Most successful sport climbers, alpinists...

Most successful sport climbers, alpinists, ski mountaineers and ice climber of 2022.

The Alpine Association of Slovenia awarded recognitions for top achievements in alpinism, sport climbing, ski mountaineering and ice climbing for the year 2022 at the alpinism-climbing evening on 16 February at the Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre. In sport climbing, Janja Garnbret and Luka Potočar won the awards, Mojstran Squirrels were honoured for lifetime achievement in alpinism, the most successful female alpinist is Anja Petek and male alpinist Luka Stražar, the top ski mountaineers are Karmen Klančnik Pobežin and Luka Kovačič, and the most successful ice climber is Maja Šuštar Habjan.

The gathering was opened by Miha Habjan, Vice-President of the Alpine Association of Slovenia, who proudly congratulated the awardees: "At PZS, we are sincerely happy and very proud to have such diverse, athletically rich, excellent and top athletes under our umbrella. Alpinists have been shaping the world elite for decades. Sport climbers pamper us with constant top successes and place our dear Slovenia among the world's sport climbing superpowers. Competitive ski mountaineers and competitive ice climbers, we are also proud of you, as you consistently delight us with successes and present your two attractive and interesting sports disciplines to us."


The purpose of the selection by the Alpine Association of Slovenia (PZS) and its commissions for alpinism, sport climbing and mountain sports is to evaluate the highest quality alpinistic ascents, top sport climbing achievements, successes in ski mountaineering and ice climbing, and to present the most prominent achievements in these sports disciplines to the public.


Most successful sport climbers 2022


The most successful female sport climber for the sixth time in a row is Janja Garnbret (Šaleški AO), who also dominated the world sport climbing scene in 2022. She returned from the European Championship with wins in lead, bouldering and combined, and for the sixth time she became the overall World Cup winner by a wide margin.


The most successful male sport climber for the second time is Luka Potočar (ŠPO PD Radovljica), who had his most successful season to date last year. He achieved his first World Cup win in lead at the home event in Koper. Together with other excellent results at World Cup events, it brought him the overall win, and from the European Championship in Munich he brought a silver medal in lead.

Recognitions for top achievements at competitions were received by Katja Debevec (PK Scena), who took second place in the bouldering final at the World Games in Birmingham, USA, Mia Krampl (AO PD Kranj) won a silver medal in combined at the European Championship. She reached the final three more times at World Cup lead events, including once on the podium, Jernej Kruder (ŠPO PD Celje-Matica), who took sixth place in bouldering at the European Championship in Munich, Vita Lukan (ŠPO PD Radovljica), who qualified for the final twice at World Cup lead events and stood on the podium at a European Cup lead event, Anže Peharc (AO PD Kranj), who took second place at the World Cup bouldering event in Salt Lake City, Lana Skušek, who took third place in lead at the World Games in Birmingham, USA, and Domen Škofic (ŠPO PD Radovljica), who took seventh place in lead at the European Championship.

Recognitions for promising sport climbers for results at the World and European Youth Championships were received by Jennifer Buckley (DRPK), Sara Čopar (ŠPO PD Celje-Matica), Lovro Črep (Šaleški AO), Tim Korošec (PK Škofja Loka), Timotej Romšak (PK Kamnik) and Lucija Tarkuš (AK Impol Slovenska Bistrica).

Most successful alpinists of 2022



The most successful female alpinist of the past year is Anja Petek (AK Rinka), who is no longer a newcomer on the scene and is a central figure in the women's alpinism scene during this time. In 2022, she climbed a lot, well and in various parts of the world. She crowned the season with an expedition to Peru, where she strung together an enviable number of ascents in a short time, among which the complex first ascent route Fango Fiesta in the east face of the 6000m Hualcán stands out.

The most successful male alpinist of 2022 is Luka Stražar (Akademski alpinistični odsek), who convinced the commission with a high level of free climbing in big alpine walls – both in winter and summer. The winter free repeat of No Siesta in Grandes Jorasses, which he did with Nejc Marčič in three days, stands out, and among the summer ones especially the Triglav routes Korenina, Obraz Sfinge and Raz mojstranških veveric, to which we can add some demanding ascents in the Slovenian Alps, Dolomites and Paklenica.


The most promising female alpinist is Lara Nikolič (AO PD Radovljica) and the most promising male alpinist is Gregor Šegel (AO PD Ljubljana–Matica). Lara has already completed a series of enviable ascents at just twenty years old. In 2022 she was active throughout the year, although demanding summer classics – sevenths: from Kogl and Vežica to Triglav stand out. Šegel successfully climbed in Patagonia at the beginning of 2022 - with Blaž Karner they climbed the Italian Route in the east face of Aguja Saint Exupéry and a combination of two routes in the Goretta Tower (Fitz Roy).

The PZS Alpinism Commission awarded recognitions for special achievements in alpinism to Luka Lindic (AO PD Celje–Matica) for the most demanding free-climbed route in the Slovenian mountains: Nevidna preobrazba, which he pioneered together with Ines Papert, Nejc Marčič (AO PD Radovljica) for the demanding No Siesta route in Grandes Jorasses, which they managed with Luka Stražar in three days at the end of January 2022, Bor Levičnik (AO PD Ljubljana–Matica), Žiga Oražm (AO Kamnik) and Matija Volontar (AO PD Jesenice) for the first ascent route named Screaming Barfies in the west face of the 6180m high Pomalce in the Nepalese Himalaya, Jernej Kruder (ŠPO PD Celje–Matica) for a series of excellent alpine rock ascents led by Bellavista (8b+) in the Cinas, which is the second ascent for Luka Krajnc in this cult overhanging route, and Andrej Jež (AK Črna) for the first ascent in the east face of the 6000m Hualcán in the Peruvian Cordillera Blanca.

This year's recipients of the lifetime achievement award in alpinism are the Mojstran Squirrels (Janez Brojan, Klavdij Mlekuž, Janko Ažman and Janez Dovžan; posthumously Zvone Kofler and Miha Smolej), who thoroughly stirred the domestic alpinism scene in the 1960s and 1970s, and also attracted attention beyond the borders with their feats. In home walls, Dolomites and Central Alps they completed a series of demanding ascents. They were the core of the Mojstrana Mountain Rescue Service, which at that time carried out the largest and most difficult rescues in the mountains.

Most successful in ski mountaineering 2022



The most successful female ski mountaineer 2022 is Karmen Klančnik Pobežin (TSK LiMa), for many years the best Slovenian competitor in ski mountaineering. Luka Kovačič (Društvo za razvoj turnega smučanja) was selected as the most successful male ski mountaineer for the fourth time, last year 18th in ascent and 25th overall at the European Championship. The promising recognition went to Maj Pritržnik (TSK LiMa), 8th in ascent at the European Championship among juniors, and 5th in sprints.


Most successful in ice climbing 2022


Maja Šuštar Habjan (AO PD Domžale) is the most successful Slovenian athlete in competitive ice climbing in recent years. The past season was also very successful. In addition to the national champion title, she qualified for finals at European Cup events and among others stood on the podium at the event in Žilina.

Sincere congratulations to all recipients of the awards with the wish that in 2022 they will continue to impress themselves and us with new achievements, above all succeeding in preserving the unwaveringness, dedication and passion that guide them in performing at such a top level.