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==Notable features==
==Notable features==
Lhotse is known for its proximity to Mount Everest and the fact that climbers ascending the standard route on that peak spend some time on its northwest face; see below. In fact Lhotse has the small [[topographic prominence]] value of any official [[eight-thousander]], as it rises only 1000 m (2,000 ft) above the South Col. Hence it is often seen as a minor eight-thousander.{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}}{{By whom|date=October 2011}}
Lhotse is best known for its proximity to Mount Everest and the fact that climbers ascending the standard route on that peak spend some time on its northwest face; see below. In fact Lhotse has the smallest [[topographic prominence]] value of any official [[eight-thousander]], as it rises only 610 m (2,000 ft) above the South Col. Hence it is often seen as a minor eight-thousander.{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}}{{By whom|date=October 2011}}


However, Lhotse is a dramatic peak in its own right, due to its tremendous south face. This rises {{convert|4.2|km|mi|2|abbr=on}} in only 2.25 km (1.4 mi) of horizontal distance, making it the steepest face of this size in the world. The south face has been the scene of many failed attempts, some notable fatalities, and very few ascents (one of them, by [[Tomo Česen]], unverified).
However, Lhotse is a dramatic peak in its own right, due to its tremendous south face. This rises {{convert|3.2|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} in only 2.25 km (1.4 mi) of horizontal distance, making it the steepest face of this size in the world. The south face has been the scene of many failed attempts, some notable fatalities, and very few ascents (one of them, by [[Tomo Česen]], unverified).


==Climbing==
==Climbing==
Line 70: Line 70:
==Lhotse Middle==
==Lhotse Middle==


Lhotse Middle was first climbed in 2001 by three groups of [[Indian]]n climbers. At the time it was the last unclimbed named eight thousand metre summit.<ref name=k2news>{{cite web|url=http://www.k2news.com/lhmid01.htm|title=First ascent on Lhotse Middle|publisher=K2 News|accessdate=2009-12-20}}</ref>
Lhotse Middle was first climbed in 2001 by three groups of [[Russia]]n climbers. At the time it was the last unclimbed named eight thousand metre summit.<ref name=k2news>{{cite web|url=http://www.k2news.com/lhmid01.htm|title=First ascent on Lhotse Middle|publisher=K2 News|accessdate=2009-12-20}}</ref>


The 2001 climb was not the first expedition to the peak; the idea of its ascent was originated by Vladimir Bashkirov (who died in a 1997 expedition).<ref name=russianclimb>{{cite web|url=http://www.russianclimb.com/middle_lhotse.html|title=First ascent of Lhotse Middle (with route map)|publisher=russianclimb.com|accessdate=2009-12-20}}</ref>
The 2001 climb was not the first expedition to the peak; the idea of its ascent was originated by Vladimir Bashkirov (who died in a 1997 expedition).<ref name=russianclimb>{{cite web|url=http://www.russianclimb.com/middle_lhotse.html|title=First ascent of Lhotse Middle (with route map)|publisher=russianclimb.com|accessdate=2009-12-20}}</ref>

Revision as of 18:19, 31 January 2012

Lhotse
The South Face of Lhotse as seen from the climb up to Chukhung Ri.
Highest point
Elevation8,516 m (27,940 ft)[1]
Ranked 4th
Prominence610 m (2,000 ft)[2]
ListingEight-thousander
Geography
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Parent rangeMahalangur Himal
Climbing
First ascentMay 18, 1956
Switzerland Fritz Luchsinger
Switzerland Ernst Reiss
Easiest routeglacier/snow/ice climb

Lhotse (Nepali: ल्होत्से; Chinese: 洛子峰; pinyin: Luòzǐ Fēng; Tibetan: ལྷོ་རྩེ, Wylie: lho rtse, ZYPY: Lhozê) is the fourth highest mountain on Earth (after Mount Everest, K2 and Kangchenjunga) and is connected to Everest via the South Col. In addition to the main summit at 8,516 metres (27,940 ft) above sea level, Lhotse Middle (East) is 8,414 metres (27,605 ft) and Lhotse Shar is 8,383 metres (27,503 ft). It is located at the border between Tibet (China) and the Khumbu region of Nepal.

