Asia, Nepal, Lhotse Shar

Publication Year: 1989.

Lhotse Shar. Lhotse Shar, the east peak of Lhotse, is difficult. Out of 20 expeditions attempting it from 1970 to 1988, only five have succeeded and seven climbers have fallen to their deaths on its slopes. A 16-man Swiss expedition of the Zermatt Guides Association led by Bruno Jelk completed the fifth ascent. They placed five camps and fixed rope on the normal southeast-ridge route. An attempt by Jelk and Leo Brigger on October 20 was driven back from 7500 meters by wind. On October 28, Henry Willi and Viktor Imboden left Camp V at 7800 meters at four A.M. and got to the summit at 12:55 P.M. They used no bottled oxygen. They did not attempt to continue along unclimbed Lhotse Central to the main summit of Lhotse as had been planned.

Józef Nyka, Editor, Taternik, Poland