seen it already but thanks anyway
Nick Danger

Ice climber
Arvada, CO
  Feb 8, 2018 - 05:38am PT
John, That is a remarkably burly effort. Winds that strong must be experienced to be truly appreciated; I'm glad you returned safely from that.

Best of luck on your future endeavors.
cheers
norm larson

climber
wilson, wyoming
  Feb 8, 2018 - 06:02am PT
More of your special kind of fun eh?
How about a picture of the route.
Thanks for the post.
johnkelley

climber
Anchorage Alaska
Author's Reply  Feb 8, 2018 - 06:21am PT
I followed the 2 km long ridge, around 5,500’ of vertical gain, that starts at the lower left hand side of the photo.

yanqui

climber
Balcarce, Argentina
  Feb 8, 2018 - 07:05am PT
Beautiful looking line!
David Knopp

Trad climber
CA
  Feb 8, 2018 - 08:02am PT
John way to keep at it! What was the overall rock quality on that ridge? the bigger scale photo makes it seem pretty choosy-or is it held together by the cold?
Happy Cowboy

Social climber
Boz MT
  Feb 8, 2018 - 08:58am PT
Nice looking line John, so direct. Thanks for adding the big pic.
did you descend the same?
kunlun_shan

Mountain climber
SF, CA
  Feb 8, 2018 - 09:10am PT
Very cool looking route! Am glad you did not blow off.

Thanks very much for posting your adventures!
lars johansen

Trad climber
West Marin, CA
  Feb 8, 2018 - 09:24am PT
Respect....tfpu-lars
norm larson

climber
wilson, wyoming
  Feb 8, 2018 - 09:57am PT
Nice safe looking line John. Thanks.
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
  Feb 8, 2018 - 10:17am PT
nice
BigB

Trad climber
Red Rock
  Feb 8, 2018 - 10:55am PT
Tfpu! cool line!
nah000

climber
now/here
  Feb 8, 2018 - 01:37pm PT
sweet. thanks!
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Feb 8, 2018 - 03:05pm PT
On a whole nother level, thanks for sharing!!
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
  Feb 8, 2018 - 03:16pm PT
Keep on pushing the envelope!
tradmanclimbs

Ice climber
Pomfert VT
  Feb 8, 2018 - 03:53pm PT
Good effort!
thebravecowboy

climber
The Good Places
  Feb 8, 2018 - 05:27pm PT
I like that pic from the base of the ascending little ridge, shooting curvilinear skyward. the dimensions are astounding. TFPU!
Jan

Mountain climber
Colorado & Nepal
  Feb 8, 2018 - 06:18pm PT
I love reading about anything Rolwaling - the most beautiful place in the world. I just had lunch in Boulder with one of the Sherpas in the 3 Sherpas, 3 oeaks, 3 days first ascents up there.
johnkelley

climber
Anchorage Alaska
Author's Reply  Feb 8, 2018 - 07:25pm PT
I sure could use a climbing partner... you can get here round trip for under $800. Anyone?

looks easy from here

climber
Santa Cruzish
  Feb 8, 2018 - 07:34pm PT
More like Omi Tso Doesn't Go, amirite?

Buh-dum-tsh.

Sorry, couldn't help my self. Hell of a rock. Thanks for the tr.
micronut

Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
  Feb 9, 2018 - 08:08am PT
Dude. Nice effort. What a wild line and a stellar location. Nice effort on getting up high and getting down safely. I dig your action selfies..........if you're soloing a lot you should consider a Go-Pro in "camera" mode for your selfies. The wide angle is way cool because it shows a lot more of the mountain around and below you when only an arms length away. Also, they are small and pretty indestructible.

Thanks for posting up. Love seeing your adventures!


Scott

brotherbbock

climber
So-Cal
  Feb 9, 2018 - 11:15am PT
Bad ass man!

Those winds must have been gnar!!!
NutAgain!

Trad climber
https://nutagain.org
  Feb 9, 2018 - 02:31pm PT
It gets funky when you are holding side clings to keep from getting blown away!

You need to make your outfit more aerodynamic, like those speed skaters. Except you would be stuffed with puffy insulation then shrink-wrapped in a slippery layer.

