Janak 2012 Expedition is Coming Home

The Janak 2012 mountaineering expedition set off on September 20 and is returning to Brnik Airport this Sunday, November 11, 2012. The expedition achieved its main goal – a new route has been climbed in the hitherto untouched west face of the seven-thousander Janak, signed by Luka Stražar and Nejc Marčič with their first ascent, recipients of this year's Piolet d'Or.

The expedition consists of leader Miha Habjan (Academic Mountaineering Section), Piolet d'Or recipients Luka Stražar (Academic AM) and Nejc Marčič (AM Mountaineering Association PD Radovljica), nominee for this year's Piolet d'Or Igor Kremser (Academic AM), and Matevž Jerman (AM Mountaineering Association PD Ljubljana-Matica). The main goals of the expedition, financed by the Alpine Association of Slovenia, were a new route in the west face, a new route in the south face with the first approach to the east summit of Janak. All in alpine style. The expedition members are currently in Kathmandu, all are OK and satisfied with the expedition. On St. Martin's Sunday, November 11, they land at Jožeta Pučnika Airport at Brnik at 11:20 a.m.

On Monday, October 22, Luka Stražar and Nejc Marčič, recipients of the 2012 Piolet d'Or for the 2011 ascent Dreamers of the Golden Caves in the west face of K7 West, climbed a NEW, first-ascent route in the still untouched WEST FACE OF JANAK and achieved the MAIN goal of the expedition. Mountaineer Luka Stražar, member of the team with Nejc Marčič, with whom they climbed the new, first-ascent route in the west face of Janak and named it Blue Racer, described the ascent and route as follows: "The route was not technically demanding, the biggest problem was mainly the cold and wind on the second day of the ascent. In the route we encountered many sections of hard ice. The ascent took a full two days, we reached the summit on the second day just before 2 p.m. We returned to ABC around 11 p.m. Originally, the ascent route was planned more in the central part of the wall, but due to somewhat poorer snow conditions, it remained unrealized. We thus joined our line in the upper part to the route of Andrej Štremflj and Rok Zalokar from 2006." Data on the first-ascent route in the west face of Janak: BLUE RACER, 60/70 degrees, locally 80, M4, length: 1100 m first-ascent, 1400 m entire wall, climbed 2 days.

The area of the Himalayas in eastern Nepal is one of the most remote mountain regions. The approach to the main summit of Janak (7090 m) was done only once (2006 – Štremfelj, Zalokar – new route via SW pillar), the east summit of Janak is still without summit approach. In the south face, several attempts have been made, nothing to the top. The west face of Janak was untouched before our expedition arrived. Our mountaineers set up base camp in Lhonak at 4700 meters, where there was no other expedition. They did several acclimatizations. The expedition tried to climb a first-ascent route also in the south face of Janak, and also in Lasher 1 and 2, but the attempts at first-ascent routes unfortunately ended unsuccessfully, in Lasher 2 due to poor conditions, in Lasher 1 due to gale-force wind and cold. Expedition leader Miha Habjan gave the first report on the expedition: "The expedition is concluding, we've been in Kathmandu for 2 days. Climbing didn't go entirely according to plans and wishes, but in the end we can be satisfied with the ascent achieved. - Luka and Nejc made a good and serious attempt at a first-ascent on Lasher 2. Due to poor snow-ice conditions, they didn't succeed. - In Lasher 1, strong wind and cold stopped Matevž and Igor during their attempt at a first-ascent.



- For the south face of Janak, energy ran out, and we had some health issues. The snow-ice conditions on Janak surprised us, especially in the west face. The wall was much scarcer with snow and ice than in 2005, when Andrej Štremflj and I first spotted it. Obviously, glaciers and snow are retreating faster than we'd like. Proof of this statement are also the glaciers under both Lashers, which have visibly changed their appearance since 2005. In the icefall (which we climbed with Andrej in 2005) on Lasher 1, it was impossible to enter this time. Still, we fulfilled the main goal of the expedition, a new route in the west face of Janak."

For opinions on the route, we asked two of our top mountaineers: Andrej Štremfelj climbed a new route via the SW pillar of Janak with Rok Zalokar on May 6, 2006, and with Rok they were the first on the summit of Janak at that time, so they know the area very well. About the route he said: "In the given conditions, they extracted the maximum from the wall and their abilities. It's a pity the conditions weren't better and they could have taken the route independently to the top. Modern ascents in demanding Himalayan walls and conditions are becoming similar to those in the Alps. So they are not suitable or good enough at any time to perform the ascent. The problem is only that these walls are substantially more remote and the decision for the ascent cannot be made based on news of good conditions. Otherwise, an excellent ascent in pure alpine style, worthy of Piolet d'Or recipients." Marko Prezelj, leader of the Slovenian Youth Mountaineering Team, of which Luka Stražar and Nejc Marčič are also members, was happy about their new first-ascent and evaluated it mainly from a human perspective: "Luka and Nejc proved they are not resting on their laurels. They proved they maintain their activity and are motivated for new goals, new routes. I'm happy for them. They proved they are dedicated climbers and that last year's first-ascent route Dreamers of the Golden Caves and this year's Piolet d'Or they received were no coincidence. They didn't succumb to some 'fame', but proved they are made of the right stuff for the mountains. They don't look at the environment and public opinion on popular goals; they climb what interests them, regardless of the area's popularity, which is hard in today's media-saturated time. They show mountaineering maturity and deserve all praise."

The expedition members arrive at Brnik Airport on Sunday, November 11, at 11:20.

You are cordially invited!