Lhotse | 1990 S Face (central part)

A Yugoslavia expedition to Lhotse in 1990 via S Face (central part), led by Tomo Cesen. Summit reached on 24th April 1990. 3 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 638
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID LHOT90102
Peak ID LHOT
Year 1990
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Face (central part)
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Yugoslavia
Leaders Tomo Cesen
Sponsor Yugoslav Lhotse-Annapurna Expedition
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 21st disputed
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed True
Countries -
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1990-04-15
Summit Date 1990-04-24
Summit Time 1420
Summit Days 9
Total Days 13
Termination Date 1990-04-28
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes Success disputed
High Point (m) 8516
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 0
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 3
Summit Members 1
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 0
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired True
O2 Used False
O2 None True
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits Had permit for Annapurna I, but did not attempt
Campsites BC(15/04,4850m),Biv1(23/04,7500m),Biv2(23/04,8200m),Biv3(24/04,7300m),Smt(24/04)
Route Notes BC at half lower above Chhukung, wall protected from wind (Yugo BC no water). After BC, acclimatization 16th and 17th April to bottom of face where left gear for climb and 17th crossed glacier towards SE Ridge of Lhotse Shar to 5900m at a col. Could see face and listen for rock fall (was much rockfall when clear in daytime and sun was on S Face); then very dangerous. 18th rest at BC. 19th acclimatized to 7150m on SE Ridge (nearly to C3 on 87) and back to BC. 20th to 6000m on SE Ridge, felt well acclimatized and didn't want to waste strength going higher on ridge so back to BC. 21 rest at BC. 22nd started up; after lunch to bottom of face with doctor carrying extra food for Cesen to eat at bottom of face where had left gear (100m of 6m rope, 6-9 rock pitons, 19 ice pitons all of titanium, sleeping bag, biv sack, walkie-talkie, no stove or gear, extra gloves, socks and goggles; crampons, harness and ice ax, 1 piece Italian pile with down inside jumpsuit, helmet, head lamp, Neoprene gaiters; food; 3 liters liquid in 3 thermoses; still camera and extra film but never took off gloves to change film or open the camera. Doctor returned to BC while Cesen started up face at 5 pm from 5200m; climbed during night and stopped at 8 am at 7500m to rest & because of danger of rockfall and snow avalanching (every afternoon light snowfall and some wind) which was stronger in valley than higher) and slept 5 hrs here in very safe snow ledge under overhanging rock spur; 1:00 pm started up again under shady sky and climbed to 11:00 pm bottom of rock band at 8200m after continuous climb till 5-6:00 pm and then fog obscured face and needed to wait till could see until after 9:00+ pm because clear weather. 2nd biv at 8200m, a biv "I want to forget as soon as possible" because very cold ("shaking all the night"), high altitude and remember 8400m-Yalung Kang biv after teammate fell to his death. Biv was just under rock band pillar which ends at summit ridge; safe place and not steep; did not sleep beause of danger of freezing to death. Started again up at 5:00 am. On 24th most difficult part was just above biv and was 50-70m high: bad rock, steep, unconsolidated snow below onto rock - here used rock piton, climbed up to it and put in 2nd piton. Took 3 hrs to overcome this difficulty at such high altitude. At biv left rucksack, sleeping bag, food, biv sack. At top of difficult part left rope fixed for descent (not to come down W Face - carrying this gear was too much to carry). 15m above difficult part came onto ridge which was not tecnically difficult but deep snow and had to traverse this long ridge. Then down to col and finally up 50m to top at 2:20 pm on 24th. On difficult part stopped to rest after exhausting climbing; this finished at 8:20 am; above that also many rests but now only for short periods; "terrible" wind on top and too dangerous to extend on very top but stood 2m below it. Immediately down after brief walkie-talkie contact with BC. Weather now worse and worse with wind and snow and came down fast as possible but at 7800m stopped an hour because of avalanche which swept him 50-100m at 45-degree slope and many more avalanches coming down. Not injured but frightened by it; continued on down when no avalanches and face clear, found pitons which used abseiling down. Stopped again with clouds obscured face, slight snowfall, feared weather would get worse (but no wind in afternoon and night) and made biv at 9:00 pm for 3 hrs (did not sleep). At midnight weather clear and started down again and descended continuously till 7:00 am to bottom face, where doctor met him with food and drink, rest 2-1/2 hours back to BC at 11-12 on 25th. Felt very good in BC that afternoon: mentally exhausted by having to be so carefull in descent, avalanche fright and sound of many avalanches down Polish route; but not physically exhausted that day. Next day physically exhausted. Left BC 28th April. Total 45 hrs from bottom of face to top including stops. 62 hrs from bottom of face to bottom of face. Wants to dedicate route to memory of Alex Kunaver. "I'm glad the face was climbed by Yugo" - Lhotse S Face not really so difficult technically as Jannu N Face but much taller and broader "and you feel very small". "I am satisfied" with this climb. Next: Annapurna W Face, perhaps Troillet line in Autumn 1990 or 1991 Spring. NOTE: Cesen's ascent is now generally doubted by others in part because photos of summit claimed to have been taken by Cesen were taken by Victor Groselj from an earlier expedition. See "Reasonable Doubt" by Greg Child, Climbing magazine, 142, Feb 1, 1994 Yugoslavian Lhotse expedition - Spring 1990 Tomo Cesen's amazing feat of soloing Lhotse's formidable south face brought instant praise and fame. But doubts about his claim began to be raised not long afterwards when a compatriot, Viktor (Vikki) Groselj protested that Cesen had published Groselj's photographs as his own. I talked with to Tone Skarja, a senior figure in Yugoslavia/Slovenian mountaineering, about this on 13 Dec 93, and he said he believed Cesen's account was true. In the beginning after his return from Nepal, Cesen said he had no camera and therefore no pictures, but under pressure from his sponsors, after several months he produced some slides which turned out to be those taken by Groselj. Skarja explained to me that Cesen is a "simple person," did not think ahead to the problems that could develop, and "now he is a confused man." A Soviet expedition of 17 climbing members with no high-altitude Sherpas went to the South Face in 1990 autumn and managed to put two members on the top with the use of bottled oxygen on their summit day, despite considerable technical difficulties and severe cold. One summiter, Sergei Bershov, told me of his grave doubt that one man alone could have climbed the face, and they later publicly suggested that perhaps he had reached the middle summit. Reinhold Messner gave Cesen great praise and an award for the South Face solo soon after the climb said he believed Cesen's account, but after doubts were raised by a number of people, Messner stated that he now did not believe or disbelieve Cesen. In a 1994 issue of Climbing Magazine (February 1-March 15 issue) was an article titled "Reasonable Doubt" by the Australian mountaineer and writer about climbing, Greg Child who thoroughly examined Cesen's claim and concluded that "there is really no way of knowing [whether Cesen summited or not], short of climbing that awesome wall and searching for the pitons Cesen told me left above 27,000 feet." Another Slovenian climber, who accomplished remarkable face climbs in the 1990's, Tomaz Humar, said to me on 9 Sept 1999 that Cesen's accounts of his Lhotse climb have not stood up under detailed questioning. (Humar said Greg Child's article about Cesen's Lhotse claim was excellent). Humar also said that now people are even questioning Cesen's climb of Jannu in the spring of 1989; he does no more climbing and lives in obscurity. 1 June 2000 Re: Tom Cesen, Lhotse Slovenian Lhotse expedition leader and both summiters are sure Cesan did not reach summit in Spring 1990. "No one believe him now" about this claim on his Jannu ascent in 1989 spring or his claim to historic ascents or five peaks in Alps in winter (before Jannu). Tone Skarja - 13 Feb 93 Skarja believes Cesen did climb Lhotse. In the beginning after his return from Nepal, he said he had no camera and therefore no pictures, but under pressure from his sponsors, after several months he produced slides, which turned out to be sections of Groselj pictures. Cesen is "a simple person," did not think ahead to the problems that could develop and is now a confused man. Tomazin, Slovene Xixa - 17 Sept 93 Cesen used Groselj pictures of Lhotse without immediately denying Vertical's credition them to Cesen. Cesen has said reaching 8000m summit is not the important thing, where Groselj is trying for all 14. Skarja sides with Groselj in their feud but Skarja is considered too dictatorial and domineering by many climbers especially young ones. To Tomaju's knowledge Messner has not contradicted Cesen's Lhotse claim. Tomaz Humar - 7 Nov 2006 Tomaz Humar's comments about Tomo Cesen's claimed ascent via the South Face: "It is possible Tomo did make the summit.... I don't say he did, but I don't say he didn't." When people can't do something themselves, they say no one can. Humar has seen the South Face, and he thinks Cesen could have gone all the way to the top alone. He was a very strong climber. Lhotse's South Face is not so difficult as Jannu's North Face, which Cesen also said he soloed. Humar also has seen Jannu's North Face and thinks it is possible that he summited. Tomaz also believes that the Jannu face is more difficult because of the greater danger of falling rock on the face.
Accidents Frostnip of toes and fingers (they have no feeling but otherwise OK)
Achievement 1st solo of S Face
Agency Wilderness Adventure
Commercial Route False
Standard Route False
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2450806
Year 1990
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) s face (central part)

