Lhotse Ascent and Everest Ascent and Tragedy. A Macedonian expedition led by Jovan Poposki was joined by Slovene Viktor Grošelj and Croat Stipe Božic on April 15. The Macedonians were already at Camp III at 7400 meters. While the latter continued to work on the South Col route, Grošelj and Božic left Camp III on April 30 for Lhotse. At the Yellow Band, Božic turned back fearing frostbitten feet, but after warming his feet at Camp III set out again. Grošelj kept on and reached the summit at 2:30 P.M. in very bad weather. He met Božic at 8200 meters and together they descended to Camp III. On May 7, the same pair left Base Camp and reached the Macedonian summit party, Dimitar Ilijevski, Borce Jovcevski and Sherpas Sonam Tsering and Agiwa. On May 8 and 9 they climbed to Camps III and IV. On May 10 at four A.M., Ilijevski, Božic, Grošelj and the two Sherpas left the South Col in good weather. All but Grošelj reached the summit at 5:30 P.M. This was the second time that Božic, Sonam Tsering and Agiwa had stood on Everest’s summit; Božic had made the first ascent of the entire West Ridge 1979. On the way down, they met Grošelj on the Hillary Step. He reached the top at 7:30 P.M. in the dark; this was his ninth 8000er. On the way back to the South Col, they missed Ilijevski. Although Božic waited for him a full day, he did not appear and it is presumed that he is dead.

Franci Savenc, Planinska zveza Slovenije, Yugoslavia