“Anyone looking for a goal will remain empty when it will be reached,

but whoever finds a way, will always carry the goal inside.”

Nejc Zaplotnik

THE PATH is a novel by Slovenian author and climber Nejc Zaplotnik (1952-1983). It was first published in Ljubljana 1981. The book narrates, in a novelized way, Zaplotnik’s life and experiences as an alpinist in postwar Slovenia, culminating in the ascension of both Makalu and Everest.

It is 41 years since Andrej Štremfelj and Nejc Zaplotnik made history as the first Slovenians who reached the summit of the highest mountain in the world. By 1979, the summit of Mount Everest had been reached by every major ridge, yet a large expedition from Yugoslavia arrived to top their last achievement of making the first ascent of Makalu South Face. The West Ridge of Everest was a long unconventional line to the top. It was first climbed by the Americans in 1963, and is still well celebrated in the United States today. Except the Americans climbed only the upper half. The Yugoslavians came to traverse it all starting at the base, low in the Lho La pass.

Like many national expeditions in those days, it was huge. It included 25 Yugoslavian mountaineers, 19 Sherpas, three cooks, three kitchen boys, two mail runners, 700 porters and 18 tons of gear. The ascent had to overcome a steep and severe gap, which required a winch to overcome so it was possible to haul the gear over the broken portion of the ridge. All efforts and ingenuity combined, the Yugoslavians positioned three Slovenian climbers at Camp V who were close to each other, Nejc Zaplotnik, Andrej Stremfelj, and Andrej’s brother, Marko Stremfelj.

The aim of the expedition was to climb the West Ridge, first time in history. An expedition that worked in the spirit of a time when collective consciousness ruled to achieve a goal would not work as it did if it were not logistically and organizationally well managed. From Khumbu Glacier at 5350 m, where the base camp was located, rises 700m high rock wall of the Lho La saddle, followed by a 1200-meter-high slope of the Western Shoulder, continuing into a 2500-meter long, laid but sharp and windy ridge, at the end of which is the beginning of the steep and vibrant peak of the Everest Pyramid. Because the wall of the Lho-La saddle was overhanging in the upper part, cargo could not be carried on the back, so Stefan Marenče constructed a manual ropeway at home, with the help of which more than 5 tonnes of equipment was used for the altitude supply of the camps.

The goal of the expedition was reached on 13 May 1979 at 13.51, when Andrej Štremfelj and Nejc Zaplotnik stood as the first Slovenes on the roof of the world. “We sit by the Chinese pyramid and we don’t know what to do!” (Nejc Zaplotnik)

On May 15, 1979 at 2.30pm, Stane Belak-Schrauf, Croat Stipe Bozic and Sherpa Ang Phu also reached the summit. Ang Phu accidentally slipped 2000 meters deep onto the Chinese side when descending.

Format: 18,8 x 12,5 cm

282 pages

Paperback