원정 개요

Schmatz - 23 May 77

Schmatz twice in C5 and mild frostbitten fingers and toes; on 11 May oxygen packed up at 8000m while going up with 3rd summit team. Dacher never used oxygen. All others from C5 up only.

We don't know exactly what happened to Lutz. We have photos from him. Wastl Woergoetter (WW) waited for him on summit took pictures of him and went down together to rock island in ice couloir (which is last 500m to summit). WW came down late afternoon through island said to Lutz "to go on, I come." WW went on down and Max didn't come. WW waited at end of ice couloir at end of ice couloir from 5:30-6:30. WW returned to C5 and spoke on radio to Schmatz who had reached C2 from C5 200m below ice couloir: look for Max. Urkien at C2 thought he saw something but not right. Schmatz told Urkien to get Sherpas to go from C3 at 4:00 am and and left at 4:30 am.

Sherpas said on radio saw blood on fixed ropes and C3 found body at bottom of face on 12th May at about 6600m so must have fallen 1500-1700m. Guess he was sitting on rock island and fell asleep and heavy rucksack pitched him over. His top of head smashed, but arms and legs appeared unbroken; put him in special bed and buried him at Gorak Shep 14 May.

Did not follow Swiss route and did not go to Col; went very direct.

Luck made success possible and excellent relations with New Zealanders.


Jha, MFA - 13 May 77

Death: Max Lutz did not return to camp; early in next morning 12th his body found near C3. Presumed he fell to death having slipped on his very back. Buried at Kalapattar near BC.


Jha, MFA - 13 May 77

9 May 3 members left for final assault on summit 7 am. On summit 10:30 am, spent 55 minutes on summit. 1 member Fritz Zintl, reached summit without oxygen for last 200m; while descending Guenter Sturm did not use oxygen and Peter Woergoetter returned to C5 in 45 minutes and this team thus established new record ascending within 3-1/2 hours and descending in 3/4 hour.

All members in good health. 4 other members expected to reach summit.
11 May and to return to KTM within 1 week.


Jha, MFA - 10 May 77

2 members reached summit 8 May at 12 noon; Sirdar Urkien Tshering reached top first followed by Warth and Johann Von Kaenel.

2nd joint assault on Lhotse by Nepal-German team.
Weather was fine; other members of expedition wish to climb; all in good health.


R. Messner - 8 May 77

Messner from Pilatus this morning saw 2 figures moving upwards from Lhotse's highest camp this morning.


Pandey - 18 April 77

16 April C4 7200m by Sturm, Zintl, Vogler


14 May 73

Gerhard Schmatz asks me to remind Narayan Das Shrestha or his successor regarding his Swabian Himalayan Expedition to Lhotse in spring 1977.

Application given in MFA in May 1973; route perhaps via Western Cwm
(Schmatz leader of 1973 spring Manaslu expedition)


Letter from Gerhard Schmatz - 7 May 1977

At 28 April we erected C5 in about 7800m. We think it should be our last camp. Nevertheless we couldn't climb the summit at 29 April because of a heavy storm and snowfall. We had to descend. Today is the weather better. One group of us will ascend again today, the other tomorrow.


Letter from Gerhard - 25 April 1977

Some information about our Lhotse Expedition at 16th of April we reached the place for C4 in the Lhotse face. We erected a tent in about 7200m. The day before yesterday a team of us slept in the camp and stayed there till today. Now we shall try to find a good way to C5 at the beginning of the ice-couloir. After erecting C5 I shall inform you again.


Letter from Gerhard - 7 April 1977

All is going well and the relations between us and the New Zealanders are very good. Yesterday we have erected Camp 2 in about 6200m near the bottom of Everest Southwest Face. We found already a good place for C3 in about 6800m.


Letter from Gerhard - 4 April 77

Our first camp is erected. Last night three members slept in this camp (height about 6000-6100m). Our second camp will be nearly Southwest Face. We hope to reach the place tomorrow. The day after tomorrow we wish to erect our camp 2 (height about 6300m).


Reuters

German mountaineer Max Lutz, 25, bachelor medical student from Munich, died on Mt Lhotse 11th or 12th May while descending from 8501m summit, foreign Ministry announced today.

Lutz was member of 4-man team who reached top on 11th May, following expedition's earlier successes on 9th and 8th May. Other 11th May summiters were Michel Dacher, Peter Vogler [Woergoetter] and 4th man [Sebastian Woergoetter] whose name was not given in liaison officer's report to ministry.

Dacher, Vogler [Woergoetter] and 4th person reached safety of expedition's camps that night, but Lutz did not return and next morning 12th May his body found near Camp 3 at bottom of Lhotse's West Face, which expedition climbed. He fell to his death having slipped while descending. Lhotse face had been reported by Everest climbers as being very icy.