Top alpinist Davo Karničar has died
17.09.2019
In the vicinity of Jezersko, an accident occurred this afternoon while felling a tree on private property, in which top Slovenian alpinist and extreme alpine skier Davo Karničar died. He was the first Slovene and the first person in the world to ski uninterrupted from the summit of the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest.
According to TV Slovenija, the alpinist died during forestry work. As reported by the Kranj Police Administration, Karničar was injured while sawing a taller tree, which broke and fell on the alpinist. The news of his death was also confirmed by the Alpine Association of Slovenia.
"Born and living in Jezersko, the mountains were placed in his cradle. The traditional mountaineering and hut-keeping family from which he came opened the doors for Davo to the most demanding activities - alpinism and alpinistic skiing," wrote the Alpine Association of Slovenia.
He wrote the history of Slovenian alpinism
Fifty-six-year-old Davo Karničar was an alpinist, alpinistic skier, alpinistic instructor, mountain rescuer, teacher, and skiing coach. He came from a well-known family in Jezersko, which has been taking care of the Češka koča on Spodnje Ravne for many years. Since 1980, he has completed more than 1,800 climbing ascents, approaches, and steep ski descents.
With his brother Drejec, they were the first Slovenes to ski from an eight-thousander (from Annapurna, 8,091 m). He was the first person in the world to ski uninterrupted from the summit of the 8,848-meter-high Everest (in 2000). He also skied the summits of all seven continents.
He fulfilled his long-standing dreams
"I was born to ski from Everest," Karničar once said, and with the help of a large group of people who prepared the project for quite some time, he fulfilled his dream 17 years ago. On a clear and extremely cold day, he descended from the summit of the mighty eight-thousander and ended his skiing journey less than five hours later in the base camp at an altitude of 5,350 meters.
"I gained enormous self-confidence, actually an inexhaustible source of self-confidence, and that is wonderful," Karničar said about this feat, which he achieved as the first Earthling, in an interview for Sportal some time ago.
Source: https://siol.net/novice/slovenija/v-okolici-kranja-pri-podiranju-drevesa-umrl-moski-507304