Thursday marks the 45th anniversary of Hristo Prodanov’s ascent of Lhotse, the Himalayan peak at 8,516 meters. This achievement was significant as Prodanov became the first Bulgarian to summit an eight-thousander and the fourth person globally to reach the summit without supplemental oxygen. Prodanov led a 21-member Bulgarian national expedition, “Himalayas 81,” dedicated to commemorating the 1,300th anniversary of the Bulgarian State.
The expedition navigated challenging terrain, including the Khumbu Icefall, establishing several intermediate camps leading to Camp 4 in the ‘death zone.’
The decisive ascent began on April 30. After navigating extreme weather conditions—including strong winds, snowfall, and temperatures dropping to minus 35 degrees Celsius—Prodanov initiated his climb at 7 a.m. He reached the summit at 1:55 p.m., planting the Bulgarian tricolor flag.
Despite poor radio communication, he successfully reported his achievement. Following his summiting, Prodanov managed the difficult descent. Later that day, two other members of the team, Metodi Savov and Ognyan Baldzhiiski, also advanced toward the peak before returning to Camp 4.
The entire expedition successfully gathered back at the base camp on May 2, 1981. Prodanov’s successful climb remains a landmark moment in Bulgarian mountaineering history.
Topics: #bulgarian #prodanov #first
It’s remarkable to see a national milestone like this celebrated on such a significant anniversary.