Mt. Qowowuyag (Cho Oyu) rising 8,201 m above sea level at 86.9* E and 28* N, is situated in the middle section of the Himalayas. It is the sixth highest peak in the world, located a short distance to the west from Everest (the highest) and Lhotse (the fourth highest) in the Khumbu region of Eastern Nepal along the Tibetan border. Its towering peak stands with Everest well above the surrounding mountains. It became a familiar landmark to climbers ascending Everest's north face. Just west of Cho Oyu is the Nangpa La, a 19,000-foot glacier pass, the main trade route between the Khumbu Sherpas and Tibet. Cho Oyu's proximity to the Nangpa La has earned it the distinction among some climbers as being the easiest 8,000-meter peak. It was the third such peak climbed, and the first climbed in autumn.