The 45th anniversary of Hristo Prodanov’s ascent of Lhotse, the world’s fourth-highest peak at 8,516 meters, occurred on April 30, 1981. This achievement marked Prodanov as the first Bulgarian to summit an eight-thousander and the fourth person globally to reach the peak without supplemental oxygen. Prodanov led the “Himalayas 81” expedition, a Bulgarian national effort dedicated to the 1,300th anniversary of the Bulgarian State.
The climb required the mountaineers to navigate extreme conditions, progressing through multiple intermediate camps up to Camp 4 in the high-altitude “death zone.”
The decisive summit push began on April 30. After overcoming severe weather deterioration, Prodanov proceeded toward the summit. Following a challenging traverse, he reached the highest point of Lhotse at 1:55 p.m.
local time. During his time at the summit, Prodanov planted the Bulgarian tricolor flag and left a soil capsule from his homeland. The ascent was followed by a complex and dangerous descent.
While Prodanov successfully reached the summit and radioed confirmation, the subsequent conditions and difficulties complicated the return. The expedition members eventually navigated the descent, with the entire team safely returning to base camp days later. The successful climb remains a landmark moment in Bulgarian mountaineering history.
Topics: #bulgarian #prodanov #first
