원정 개요

Dimitrov was faster than Shinkarenko, whom Dimitrov met in Dimitrov's descent and Shinkarenko's ascent, they climbed from C3 together for 3 hours (they left 6:30 am) and Shinkarenko on 20m below summit 1 hour after Dimitrov and Dimitrov met him there and from there they descended together; to C3, Dimitrov at 6 pm, 1 hour before Shinkarenko. In descent at 3:30 pm Dimitrov met Vialenkova and Bart Vos at 7900-7950m, told them they needed 3 more hours for top; Vos turned back here while Vialenkova said she reached top at 5:30 pm, bived under rocks at c7700m and reached C3 at 9 am of 13th (Dimitrov went to BC on 13th), C2 that afternoon (no one in C1) and C1 in evening at 11 pm crawling; doctor was in C1. 14th Oct Lipen with serious lung problem crawled from C2 to C1. Dimitrov sent Japanese Sherpa (Dawa) to C1 with oxygen for Lipen and to carry down on his back Vialenkova with help Ivanov and Petkov. Dr Ivanova had to operate on Lipen in C1 to open his nearly closed throat. 14th 2 members to top; Horozov so late he also bivouacked at 7700m with only frostnip as result; both so exhausted they reached BC in evening 18th Oct. All now in BC and Dimitrov left BC 19th with Ivanov and Dimitrov's wife because wanted to get back to Kathmandu.

Bart Vos doubted that Vialenkova reached the top (see notes from his expedition DHA1-953-08).


Kalina Kovacheva - May 2005

Kovacheva sent email message to Liz Hawley stating that a recent press release by Boris Dimitrov said that Horozov and Vasilev stopped 100m short of the summit, but claimed success in order to promote sponsorship of the next expedition. At a press-conference after the climb of Shisha Pangma in 1999, Doychin Vassilev confessed that he and Karina Salova spent the night at 7995m and headed back the next day without reaching the peak.


Boris Dimitrov - 1 June 2005

I am writing to you on your request and demand of Kalina Kovacheva (Bulgarian publicist and writer), who is my friend. The real thing, who climbed and not Dhaulagiri in my expedition, Oct 1995, is: I myself climbed to the very top. The final ridge (100m) was comparatively difficult. And my two partners this day, Belarussian climber from another expedition [Alexander Shinkarenko] and two hours later Irina Vialenkova (also from Belarussia), they just reached and stopped at the end of the traverse, 100m (1 hour) before the top. Two days later Doychin Vassilev and Zaprian Horozov as partners reached the same place, 100m before the top (the same place as Irina). They stopped and returned back. Zaprian, very slow, spent the night outside and had mild frostbite. The two of them came down four days later, because of bad weather in camp 1 and we worried that they will not survive.

This expedition was my first, personally organized. I decided to change then the reality 5%, because of their wishes to lie in Bulgaria (I think, reason not for sponsorship but just for fame). I personally was satisfied with my ascent and didn't want to push them down, it could show a primitive look in our climbing society. Let them be happy, if they want to do it this way. Finally in his video, we put my static slides for the TV. I said the truth four years later, in 1999 here in the press, when Doychin started to lie about another two ascents, Cho Oyu, where he stopped one hour before the top and Shisha (Xixabangma), where they climbed to the north peak (fore-summit) with Kalina, but shouting to the press that it's the main summit. It's too much to disinform climbers and then I started to be angry with myself that on the first expedition I helped him to start changing the truth so easy.

If you have some more questions I'll always be happy to help and inform. Please don't be angry with my former position.