Slovenia Marks 240 Years Since First Ascent of Triglav (Feature)

By , 24 Aug 2018, 09:06 AM Lifestyle
Postcard of Aljaž Tower, 1923 Postcard of Aljaž Tower, 1923 Wikimedia, public domain

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STA, 24 August 2018 - Two hundred and forty years will have passed on 26 August since the first recorded ascent of Mt Triglav, Slovenia's highest peak, which later became a symbol of the nation. A ceremony marking the anniversary will be held in Bohinj on Friday. 

Mt Triglav was conquered on 26 August 1778 by four men from Bohinj - miners Luka Korošec and Matevž Kos, hunter Štefan Rožič and doctor Lovrenc Willomitzer.

On 24 August, they reached the Velo Polje mountain (1675 m) at the foot of Triglav, continued their expedition the next day and conquered the 2,864-metre high Triglav on 26 August.

They stayed at the top of the mountain for two hours and left a proof of their accomplishment in the form of their initials carved into the rock. They also carved the initials of Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II and the patron of the expedition, baron Žiga Zois.

They also carved the initials of scientist Baltazar Hacquet, whose attempt to climb Triglav failed a year earlier.

Later, there were some speculation that only three members of the expedition actually made it to the top but these doubts were dispersed on the 200th anniversary of the ascent, when a monument was erected in Bohinj to honour the four.

This was a milestone that put Slovenians at the end of the 18th century in the lead among the Alpine nations that would conquer their highest peaks in the next 20 to 30 years, says the vice president of the Slovenian Mountaineering Association, Martin Šolar.

Regardless of the fact that Triglav has a relatively low altitude, its ascent was an extraordinary achievement, he believes.

Slovenians climbed Triglav, which was 3,018 metres high according to the 1744 measurements, eight years before Mont Blanc was conquered, 22 years before the first ascent to Grossglockner and 87 years before the conquer of Matterhorn.

Several events were organised around the anniversary in the Bohinj area, celebrating the "boldness, courage and know-how", which the four men from Bohinj shared to have successfully completed their undertaking, said the coordinator of the events Bojan Traven of Bohinj Tourism.

Events were organised to inspire children to think about the achievement, a symposium was held about the importance of Triglav and debates on the enormous interest in climbing the mountain today.

A literary competition was organised, an exhibition and a tour to Triglav following the route of its first four conquerors. The tour foremost promotes sustainable mountaineering.

Mountaineers will also collect seals marking the anniversary along their way to Triglav this year and get a special one on the top.

The anniversary will be marked with a ceremony in Bohinj on Friday at the monument to the first conquerors. The event will also mark the municipal holiday and Mountaineers' Day.

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