Czech Marek Holeček announced that only yesterday morning, a day later, he and Radek Groh managed to climb the difficult mixed start of rock and ice in their attempt to make the first ascent of a new route up the southeast face from the Nepalese side of Cho Oyu (8188 m). This took them vertically away from the glacier. They are two kilometers from the summit. Marek posted this information yesterday on Facebook.

See yesterday's Facebook post:

Clashing weapons.
Nothing goes smoothly on this expedition, nothing goes according to our expectations and it doesn't go easily at all. Everything is drowned in our own sweat. Even the announced start to the wall has been delayed by a day. We simply missed the ideal time, when the Goddess is still unscathed after the night. Then, with the increasing sun, she starts to get pretty nasty and throws everything down. From avalanches, rocks and ice seracs, right on our heads. Which we don't want. So today we managed to climb a difficult mixed start of rock and ice. This way we got vertically detached from the glacier. Hurray, after more than a month in Nepal. But there is no joy. The view from today's bivouac is magnificent, yes, but we are two kilometers away from the summit. Our rag house is stuck like a swallow's nest to the rock, less than two sleeping matswide, and right behind them the wall drops down to the glacier. Today we also had a lively exchange of views on whether it is worth continuing to move upwards under the current conditions. Especially when things are going so slowly. So far there is agreement….and we are moving forward.
Maara



The previous report from the expedition is here:

Mára Holeček and Radek Groh go to try a 1st ascent on Cho Oyu