Lhotse Shar Tragedy. On September 27, four of the Spanish Catalan expedition that was trying to repeat the Austrian route on Lhotse Shar left Camp IV at 7350 meters on the southeast ridge, intending to set up Camp V at 7850 meters. At noon they failed to establish radio contact with their four companions at Base Camp. The following day, the latter went to search for the missing climbers and eventually saw the bodies on the glacier at 6000 meters. A collective fall of some 1500 meters is suggested. The unfortunate victims are leader Toni Sors, Sergio Escalera, Francesc Porras and Antonio Quiñones. The highest point by any of the expedition was 7800 meters, reached by three other members of the expedition searching for their companions on September 29. One of the searchers was María Mercedes María, who thus set an altitude record for Spanish women.

Xavier Eguskitza, Pyrenaica, Bilboa, Spain