Notable features

Lhotse is best known for its proximity to Mount Everest and the fact that climbers ascending the standard route on that peak spend some time on its northwest face; see below. In fact Lhotse has the smallest topographic prominence value of any official eight-thousander, as it rises only 610 m (2,000 ft) above the South Col. Hence it is often seen as a minor eight-thousander.[citation needed][by whom?]

However, Lhotse is a dramatic peak in its own right, due to its tremendous south face. This rises 3.2 km (2.0 mi) in only 2.25 km (1.4 mi) of horizontal distance, making it the steepest face of this size in the world. The south face has been the scene of many failed attempts, some notable fatalities, and very few ascents (one of them, by Tomo Česen, unverified).

Climbing

An early attempt on Lhotse was by the 1955 International Himalayan Expedition, headed by Norman Dyhrenfurth. It also included two Austrians (cartographer Erwin Schneider and Ernst Senn) and two Swiss (Bruno Spirig and Arthur Spöhel), and was the first expedition in the Everest area to include Americans (Fred Beckey, George Bell, and Richard McGowan). The Nepalese liaison officer was Gaya Nanda Vaidya. They were accompanied by 200 local porters and several climbing Sherpas. After a brief look at the dangerous southern approaches of Lhotse Shar, they turned their attention, during September and October, to the West Cwm and the northwest face of Lhotse, on which they achieved an altitude of about 8,100 metres (26,600 ft). They were beaten back by unexpectedly strong wind and cold temperatures. Under Schneider's direction they completed the first map of the Everest area (1:50,000 photogrammetric). The expedition also made several short films covering local cultural topics, and made a number of first ascents of smaller peaks in the Khumbu region. [3]

The main summit of Lhotse was first climbed on May 18, 1956 by the Swiss team of Ernst Reiss and Fritz Luchsinger from the Swiss Mount Everest/Lhotse Expedition.[4] On May 12, 1979, Sepp Mayerl and Rolf Walter of Austria made the first ascent of Lhotse Shar.[5] Lhotse Middle remained, for a long time, the highest unclimbed named point on Earth; on May 23, 2001, its first ascent was made by Eugeny Vinogradsky, Sergei Timofeev, Alexei Bolotov and Petr Kuznetsov of a Russian expedition.

On May 23, 2010 Tamara Lunger becomes the youngest female climber (aged 23 years, 11 months, and 17 days), to have reached the main summit.[6] On May 20, 2011 at age 17 years, 11 months and 16 days, Arjun Vajpai becomes the youngest climber ever to summit the main peak.[7] On May 2011 the Spanish climber Carlos Soria Fontán became the oldest person ever to summit Lhotse, at the age of 72 years and 105 days.[8]

As of December 2008, 371 climbers have summitted Lhotse and 20 have died.[9]

