Jaklič and Jeglič achieve first ascents in Norway

Sara Jaklič and Marija Jeglič, the Kranj-Ljubljana duo of Slovenia's most successful female alpinists over the past two years, climbed several demanding routes on an alpinistic expedition to the Norwegian island of Senja just before the new coronavirus epidemic, despite fickle weather, with the first ascents of the premier mixed ice-rock routes Trout in drought and Blinding lights standing out, marking a new pinnacle achievement in women's alpinism. Jeglič presented their adventure in Stories from Isolation, a series of online alpinistic lectures with a charitable note, where top Slovenian alpinists share experiences from the vertical every Thursday - on April 23, it will be one of the main protagonists of world alpinism Luka Lindič, and the following week member of the Slovenian youth alpinistic team Matija Volontar.







Sara Jaklič (AO PD Kranj) and Marija Jeglič (AO PD Ljubljana-Matica) headed to Senja island, which is already part of the polar circle, in mid-February and early March on the northwest of Norway, where they climbed two first ascents: Trout in drought (M5, WI6+, 65 °, 550 m, north face Stormoe) and Blinding lights (M4, 220 m, southeast face Kyle), and completed six other ascents, thus making the best use of the demanding conditions with abundant snowfall that shaped their expedition. "Our expedition to Senja was most marked by the variability of weather conditions. We expected the forecast to be more stable, but we had to adapt. Consequently, due to bad weather, we had enough time besides climbing for adventures that give life a slightly different color. Weather variability also affects mood variability, but we still managed to maintain cheerfulness and joy in climbing, which seems most important to us in such situations. Once you're relaxed, things start happening (almost) by themselves. Alpinists always want to tackle harder and higher, but we are very satisfied with our bouquet of first ascents and repeats," drew the line expedition leader Sara Jaklič, Slovenia's most successful female alpinist in 2019 according to the Alpinism Commission of the Alpine Association of Slovenia (PZS).







Already on March 3, they headed under Stormoa mountain but turned back due to avalanches, on March 5 they succeeded in climbing the 550-meter first ascent Trout in drought (M5, WI6+, 65°) on its north face. "We spotted this line in the first week and it immediately got under our skin. From afar it looked pretty wild, up close even more so, especially the start and end. In the middle section, we were only concerned about the large amounts of snow, so we had to be thoughtful in deciding which day to tackle it. The route consists of three parts; the first, most vertical and demanding part forms five pitches on steep ice or snow glued to smooth slabs. The first pitch is the hardest, as it goes over an overhang, or rather on ice hanging over a small roof. Followed by four pitches of steep snow ice. Then the wall flattens and we unroped and trudged through snow to the final section about 300 meters, where the wall steepens again. The last pitch spices up with summit cornices practically everywhere around. In this part we had quite unusable wet snow and detached ice, so every move required digging snow to the rock, where I finally managed to place some protection. For the end, a battle with the cornice awaited us, with the final score: Meri : cornice = 1 : 0. After my long 30 meters of suffering, Sara practically walked in the footsteps in 15 minutes and wriggled through the hole in the cornice to the other side like a fish out of water. But to keep the meaning and add a rhyme, we named the route Trout in drought," described the ascent Marija Jeglič, Slovenia's most successful female alpinist in 2018.







Two days later, on March 7, the young Slovenian alpinists succeeded in the first approach to Kyle mountain via the 220-meter first ascent Blinding lights (M4) on its southeast face, which they had also been eyeing for a while, as Jaklič recounts: "The idea for the first ascent Blinding lights formed from the daily drive to the store, from where the line was nicely visible and didn't seem overly demanding to us. Additional impetus was given by the abundance of snowfall, as the approach was relatively short and thus not so time-consuming and tiring and of course potentially less exposed to avalanches. The route offers a lot of interesting climbing among juniper bushes and vertical chimneys. The climbing wasn't demanding, the feeling of being the first to climb in this wall is always priceless."







