Lhotse South Face Winter

Its a my 3rd expedition on 8000m in 2003. When i am at the age of 23 year's old. New comers young sherpa and not very experience on this kind of big mountain. I am a Sherpa member of Japan Alpine Club ,Tokai (2003/2006)and the team already try couple years ago same face in winter 2000 but they stop at 7500m.

Same team again in 2003/2006 winter looking on same face South. Its really hard climb and we climb from the bottom of mountain at the altitude of 5100m. and summit 8516m. We set up total 4 camp and including a temporary camp between camp-2 and camp-3. We spend couple of month setting those camp on south face.

We set up camp 1- below 100m overhang rock clip cave at 5900m. altitude and we just put 4 tend for 23 team( 18 sherpa+5 Japanese). They are only this place are safe.rest lots of risk  falling of rock/ice.next camp c-2 we set up on sharp snow ridge middle face where we put just 2 tend at the altitude 7000m. We cut off the ridge. It's a most dangerous part of climbing because of 11 hour climbing  to reach c-2 from c -1 with climbing 100m vertical rock face at night and 600m aproximitly rotten nidle

snow ridge with strong wind in mid  night, crossing  the 20m steep slope under the ice candles, steep 60 degree ice cular etc etc.During the exp. 2006 some my friend( new comers) spend 18 hours on this face c-1to c-2 back c-1

again We set up another temporary camp at7500m a tend and last camp-3 set up at 8000m(2003)/ 8100m (2006).its quite good place and hard snow face undeneth the summit.we put 2 tend and climbing between c-2 to c-3 its more technical and climbing on big vertical rock face cular with 30 to 40 knot strong wind and -20 to -30 cold  temperature.

After all we try first summit team in 2003 they just reach 8400m. Becaus It's too late to push summit and next team cancel and off the expedition because of strong z wind and monsoon start.

Next summit push in 2006 the team already get close to the summit at 8460m. And again they return Becaus confuse of real summit, its to late to find true  summit, its around 4:00 pm.
Those of my expedition on Lhotse south face winter lots of my friends got accident and me too. In 2006 my team lead to set temporary camp and on the way back ice fall on my right hand fingure at c-2 and its  terrible day for me to get base camp  i took 10 hour and after 3 weeks later recover my fingers.since then i never saw any expedition on this face in winter and i remembering those days when i am close to the Mt. Lhotse.

                    On the way to c-2

                       Rotten ice ridge

                Over hang 100m rock face

Topo map of climbing route 2000 in black line/ 2003 in white line and in 2006 we follow same line to clear last line.