Members

3 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Tomislav (Tomo) Cesen M 1959 Yugoslavia Leader Kranj, Slovenia, Yugoslavia Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Kokalj Janko M 1955 Yugoslavia Exp Doctor Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Yugoslavia Physician Details Other expeditions
Tomaz Ravnihar M 1940 Yugoslavia BC Manager Trzic, Slovenia, Yugoslavia Journalist & photographer Details Other expeditions

References

11 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
LHOT90102 AAJ Cesen, Tomo A Look into the Future, Lhotse's South Fac - 65:1-6 (1991) -
LHOT90102 HJ Cesen, Tomo South Face of Lhotse, 1990 - 47:18-23 (1989-1990) -
LHOT90102 AAJ Berg, Wally - - 67:212 (1993) -
LHOT90102 - Cesen, Tomo SAM Didakta, Radovlijca, Slovenia - C102
LHOT90102 MM - - - 134:8 (Jul 1990) -
LHOT90102 MM Cesen, Tomo Jannu-Lhotse Solo - 134:20-25 (Jul 1990) -
LHOT90102 CLMB Child, Greg Reasonable Doubt - 142:74-81+ (Feb 1994) -
LHOT90102 IM Cesen, Tomo Tomo Cesen's Reply - 27:96-97 (1991) -
LHOT90102 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199100100/A-Look-into-the-Future-Lhotses-South-Face - - -
LHOT90102 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199321202/Asia-Nepal-Lhotse-South-Face-More-on-Tomo-esens-1990-Ascents - - -
LHOT90102 - - https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/47/3/south-face-of-lhotse-1990/ - - -