Toni Hiebeler, 1930-1984 and Aleš Kunaver, 1935-1984

Publication Year: 1985.

TONI HIEBELER

1930-1984

ALEŠ KUNAVER

1935-1984

It is unusual for the A.A.J. to publish obituaries of non-members, but in 1984 we have suffered the loss of three very close collaborators of our journal. Toni Hiebeler, his wife Traudl, Aleš Kunaver and the helicopter pilot plunged to their deaths on November 2 while on an aerial photographic flight of the Julian Alps between Jesenice and Bled, Yugoslavia. Tim Lewis, commemorated below, died of cancer earlier in the year. All three could always to be counted on to supply valuable information and assist in other ways with the A.A.J.

Toni Hiebeler was an outstanding climber with some 50 new routes in the Alps to his credit, perhaps the most outstanding of which were the winter ascents of the north faces of the Eiger in 1961 and the Civetta in 1963. He was doubtless the foremost mountain editor of the German-speaking world. He founded Bergkamerad in 1957 and edited it for six years. In 1963 he founded Alpinismus, which he edited for many years. In 1982-3 he undertook the editorship of Bergsteiger. He published many mountain books, often illustrated by his marvelous photographs. Whatever he turned his hand to he gave the touch of excellence.

Aleš Kunaver was one of the best Yugoslav climbers. The climbs he did in his homeland and other parts of the Alps were outstanding. He led seven Yugoslav expeditions to the Himalaya, among the most notable of which were those to the south faces of Makalu and Lhotse. He was a key figure in the establishment of a school for training Nepalese mountain guides at Manang. Aleš combined a warm gentle spirit with forcefulness. He was thoughtful and kind. He upheld the welfare of less favored mountain peoples as if they were his own. As the Yugoslav representative of the UIAA, he could always be counted on to see the broad aspects of problems. He helped countless times with this journal. These two are a great loss to the world of mountaineering.