Lhotse is the 4th highest mountain in the world at 8516m / 27940 ft. It was first climbed in 1956 by Fritz Luchsinger and Ernst Reiss.
The first New Zealand ascent of Lhotse was in 1994 by Rob Hall and the first Australian ascent was in 1995 by Michael Groom. (Source: Himalayan Database)
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Project Base8000 expeditions: May 2013 and April/May 2017 (completed).
Base Camp – Nepal – 5364m / 17598ft
- Lhotse shares the same base camp as Mt Everest and is connected to Everest via the South Col.
- the western flank of Lhotse is known as the Lhotse Face, a formidable wall which must be climbed to get to the summit of Mt Everest.
- the trek to Everest/Lhotse Base Camp is one of the most popular trekking routes in the Himalayas
- how to get there – from Kathmandu you take a 45 minute flight to the tiny mountain airport of Lukla and trek from there
number of days trekking – the most direct route is typically a 13 day return trek, which allows for sufficient acclimatisation - best time of year to trek – April/May for weather and to see the climbing expedition tents on the glacier. October/November is also good for cool clear days. You can also trek there over winter (December/January/February) when it is much colder with more snow, and the advantage of being much less busy on the trail
- alternative trekking routes – there are many other trails in the area, a popular one being the Everest Circuit which is a longer trek covering Gokyo Lakes, Cho La Pass and Everest Base Camp.
- it is also common to take the opportunity to hike to the top of Kala Patthar, a peak which overlooks Everest Base Camp and provides a spectacular view of Mt Everest itself as well as Lhotse, Nuptse, Pumori and other nearby mountains. From Everest Base Camp you can’t actually see the summit of Mt Everest which is why Kala Patthar is climbed.
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