The ascent of Lhotse, the world’s fourth-highest peak at 8,516 meters, holds historical significance, marked by Hristo Prodanov’s successful climb on April 30, 1981. This achievement established Prodanov as the first Bulgarian individual to summit an eight-thousander and the fourth person globally to reach the peak without supplemental oxygen. Prodanov led a 21-member Bulgarian national expedition, “Himalayas 81,” which was dedicated to the 1,300th anniversary of the Bulgarian State.
The expedition involved a rigorous trek, navigating hazards such as the Khumbu Icefall, before establishing intermediate camps up to Camp 4, located in the ‘death zone.’
On the decisive day, April 30, a core group, including Prodanov, began the final assault. After navigating deteriorating weather conditions, Prodanov commenced the ascent at 7 a.m. He reached the summit at 1:55 p.m., planting the Bulgarian tricolor flag and a soil capsule.
Following this, his teammates, Metodi Savov and Ognyan Baldzhiiski, followed, though communication was sporadic. In subsequent reports, Prodanov detailed the extreme difficulty of the climb and the emotional weight of reaching the summit. The subsequent descent was fraught
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