The 45th anniversary of Hristo Prodanov’s ascent of Lhotse, the world’s fourth-highest peak at 8,516 meters, was marked by his historic achievement. On April 30, 1981, Prodanov became the first Bulgarian to summit an eight-thousander and the fourth person globally to reach the peak without supplemental oxygen. Prodanov was part of the “Himalayas 81,” a Bulgarian national expedition organized to commemorate the 1,300th anniversary of the Bulgarian State.
The expedition involved a rigorous trek from Lamsangu, culminating in establishing intermediate camps through the dangerous Khumbu Icefall. The final ascent began with a small, experienced group, which included Prodanov. After acclimatizing in the ‘death zone’ at Camp 4, the decisive push toward the summit started at 7 a.m.
on April 30. Prodanov set out first without oxygen, reaching the summit at 1:55 p.m. local time.
Following a period of adverse weather, including high winds and snow, Prodanov navigated the challenging terrain to place the Bulgarian tricolor flag on the summit. After planting the national flag and leaving commemorative items, Prodanov began the descent. His teammates, Metodi Savov and Ognyan Baldzhiiski, followed him.
Despite difficulties with oxygen equipment and poor radio communication, the team successfully navigated the descent, and all members safely reached the base camp by May 2, 1981. Prodanov’s successful climb established a major milestone for Bulgarian mountaineering history.
Topics: #bulgarian #prodanov #first
What an incredible achievement; reaching an eight-thousander like Lhotse is a monumental feat.