The Kranj-Ljubljana duo on Senja, besides two first ascents at the beginning of the expedition, also repeated a series of demanding mixed routes: The Slunt (WI4+, 350 m, south face Ersfjorda), Trolls trolls (M5, WI4, 200 m, north face Kyle), Spoon couloir (M4, WI3, 250 m, north face Bringtindena), Aegir (M6, WI5, 400 m, north face Segla), Great corner (M6+, WI6, 300 m, south face Ersfjorda) and Norwegian knights (M6, WI5, 200 m, north face Ramfloya), among which the repeat of Great corner stands out at first glance, but as Jaklič emphasizes, alpinistic grades don't tell everything: "Hard to say that The great corner was the hardest. The grade that appears at the end of the report says something, the rest are the current conditions and circumstances in which you climb the route. Aegir was the most technically demanding; the first ascent Trout in drought offers the hardest ice pitch etc. Each route has its own note, so it's hard to judge which would be the most difficult. With rock routes it's much easier."







Jaklič and Jeglič were also successful in more adventurous goals, as Marija vividly describes: "For me, there were three goals at the start - see the northern lights, catch a fish and climb as much good as possible. We saw the northern lights even before we really arrived - during landing at the airport. I didn't catch a fish, which would make theoretical satisfaction two-thirds. However, instead of the fish OUT of the water, we ourselves jumped INTO the water, filling the missing 33.3 percent of theoretical satisfaction with a yawn. Theoretically, because in my dreams a fish from northern seas still jumps (and waves) out of the water. Mathematically, our success could be written with a simple equation: 3 - 1 + 1 = 3. Math holds almost entirely - doesn't reach dreams."







"Sara and Marija managed to climb quite a few good routes in northern Norway despite fickle weather. Of course, two first ascents of mixed ice-rock routes stand out. But their alpinistic expedition, besides good climbing, is also proof of what true and sincere friendship means. That's also one of the essential qualities of alpinism, at least from this more human side. I can conclude that the girls continue the high level of Slovenian women's alpinism," assessed their expedition Miha Habjan from the Alpinism Commission of the Alpine Association of Slovenia.







Slovenia's most successful female alpinists of the recent period, who together have climbed numerous routes in Slovenian mountains, explored steep walls of Madagascar, USA and Dolomites, icefalls of Canada and participated in SMAR - Slovenian youth alpinistic team expeditions to Morocco and Georgia, are truly a well-matched duo - both in climbing and character. "Maybe our strong point is that despite similarities we are different - one is tall, one small; since I'm taller, Sara can step on my shoulder to even reach the route detail, climb it and then I can follow her. At the same time, we cheer each other on and encourage. Together we can do it! The expedition to Senja was accompanied by some unpleasant incidents from the start, but we faced them very relaxed. So we had a really good time despite many inconveniences," Marija adds the final touch.







Marija Jeglič presented the Senja 2020 expedition upon return to Slovenia in Stories from Isolation, which on the initiative of the Alpinism Section of PD Kranj under the auspices of the PZS Alpinism Commission came alive during the new coronavirus epidemic. With charitably tinted online alpinistic lectures, they have already shortened Thursday evenings for vertical enthusiasts: AO PD Kranj leader Miha Zupin with climbing in Pakistan, Nepal and last year's expedition with Janez Svoljšak to Alaska, Marija and Andrej Štremfelj, the first married couple on Everest, described their alpinistic path, and Marta Krejan Čokl revived the memory of the first women's alpinistic camp in Vratih in 1949. Next Thursday, April 23 at 8 PM, one of the main protagonists of world alpinism Luka Lindič will present alpinism on the edge of dreams with Ines Papert, the following Thursday, April 30, Matija Volontar, member of the Slovenian youth alpinistic team, will lecture on SMAR, routes and meaning. Lectures are free, to watch just join the online zoom classroom in time, all viewers are also invited to donate to help families or organizations chosen by the lecturers - so far Dava Karničar's family, Slovenian Mountain Rescue Association or Izhod Teen Challenge Association. All past lectures can be viewed on the KA PZS website, where donation details for all recipients are still posted.