Exceptional Stories and PZS at the 13th Mountain Film Festival...

Exceptional Stories and PZS at the 13th Mountain Film Festival.

At the upcoming 13th Mountain Film Festival, in which the Alpine Association of Slovenia (PZS) is strongly involved, the following will give lectures in Cankarjev dom in Ljubljana next week: the most successful Slovenian female alpinist of 2018 Marija Jeglič, alpinism legend and recipient of the PZS award for lifetime achievement in alpinism Andrej Štremfelj, the most successful Slovenian alpinists of 2018 Aleš Česen and Luka Stražar, and former most successful Slovenian sport climber Klemen Bečan. Recipient of the PZS award for lifetime achievement in alpinism Rado Kočevar will present his autobiography Tista lepa leta, a film about paraplegic climber Gregor Selak will be shown, and a current round table on the issue of drilling in mountains is also promised.



Alpinism legend Andrej Štremfelj, together with Nejc Zaplotnik the first Slovenian to summit Everest, will recall the legendary Himalayan expedition 40 years ago; the other still living members of this epic expedition will also be present at the event. The most successful Slovenian alpinists of 2018 Aleš Česen and Luka Stražar will talk about the resonant ascent of the Karakoram seven-thousander Latok I, the first from the north side after 40 years of unsuccessful attempts. The top female alpinist of the past year Marija Jeglič will present her enviable record of top ascents in mountains, walls, and frozen waterfalls around the world. Sport climber Klemen Bečan will take the audience on a climbing journey around the world, including Drašnice in Dalmatia, where he equipped and became the first to climb the hardest multi-pitch route in this part of Europe (Roctrip graded 8c+). We look forward to the presentation of the autobiography Tista lepa leta – Memories of Rado Kočevar, recipient of the Alpine Association of Slovenia award for lifetime achievement in alpinism. The PZS Alpine Commission round table will address the issue of drilling in mountains, and the film GreGor about member of the Slovenian paraplegic climbing team Gregor Selak will also be shown. Coming to Slovenia are also American alpinist Colin Haley, known for big and technically demanding ascents in Alaska, Canada, and Patagonia, record holder for the number of ascents on Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre, and Torre Eger; additionally, with Alex Honnold he traversed the entire Torre ridge in less than 21 hours, and Austrian alpinist Hansjörg Auer, master of soloing the most difficult routes, including Ribe in Marmolada, who is also pushing the boundaries of the possible with first ascents on remote Nepalese and Pakistani seven-thousanders.



Andrej Štremfelj: Everest 40 Years Ago (Cankarjev dom, 19. 2. at 20:00)

On May 13, 1979, Andrej Štremfelj and Nejc Zaplotnik entered alpinism history as members of the 25-member Yugoslav expedition led by Tone Škarja, becoming the first Slovenians to summit the world's highest mountain. Two days later, the summit was reached by Stane Belak - Šrauf, Croat Stipe Božić, and the Sherpa leader Ang Phu from Nepal. The team, besides 25 alpinists, included an equal number of high-altitude porters and required an incredible twenty tons of equipment for the ascent. The world's leading Himalayan experts still acknowledge today that the Slovenian (then still Yugoslav) route on Everest (8848 m) is the hardest of the eleven climbed on the mountain to date, and despite several attempts, it has seen no repetitions. The other still living members of the legendary alpinism expedition will join the lecture.



GreGor - Film about Gregor Selak (Cankarjev dom, 20. 2. at 18:00)

The documentary film GreGor outlines the life path of Gregor Selak, a top sport climber who early in his career lost motivation but managed to return to the winner's podium (of life) after encountering inevitable fate. The film will be shown as part of the film Era Adama Ondre about the Czech climber who pushes the limits of human capabilities.



Aleš Česen and Luka Stražar: Latok I (Cankarjev dom, 20. 2. at 20:00)

The Karakoram seven-thousander Latok I has remained an unfulfilled goal for more than 25 alpinist expeditions from around the world over the last four decades, but Slovenian alpinists Aleš Česen and Luka Stražar, along with Briton Tom Livingston, succeeded last year in climbing the first 2400-meter route in the north face of Latok I and summited the 7145-meter peak on August 9, 2018, thus entering history with the second ascent of this Pakistani seven-thousander and the first successful ascent from the north side. Forty years of failed attempts have built a great history around the mountain and placed it among the most desirable goals in world alpinism. Aleš and Luka will reveal their experiences from the expedition and their view of the summer days in the Pakistani Karakoram at the lecture.



Marija Jeglič: Return Loop (Cankarjev dom, 21. 2. at 18:00)

Marija Jeglič is a 27-year-old promising alpinist, member of the Slovenian Youth Alpinism Team (SMAR) with an enviable record of top ascents. At the lecture, she will provide insight into her story, the connection between events that led her from childhood "hanging on a rope" to conquering diverse mountains, walls, and icefalls around the world. She has transferred her admirable climbing level and experience from sport climbing to the mountains, and her innate passion for exploration calls her to discover new walls and lines where one must face the moment and find solutions on the spot. "You can understand a lot of life's secrets precisely in the mountains, where you learn to appreciate and be grateful for what you have, even in life on solid ground," emphasizes the sparkling and unstoppable lover of verticals.



Round Table: Drilling - Piton or Bolt? (Cankarjev dom, 22. 2. at 16:00)

To drill or not to drill? To be or not to be? This current issue has been on the agenda multiple times in our country, and a quick review of foreign climbing-alpinism portals and forums indicates the same dilemma abroad. The Alpine Commission of the Alpine Association of Slovenia is opening a public debate on the topic of drilling in mountains. They want to confront both sides to present their positions, ideas, and views. (free entry)



Conversation, Rado Kočevar: Tista lepa leta (Cankarjev dom, 23. 2. at 16:00)

The witty and good-natured nonagenarian Rado Kočevar tells how the mountains enchanted him almost seventy-five years ago, making him one of the best alpinists of his time. The climber's memories, collected in the book Tista lepa leta – Memories of Rado Kočevar (published by Planinska založba), are illuminated with youthful light and provide an authentic and reliable view of the first post-war generation. This way, we begin to truly understand the successes of that time, which inspire us with well-deserved respect and admiration. The conversation about the book with the author, co-author, and editor Mojca Volkar Trobevšek will reveal a glimpse into nearly a decade of the book's creation and take the audience almost a century back in history. (free entry)



Klemen Bečan: Climbing Traveler (Cankarjev dom, 23. 2. at 18:00)

Climbing was Klemen's love at first sight, and he still breathes and lives for climbing today. At 15, he became the world youth champion, and in 2008 he stepped onto the top podium at the World Cup event in Kranj. He always enjoyed natural walls and climbing trips around the world more than competitions. All types of climbing attract him, searching for new or forgotten crags, and equipping new routes. As the first Slovenian, he onsighted a route graded 8c, and with redpoint he has climbed up to 9a+. In Drašnice in Dalmatia, he equipped and became the first to climb the hardest multi-pitch route in this part of Europe, the 220-meter route Roctrip graded 8c+. Currently, he devotes a lot of time and energy to teaching promising climbers and helping them progress on climbing trips across Europe. On February 18 in Ljubljana and February 21 in Celje, the short film Utrinki iz Drašnic about Klemen's development of climbing in this crag will also be shown.



The full program of the 13th Mountain Film Festival can be viewed on the website www.gorniski.si.