Lhotse is the world’s fourth-highest mountain, rising to 8,516 metres.
The mountain stands on the Nepal–China border immediately south of Mount Everest. Its name means “South Peak” in Tibetan, reflecting its position at the southern end of the Everest massif. The two mountains share much of the route through the upper Khumbu glacier and the South Col.
Lhotse’s main summit was first climbed on 18 May 1956 by the Swiss climbers Ernst Reiss and Fritz Luchsinger. Its steep and exposed South Face is one of the largest and steepest mountain faces in the world.
Lhotse is sometimes confused with Everest because of their close geographic relationship. They are separate mountains, however, divided by the South Col, and Lhotse’s summit is 332 metres lower than Everest’s.