The exhibition titled Mighty Walls, Top Successes of Slovenian Alpinists in the Himalayas shows the extraordinary first routes that put Slovenian Himalayanism on the world throne.
In memory of the great Slovenian name of Himalayanism Nejca Zaplotnik is written by Jelena Justin and M.Sc. Monika Rogelj prepared this special exhibition. The exhibition was prepared in the Gorenj Museum, and it is currently on view in the Slovenian Ethnographic Museum as an accompanying event of the ceremony of the Consul General of the Republic of Nepal in Slovenia, Mr. Aswin Shrestha, on the 60th anniversary of the first ascent of the highest mountain in the world. Everest.
The exhibition presents top-notch, outstanding achievements of Slovenian mountaineers in the Himalayas, which resonated not only in domestic circles, but also in the international world. Above all, it is about exceptional first-class courses that have put Slovenian Himalayanism on the world throne. The exhibition is opened by an introductory panel, which factually explains the path of Slovenian alpinists to the great, unclimbed walls of the Himalayan giants - from the first peak, the first route in the south face of the eight-thousander Makaluja in 1975 onwards. As many as 7 mountaineers reached the summit during this feat. The expedition follows Gasherbrum 1977, when they Andrej Štremfelj and Nejc Zaplotnik climbed the championship route along the southwest ridge, followed by the legendary "machine", the Everest 1979 expedition, whose goal was to climb the championship route along the west ridge. On May 13, 1979, the first Slovenians stood on the summit of Everest, Andrej Štremfelj and Nejc Zaplotnik, in two more days Stane Belak Šrauf, Stipe Božić and Sherpa Ang Phu.
From here on, the exhibition shows a lot of interesting and historical things, which emphasizes that Slovenian Himalayan history is a history of glorious successes and great tragedies. As they wrote in the presentation: "Alpinists, with their dedication to discovering the useless world, movement in the world of death, with inhuman efforts and, not infrequently, even crossing the limits of the possible, have anchored Slovenia to the world's alpinist throne."
photo: Gorenjski Museum