Getting back safely is more important than getting to the top.... I'd rather see pics from you after you get back, than read about a body blown off the face and recovered a decade later somewhere else.


jgfox

Trad climber
Long Beach, CA
  Feb 9, 2018 - 04:46pm PT
I sure could use a climbing partner... you can get here round trip for under $800. Anyone?

How much are your expedition costs with permit, porters, local "guide", etc?
johnkelley

climber
Anchorage Alaska
Author's Reply  Feb 9, 2018 - 05:09pm PT
-The permits cost were about $1,000 for all of the paperwork.
-Porters are about $15 a day but after I tip them it’s more like $25. I use the same one every time. He’s far better then most...he knows I pay a little better then most and the extra effort he puts in for it is obvious
 lodging (tea house) for a night are $15-$20 I also pay for the porters lodging/food which is usually not required
 food/fuel for after reaching basecamp
 hotel/food in Kathmandu $50(?) a day

If you stay under 6,500 meters it’s not terribly expensive. Above 6,500 meters the cost goes up pretty quickly because of the Liasion Officer requirement.
Jan

Mountain climber
Colorado & Nepal
  Feb 12, 2018 - 09:13am PT
In case you're interested, Omi Tso Go in Sherpa means Milk Lake Door.
The lake is milky because of the glacial sediment and the peak is considered a door to the lake as it shows where the pass from the Tibetan valley to the north is, for pilgrims visiting the lake. The lake itself is thought to contain the soul of the goddess Tseringma (long life mother) who resides on a mountain of the same name, known to the outside world as Gaurishankar (7,134 m). Tseringma is the elder sister of Miyolangsangma, the goddess who lives on Everest.

It is said that advanced meditators can see the future by looking into the lake.
johnkelley

climber
Anchorage Alaska
Author's Reply  Feb 11, 2018 - 11:05pm PT
It means milk, lake, head in Sherpa

Omi-milk
Tso-lake
Go-head

Jan

Mountain climber
Colorado & Nepal
  Feb 11, 2018 - 11:09pm PT
Go means either head or door. (Probably there is a slight tonal difference between the two that neither one of us can hear). I'll ask around again to see what is the preferred usage. Sometimes it changes over time too.
johnkelley

climber
Anchorage Alaska
Author's Reply  Feb 11, 2018 - 11:42pm PT
Also the spelling Tsho is usually used to signify a body of water. Same meaning though. For a summit, Omi Tso Go for example, Go would mean head. It’s used to describe the head, the high point.

Omi Tso Go is the milk, lake, head that watches over Omi Tsho.

Both my Nepalese and Sherpa are pretty good. I’m fluent on about a 3rd grade level...
johnkelley

climber
Anchorage Alaska
Author's Reply  Feb 12, 2018 - 12:09am PT
It also depends on who you ask. It’s common for people from the same village to disagree on the definition of the same word. I was told several different stories about what Omi Tso Go meant. The description above was the most common explanation but there were others as well
Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
  Feb 12, 2018 - 04:49am PT
You got the sickness!!!!
Jan

Mountain climber
Colorado & Nepal
  Feb 12, 2018 - 09:08am PT
Congratulations John on learning some Sherpa! It is the hardest language I've ever struggled with. So many homonyms with slightly different tones and a really different grammar. Many is the time I thought I said something correctly and suddenly the room burst out in laughter and that carried on until tears were rolling down their faces. Meanwhile I had no clue what I had said that was so entertaining.

Nepali is easier but not when they do the usual modern trick among the young, which is to mix the two languages in the same sentence. Talk about making your brain fry, at least mine.

I had to laugh at lunch the other day when a long story was being told and the listener was indicating that he was following by repeating over and over, the simple mixed phrase of "Ek dam lase la, ek dam lase la".
Jan

Mountain climber
Colorado & Nepal
  Feb 12, 2018 - 09:28am PT
One more thing. The February issue of The Alpinist will have an article by a Rolwaling friend of mine that I helped ghost write. It's titled, "From Rolwaling to Denali". It talks about the old time Rolwaling when there were still many people there, so you might find it interesting.
Go