원정 개요

High point on 14 May at 8250m at rock atop on face by Pavel Podgornik, Andrej Stremfelj and Nejc Zaplotnik.

Kunaver & M. Stremfelj - 23 May 81

Camps were both tents and snowholes
C1 - 5800-5900m - 3 tents destroyed by avalanches so 1 tent in a big snowhole
C2 - 6400-6500m - 3 tents always getting covered by powder avalanche
C3 - 6800m - 1 tent and 1 snowhole under huge overhang - one piece of rock
overhang came away on 24 April but not hit, no one noticed it on such
huge face
C4 - 7300-7400m - 1 tent and 1 hole
C5 - 7800m - avalanches after completely covered it and couldn't be
found - 1 tent and 1 hole
C6 - 8050m - 1 tent made on a cornice

From C6 very bad snow, very unstable. Several parties went to 8150m above C6; last time on 14 May by Stremfelj, Podgornik and Zaplotnik who fixed 200m rope and looked like 50m more needed to be done in difficult climb.

On 14 May determined fixed dates for climbing because many exhausted and time to finish.

On 17 May next high party said better to go left because of very strong wind.

On 18 May Matijevec and Knez traversed icefield; then very deep, soft unstable snow which took lot of time. After 12 hours were at about 8000-8050m on ridge on left with idea of going to West Cwm then turned down Lhotse South Face and reached C4 4:30 am.

19 May they had finished face and did not plan to go to summit. Idea was to rope down West Face to Cwm, but far from expedition supplies and Bulgarians then down. If could have sent Pilatus to oversee their movements and/or helicopter to top of Khumbu Icefall, would have worked, but no radio contact with RNAC, so retraced their steps in heavy snowfall directly to C5 and down to C4.

19 May they slept little while in C4 and then again down and all others came off mountain also so all in BC that night.

20 May BC evacuated.

16 members had left BC on 17 May and 13 including radio operator left on 20 May.

Oxygen used by all above C6 except 1st party fixing rope 60m above camp because took so very long to move in snow.

4 Sherpas went to C6 (at previous of Rs 4000/load).

Face is certainly climbable. Problem was weather which threw people back and was soul destroying. All time through powder avalanches which flowing down all the time; some young members couldn't take it, gave up.

1975 Italian expedition unable to tackle face because were collection of stars from Dolomites, not teammates working together.


Kunaver - 12 March 81

BC on Lhotse Glacier at 5200m east of point 5775.
First group leave KTM tomorrow; last with Kunaver after about 4 days.
Approach via Lukla and Dingboche and Chhukung.

BC reached after 2-3 days by Stremfelj; all in BC about 25 March
Start looking on route immediately
6 weeks to summit
6 camps above BC with C6, a bivouac probably at 8200-8300m
12 Sherpas above BC
Oxygen: 30 bottles for climbing

Ascent route S Face; Highest point at Rock Step on Face; Descent route S Face