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 - - -