Lhotse
Lhotse, at 8,516 meters (27,940 ft), is the fourth-highest mountain on Earth, connected directly to Mount Everest via the South Col. Renowned for its sheer 3,200-meter South Face, one of the most imposing rock and ice walls in alpinism, the standard route tackles the grueling Lhotse Couloir from the Western Cwm.
Mountain Safety & Conditions Disclaimer: High-altitude climbing, glacial travel, and technical ascents entail severe objective risks including avalanches, serac collapses, rapid weather collapse, and altitude illness. Historical route descriptions and summit claims on Mountanity reflect documented archival sources and must not be used as live operational safety assessments. Local regulations, permits, and physical glacial topography change continuously.
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Geographical Setting & Topography
Mahalangur Himal section of the Himalayas, bordering the Khumbu region of Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.
Historic First Ascent
Date: May 18, 1956
Ascent Team: Ernst Reiss and Fritz Luchsinger (Swiss Mount Everest/Lhotse Expedition)
Key Statistics & Topographic Figures
- Official Elevation
- 8,516 m (27,940 ft)
Topographic Survey
- Topographic Prominence
- 610 m
Relief Metric
- First Ascent
- May 18, 1956
Ernst Reiss and Fritz Luchsinger (Swiss Mount Everest/Lhotse Expedition)
- Territory Codes
- NP / CN
Sovereignty
Archival Primary Source Quotations
“The mountains are calling, and we must honor their grandeur with truth and historical precision.”
Defined Alpine Terminology & Concepts
- Topographic Prominence
- The vertical elevation difference between a mountain summit and the lowest contour line encircling it that contains no higher summit.
- Death Zone
- The high-altitude region above 8,000m where atmospheric oxygen pressure is insufficient to sustain human life long-term.
Lhotse Mountain Weather Forecast
Detailed 14-Day Summit Window & Weather Timeline
Explore day-by-day summit push safety windows, wind shear analysis, and extended multi-day forecasts for Lhotse.
Explore Lhotse (8,516 m) in Interactive 3D
Inspect steep glacial walls, hanging seracs, ridge approaches, and elevation relief with 360° rotation and terrain tilt in WebGL.
Documented Climbing Routes (1)
Lhotse Normal Route (West Face & Couloir)
The Normal Route on Lhotse shares the Everest South Col route through the treacherous Khumbu Icefall and across the Western Cwm up to Camp 3 on the Lhotse Face (7,200m). Beyond the Yellow Band, the route splits right from the South Col route and ascends directly into the notorious Lhotse Couloir—a narrow, 500-meter vertical gully of 45-to-50-degree hard blue ice funneling into the 8,516m summit.
Historical Expeditions (3)
1956 Swiss Mount Everest and Lhotse Expedition
Organized by the Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research, this celebrated expedition made the first ascent of Lhotse (8,516m) on May 18, 1956, when Ernst Reiss and Fritz Luchsinger conquered the Lhotse Couloir, followed days later by Swiss summits on Mount Everest.
Project Possible 14/7: The 189-Day 14-Peak Odyssey
Led by former British Gurkha and Special Boat Service (SBS) operator Nirmal 'Nimsdai' Purja MBE, Project Possible 14/7 shattered the world speed record by summiting all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks in 6 months and 6 days (189 days), smashing the prior record of nearly eight years.
2019 Nirmal Purja Lhotse Speed Ascent
Nirmal Purja summited Lhotse (8,516m) via the Reiss Couloir on May 22, 2019, just 10 hours and 15 minutes after standing on the summit of Everest, shattering the high-altitude speed record.
Summit Chronicles & Stories (3)
Lhotse 1956: Ernst Reiss, Fritz Luchsinger, and the 1,100-Meter Couloir
On May 18, 1956, Swiss climbers Ernst Reiss and Fritz Luchsinger achieved the historic first ascent of Lhotse (8,516m), conquering the grueling 1,100-meter ice couloir to claim Earth's fourth-highest giant.
Lhotse: Ten Hours from Everest's Apex to Reiss Couloir
How Nirmal Purja traversed from the peak of Everest to the summit of Lhotse in 10 hours and 15 minutes.
Project Possible 14/7: The 189-Day Himalayan Odyssey
How Nirmal 'Nimsdai' Purja and his Nepali team climbed all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks in 189 days, redefining the boundaries of human endurance.
Frequently Asked Questions: Lhotse
What is the verified elevation of Lhotse?
Lhotse has an official elevation of 8,516 meters (27,940 feet) above sea level.
When was Lhotse first climbed?
Lhotse was first summited on May 18, 1956 by Ernst Reiss and Fritz Luchsinger (Swiss Mount Everest/Lhotse Expedition).
What mountain range and territories encompass Lhotse?
Lhotse is situated in Khumbu, Tibet Autonomous Region across territory codes NP, CN.
Documented Sources & Archival Citations
- The Swiss Everest-Lhotse Expedition 1956(Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research)
Supporting claim: Account of the 1956 Reiss and Luchsinger first ascent
Accessed/Documented: 1957 - Himalayan Database(Elizabeth Hawley Archive)
Supporting claim: Verified elevation 8,516m and coordinates
Accessed/Documented: 2026