Use of Fixed Rope
Fixed rope was put in over most of the route between Camps I and II and
through the yellow band above Camp III. Our original plan was to pull
as much of our rope off the mountain as we could after our summit
attempts were over. As our expedition neared its end, a British group
showed up at ABC. They had planned to install fixed rope in pretty
much the same places we had used it. We cut a deal with them to trade
them even for our rope (used but in place) for their rope (new, but not
exactly where they needed it to be). The British group promised to
clean the rope off the mountain when they were done, but I do not know
if this actually happened. It is certainly the case that many ropes
have been left on the ice cliff over the years. Sections of these
ropes appear out of the ice all along the cliff.
Like the use of oxygen, fixed ropes are controversial. Many large
mountains are climbed alpine style, with little or no use of fixed
rope. This was the case for the first ascent of Cho Oyo, except for a
single rope left at the ice cliff. In our case, fixed ropes made the
climb safer and allowed climbers to move up and down the moutain alone,
rather than in rope teams as would otherwise be required.