On today's date – April 20, exactly 40 years ago, for the first time a Bulgarian stepped on the highest peak of the planet Everest (8848 m). Hristo Prodanov does it on the most difficult possible route – The western crest. Before him, few had climbed the summit by this route, but never alone and without a backpack. Prodanov did it alone and without oxygen, and thus wrote his name forever in history. On the way back from the top, however, he died. Despite the tragedy, our climbers decided to continue their attacks to the summit and on May 8 it was climbed by Metodi Savov and Ivan Valchev, and a day later – by Nikolay Petkov and Kiril Doskov.
Exactly 40 years ago, the whole of Bulgaria was watching the ascent of the summit by our climbers. The topic was discussed everywhere - at home, in the tram, on the street, in schools and factories. Everyone wanted to know if Prodanov had been saved. Who else has topped...
After the success of the Bulgarians, 40 years later, despite the progress of technology, no one else managed to conquer Everest by this route. 22 expeditions tried to summit the West Ridge but failed.
In 1984, 24 people left for Nepal, including 19 climbers and five staff. Hristo Prodanov was the first to set foot at 8,848 m, but he died on the way back, and then over the years eight more people from the expedition left - the expedition leader Avram Avramov, the doctor Dr. Staiko Kulakszyov, the radio operator Stefan Kaloyanov, the director and cameraman Milan Ognyanov ( forgot his camera during the visit to Indira Gandhi), Lyudmil Yankov, Dimitar Berdarev, Stamen Stanimirov and Dinho Tomov. The latter died in a car accident together with another climber – Dimitar Raykov, on his way to the funeral of Dr. Kulakszyov in 2002. Stayko himself was also killed on the spot in his car. As he passes a bus, a wheel and a piece of sheet metal fly off, hitting him.
Actually, 100 people liked the expedition, among them Petko Totev, who is now the chairman of the mountaineering federation.