Lhotse | 1989 SE Buttress-S Face (to 7200m)

A Italy expedition to Lhotse in 1989 via SE Buttress-S Face (to 7200m), led by Reinhold Messner. Summit reached on 27th April 1989. 11 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 795
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID LHOT89102
Peak ID LHOT
Year 1989
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 SE Buttress-S Face (to 7200m)
Route 2 S Face (Polish rte) (to 7200m)
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Italy
Leaders Reinhold Messner
Sponsor Lhotse S 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 False
Countries France, Poland, Spain, Switzerland
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1989-04-10
Summit Date 1989-04-27
Summit Time -
Summit Days 17
Total Days 40
Termination Date 1989-05-20
Termination Reason 5
Termination Notes Abandoned at 7100m due to snow conditions at late time in spring
High Point (m) 7100
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 11
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 4
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
O2 Used False
O2 None True
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken True
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits Were actually on Lhotse Shar
Campsites BC(10/04,5250m),C1(16/04,5900m),C2(21/04,6700m),C3(27/04,7100m),xxx(17/05,7100m)
Route Notes BC on west side of Lhotse Glacier C1 at saddle between Island Peak and Lhotse/Lhotse Shar C2 on SE Buttress C3 on face from Buttress xxx at C3. Arizzi and Cormier unable to go to C2 and left early. Took only safe line by going far to right onto SE Buttress. Alpine style in good clear weather without snow on face is safe direction. Messner put C2 - made an intermediate camp which at end was called C3. Messner had hoped to place C3 at 7500m and from there for attempt on summit with one bivouac at 7800-8000m. At beginning almost all sick with only 2 Poles and Kammerlander working. Lost a week to 10 days here and when bad weather came at 13 May were not in position. Profit and Kammerlander went up to C3 after Messner and 2 Sherpas had placed summit gear at this camp. Profit and Kammerlander started from BC 10 and 12 May to C3 on 13th for summit push on 15th. Profit in early May had done to traverse left from C3 with Hajzer and they reached to Polish route. On 13th night snowfall began and Profit and Kammerlander down to BC. Now every day fell. 2 Poles [Hajzer and Wielicki] started from BC on 12 May up Polish route, carrying all gear and did approx 500m/day and in 4 days reached 7100m on this route but now weather stopped them, did risky traverse to C3, where slept night of 16th and to BC on 17th. Lucas and Profit tried again via SE Buttress. Left BC 18th in slightly better weather. On 19th in C3. Lucas tired and down immediately; Profit tried traverse but too much snow there and he also down. Neither slept C3. Was again snowing and reached clear and windy weather for 3-4 days to clear it. Cormier - 29 Apr 89 Left Lhotse expedition BC on 24 April because too much fighting amongst members. Face has no snow and is very windy. Route is via Lhotse Shar with long traverse above 7200m to Lhotse Face Polish route. Route too long and not interesting.
Accidents Kammerlander injured leg but continued to climb; Losso slight frostbite
Achievement -
Agency Mountain Travel
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2450443
Year 1989
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) se buttress-s face (to 7200m)

Members

11 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Michel Arizzi M 1952 France Climber Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Bruno Cormier M 1960 France Climber Villars-sur-Glane, Switzerland Editor Details Other expeditions
Artur Henryk Hajzer M 1962 Poland Climber Katowice, Poland Student, world cultures Details Other expeditions
Johann (Hans) Kammerlander M 1956 Italy Climber Bolzano, Italy Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Roland Losso M 1961 Italy Climber Castel Juvol, Bolzano, Italy Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Enric Lucas Llop M 1961 Spain Climber La Pobla de Segur, Lerida, Spain Keeper of mountain hut Details Other expeditions
Reinhold Messner M 1944 Italy Leader Staben bei Naturno, Bolzano, Italy 'Farmer in the mountains' Details Other expeditions
Christophe Profit M 1961 France Climber Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Sylvianne Tavernier F 1958 France Climber Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Krzysztof Wielicki M 1950 Poland Climber Tychy, Poland Electrical engineer Details Other expeditions
Fulvio Mariani M 1958 Switzerland Cameraman Sonvico, Ticino, Switzerland Cameraman Details Other expeditions

References

3 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
LHOT89102 AAJ Wielicki, Krzysztof - - 64:224 (1990) -
LHOT89102 MM - - - 128:14 (Jul 1989) -
LHOT89102 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199022401/Asia-Nepal-Lhotse-South-Face-Attempt - - -