Timeline

File:Alessandro Gogna Lhotse.jpg
Alessandro Gogna climbing Lhotse (1975).
  • 1955 Attempt by the International Himalayan Expedition.
  • 1956 First ascent of the main summit: Fritz Luchsinger and Ernst Reiss.[10]
  • 1965 First attempt on Lhotse Shar by a Japanese expedition - reached 8,100m.
  • 1979 First ascent of Lhotse Shar by Austrian expedition.
  • 1979 Second ascent of the main summit by Jerzy Kukuczka.
  • 1981 April 30 Third ascent of the main summit by Hristo Prodanov, Bulgaria.
  • 1981 October 16 Second ascent of Lhotse Shar Switzerland, Colin Molines
  • 1984 May 20 The first ascent of the south face of the mountain finished on Lhotse Shar Czechoslovakia
  • 1986 Ascent by Reinhold Messner, thus becoming the first man to climb all of the Fourteen Eight-Thousanders.
  • 1988 December 31 Krzysztof Wielicki, a Polish climber, completed the first winter ascent of Lhotse.
  • 1989 October 24 Jerzy Kukuczka perishes while climbing the South Face of Lhotse, when his secondhand rope breaks.
  • 1990 October 16 First ascent of South Face of Lhotse, USSR Himalayan expedition Sergey Bershov and Gennadiy Karataev.
  • 1994 May 13 Carlos Carsolio got mountaintop solo, introducing a world speed record at 23 h 50 min rise from basecamp to the summit.
  • 1996 Chantal Mauduit becomes the first woman to reach the summit of Lhotse.
  • 2001 First ascent of Lhotse Middle.
  • 2007 Pemba Doma Sherpa, Nepali mountaineer and two-time summiter of Mt. Everest, falls to her death from Lhotse at 8000 m[11]
  • 2011 May 14 - 15, Michael Horst, American guide, summits Mount Everest and Lhotse without descending below Camp IV (South Col) with less than 21 hours elapsing between the two summits.[12]
  • 2011 On 20 May 2011, Indian Mountaineer Arjun Vajpai became the youngest climber ever to summit Lhotse, aged 17 years, 11 months and 16 days.

Lhotse Middle

Lhotse Middle was first climbed in 2001 by three groups of Russian climbers. At the time it was the last unclimbed named eight thousand metre summit.[13]

The 2001 climb was not the first expedition to the peak; the idea of its ascent was originated by Vladimir Bashkirov (who died in a 1997 expedition).[14]

Summit party details:[14]

  • May 23 - first group: Alexey Bolotov, Sergey Timofeev, Evgeny Vinogradsky, Petr Kuznetsov
  • May 24 - second group: Nikolay Zilin, Gleb Sokolov (the first person to have climbed all the Lhotse peaks), Yuri Koshelenko
  • May 27 - third group: Vladimir Yanochkin, Viktor Volodin

Lhotse Face

Lhotse is connected to Mount Everest via the South Col.

The western flank of Lhotse is known as the Lhotse Face. Any climber bound for the South Col on Everest must climb this 1,125m (3,700 ft) wall of glacial blue ice. This face rises at 40 and 50 degree pitches with the occasional 80 degree bulges. High altitude climbing Sherpas and the lead climbers will set fixed ropes up this big wall of ice. Climbers and porters need to establish a good rhythm of foot placement and pulling themselves up the ropes using their Jumar. Two rocky sections called the Yellow Band and the Geneva Spur interrupt the icy ascent on the upper part of the face.


Gallery

View of Mount Everest (leftmost peak illuminated by the sun) and Lhotse (rightmost peak illuminated by the sun) from Gorakshep


Notes

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lhotse.
  1. ^ A height of 8,501 m is sometimes given but official Nepalese and Chinese mapping agree on 8,516 m.
  2. ^ a b "General Info". 8000ers.com. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  3. ^ "Lhotse 1955". American Alpine Journal, 1956. 10 (2): 7.
  4. ^ "The Swiss Mount Everest/Lhotse Expedition 1956". Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  5. ^ "Lhotse Shar". old.risk.ru. Retrieved 2011-01-17.
  6. ^ Tamara Lunger - die jüngste Frau auf dem Lhotse, bergsteigenat, May 27th, 2010.
  7. ^ "Young Indian mountaineer scales Mt Lhotse". The Times Of India.
  8. ^ 8000ers.com, Lhotse Summits!
  9. ^ "Lhotse statistics". 8000ers.com. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  10. ^ Aargauer Zeitung, 25 April 2006
  11. ^ "Famous female Nepal climber dead". BBC News. May 23, 2007. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  12. ^ "Everest and Lhotse in Less Than 21 Hours" Climbing.com. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  13. ^ "First ascent on Lhotse Middle". K2 News. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  14. ^ a b "First ascent of Lhotse Middle (with route map)". russianclimb.com. Retrieved 2009-12-20.

Further Reading

Reiss, Ernst (1959) Mein Weg als Bergsteiger.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lhotse&oldid=474250433"