Lhotse | 1981 S Face
A Yugoslavia expedition to Lhotse in 1981 via S Face, led by Ales Kunaver. Summit reached on 14th May 1981. 25 members recorded.
Expedition Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| ID | 1820 |
| Imported | 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634 |
| Expedition ID | LHOT81102 |
| Peak ID | LHOT |
| Year | 1981 |
| Season | 1 |
| Host Country | 1 |
| Route 1 | S Face |
| Route 2 | - |
| Route 3 | - |
| Route 4 | - |
| Nationality | Yugoslavia |
| Leaders | Ales Kunaver |
| Sponsor | Lhotse 1981 South Face Expedition |
| Success 1 | False |
| Success 2 | False |
| Success 3 | False |
| Success 4 | False |
| Ascent 1 | - |
| Ascent 2 | - |
| Ascent 3 | - |
| Ascent 4 | - |
| Claimed | False |
| Disputed | True |
| Countries | - |
| Approach | Lukla->Khumbu Valley |
| Basecamp Date | 1981-03-16 |
| Summit Date | 1981-05-14 |
| Summit Time | - |
| Summit Days | 59 |
| Total Days | 65 |
| Termination Date | 1981-05-20 |
| Termination Reason | 4 |
| Termination Notes | Abandoned at 8250m due to bad weather and exhaustion |
| High Point (m) | 8250 |
| Traverse | False |
| Ski | False |
| Paraglide | False |
| Camps | 6 |
| Fixed Rope (m) | 0 |
| Total Members | 25 |
| Summit Members | 0 |
| Member Deaths | 0 |
| Total Hired | 12 |
| Summit Hired | 0 |
| Hired Deaths | 0 |
| No Hired | False |
| O2 Used | True |
| O2 None | False |
| O2 Climb | True |
| O2 Descent | False |
| O2 Sleep | False |
| O2 Medical | False |
| O2 Taken | False |
| O2 Unknown | False |
| Other Summits | - |
| Campsites | BC(16/03,5200m),C1(26/03,6000m),C2(06/04,6500m),C3(14/04,7000m),C4(22/04,7300m),C5(01/05,7800m),C6(12/05,8050m),xxx(14/05,8250m) |
| Route Notes | 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 |
| Accidents | - |
| Achievement | - |
| Agency | - |
| Commercial Route | - |
| Standard Route | - |
| Primary Route | False |
| Primary Member | False |
| Primary Reference | - |
| Primary ID | - |
| Checksum | 2447530 |
| Year | 1981 |
| Summit Success | False |
| O2 Summary | Used |
| Route (lowercase) | s face |
Members
25 recorded members.
| Name | Sex | Year of Birth | Citizenship | Status | Residence | Occupation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filip Bence | M | 1950 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Trzic, Slovenia, Yugoslavia | Truck driver | Details Other expeditions |
| Janez Benkovic | M | 1959 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Kamnik, Slovenia, Yugoslavia | Student of physical education | Details Other expeditions |
| Borut Bergant | M | 1954 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Trzic, Slovenia, Yugoslavia | Teacher of sports | Details Other expeditions |
| Stipe Bozic | M | 1951 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Split, Croatia, Yugoslavia | Electrician | Details Other expeditions |
| Stanko Frantar | M | 1955 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Trzic, Slovenia, Yugoslavia | Mechanic | Details Other expeditions |
| Viktor (Viki) Groselj | M | 1952 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Ljubljana, Slovenia, Yugoslavia | Teacher of sports | Details Other expeditions |
| Matija Horvat | M | 1935 | Yugoslavia | Exp Doctor | Ljubljana, Slovenia, Yugoslavia | Physician | Details Other expeditions |
| Francek Knez | M | 1955 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Rimske Toplice, Slovenia, Yugoslavia | Electrician | Details Other expeditions |
| Ivan (Ivc) Kotnik | M | 1951 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Velenje, Slovenia, Yugoslavia | Metallurgist | Details Other expeditions |
| Rajmoni Kovac | M | 1959 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Ljubljana, Slovenia, Yugoslavia | Student of physical education | Details Other expeditions |
| Marjan Kregar | M | 1956 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Kamnik, Slovenia, Yugoslavia | Toolmaker | Details Other expeditions |
| Ales Kunaver | M | 1935 | Yugoslavia | Leader | Ljubljana, Slovenia, Yugoslavia | Member of management of a factory | Details Other expeditions |
| Marjan Manfreda | M | 1950 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Bled, Slovenia, Yugoslavia | Teacher of physical education | Details Other expeditions |
| Peter Markic | M | 1956 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Kranj, Slovenia, Yugoslavia | Psychologist | Details Other expeditions |
| Vanja Matijevec | M | 1946 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Kranj, Slovenia, Yugoslavia | Psychologist | Details Other expeditions |
| Zeljko Perko | M | 1956 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Trzic, Slovenia, Yugoslavia | Factory worker | Details Other expeditions |
| Pavel Podgornik | M | 1958 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Crnice, Slovenia Yugoslavia | Factory worker | Details Other expeditions |
| Peter Podgornik | M | 1958 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Crnice, Slovenia, Yugoslavia | Factory worker | Details Other expeditions |
| Jovan Poposki | M | 1949 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Skopje, Macedonia, Yugoslavia | Mechanical engineer | Details Other expeditions |
| Iztok Tomazin | M | 1960 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Trzic, Slovenia, Yugoslavia | Medical student | Details Other expeditions |
| Ivo Skumavc | M | 1957 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Mojstrana, Slovenia, Yugoslavia | Cook | Details Other expeditions |
| Andrej Stremfelj | M | 1956 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Kranj, Slovenia, Yugoslavia | Student of physical education | Details Other expeditions |
| Marko Stremfelj | M | 1954 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Kranj, Slovenia, Yugoslavia | Electronics engineer | Details Other expeditions |
| Miro Sustersic | M | 1957 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Menges, Slovenia, Yugoslavia | Mechanic | Details Other expeditions |
| Jernej (Nejc) Zaplotnik | M | 1952 | Yugoslavia | Climber | Kranj, Slovenia, Yugoslavia | Student of physical education | Details Other expeditions |
References
7 recorded references.
| Expedition ID | Journal | Author | Title | Publisher | Citation | Yak 94 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LHOT81102 | AAJ | Kunaver, Ales | - | - | 56:215-218 (1982) | - |
| LHOT81102 | - | Bozic, Stipe | Put Na Vrh Svijeta | Slobodna Dalmacija, Split, Croatia, Yugoslavia | - | - |
| LHOT81102 | MM | - | - | - | 80:11-12 (Jul 1981) | - |
| LHOT81102 | MM | Kunaver, Ales | Lhotse South Face | - | 81:38-41 (Sep 1981) | - |
| LHOT81102 | - | Groselj, Viki | Do Prvih Zvezd | Zalozba, Maribor, Slovenia | - | G381 |
| LHOT81102 | - | Kunaver, Ales & Kunaver, Dusica | Lhotse, Juzna Stena | Private, Ljubljana | - | - |
| LHOT81102 | - | - | http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198221503/Asia-Nepal-Lhotse-South-Face | - | - | - |