Asia, Nepal, Ama Dablam, Northwest Face, The Stane Belak-Srauf Memorial Route

Publication Year: 1997.

Ama Dablam, Northwest Face, The Stane Belak-Srauf Memorial Route. Vanja Furlan and Tomaz Humar climbed the central part of the northwest face of Ama Dablam (6828 m) in alpine style in April and May over two attempts. Their first attempt, which took place between April 21 and 25, was abandoned at 5700 meters because of bad weather. The second attempt started on April 30. The pair spent the first night on a serac at 5630 meters; a 300-meter rock barrier above it was the crux of the route. They climbed it in one and a half days, encountering ice between 70 and 90 degrees and two rock pitches (V+, A2+). The upper part was easier, but another two and half days were spent before they summited on May 4 at 4:45 p.m. They descended via the normal route and returned to Base Camp on May 5. The ascent was awarded the Piolet d'Or by Groupe Haute Montagne and Montagne magazine in December 1996.

Later in the summer, Vanja Furlan died after a long fall on a moderate route in Velika Mojstrovka in the Julian Alps. A full account of their climb appears earlier in this journal.