Lhotse, Second Ascent. The Swabian Himalayan Expedition was composed of Joachim Baumüller, Michel Dacher, Hans von Känel, our only Swiss, Max Lutz, Dr. Wolfgang Schaffert, Hannelore Schmatz, Günter Sturm, Peter Vogler, Dr. Hermann Warth, Peter and Wastl Wörgötter, both Austrians, Fritz Zintl and me as leader. Aside from Base Camp at 17,400 feet, we had five high camps: I at the top of the Khumbu Icefall at 19,700 feet; II in the western Cwm at 21,000 feet; III at the foot of the Lhotse Face at 22,000 feet (used as a depot only; no one slept there); IV at 23,625 feet and V at 25,600 feet, both on the Lhotse Face. On April 28 our first summit attack failed and we returned to Base Camp. Frightful weather set in. Finally on May 6 Hans von Känel, Dr. Hermann Warth and Sirdar Urkien headed back up to Camp IV. On the 7th, while they moved to Camp V, Günter Sturm, Peter Vogler and Fritz Zintl occupied Camp IV and a third team, Michel Dacher, Max Lutz, and Peter and Wastl Wörgötter, ascended to Camp II. The first team climbed the steep couloir to the summit (27,923 feet) on May 8. Team 2 made the climb on the 9th in an amazing 3½ hours and Team 3 reached the top on May 11. Dacher climbed without oxygen! The summit climbs were made unroped since belaying would have taken more time than they had and moving simultaneously offered no security. On the descent Max Lutz fell behind. Wastl Wörgötter had waited for him nearly till dark at the base of the Lhotse couloir but finally had to descend. A rescue party the next day found Lutz’ body at the foot of the Lhotse Face.

Gerhard Schmatz, Deutsche Himalaja-Stiftung