Thamserku and Lhotse Attempts and Imjatse. Our expedition consisted of Michel Fauquet, Nathalie LeCable, Marie-Odile Martine, Frédéric Potie and me. We climbed from the beginning of September to November. Our first objective was the north face of Thamserku. From September 29 to October 1, Martine, Potie, Fauquet and I attempted the north face from the east col but got only to 5500 meters. On October 3, Fauquet and I made a second attempt, the north face direct. We were stopped 60 meters from the summit by a sérac. We had climbed 1500 meters of ice not unlike the north face of the Droites with pitches up to 85°. We were 16 hours on the face. We then turned to the west face of Imjatse (Island Peak). On October 9, Potie and I got to 5900 meters. On the 14th, Fauquet and I reached the summit (6183 meters, 20,285 feet) by the west face direct in eight hours. The slope averaged 45° with three 70° pitches. Martine, Fauquet and I got to 6100 meters on the same slope on October 18. Fauquet and I then turned, alpine-style, to the direct south face of Lhotse from October 23 to 26. On the first day we climbed 800 meters of ice and snow, mostly 55° with 80° pitches. On the second day we did 1200 meters of similar slopes with some rockfall. On the third day we got to 7200 meters up 50° snow and a rock pitch. Fauquet decided to quit after seeing one of the Poles, who were climbing across the huge couloir to the right of us, fall to his death. We descended on the fourth day. From October 30 to November 2, I joined the Poles Kukuczka, Majer and Falco-Sasal. We climbed the Czech route on Lhotse Shar to Camp V and then traversed left towards Lhotse, establishing Camp VI. We stopped at 8000 meters because of health problems.

Vincent Fine, Club Alpin Français