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Alpine Warriors

Bernadette McDonald

4.17 · Rating details · 116 ratings · 9 reviews

Although Yugoslavia managed to avoid becoming involved in WWII until 1941, German armies invaded in April of that year and the Yugoslavian defense collapsed in less than two weeks. The state of Slovenia was split up amongst Germany, Hungary and Italy. Partisan groups, under the leadership of Josip Tito, managed to liberate the state by 1945, and then began a period of rela Although Yugoslavia managed to avoid becoming involved in WWII until 1941, German armies invaded in April of that year and the Yugoslavian defense collapsed in less than two weeks. The state of Slovenia was split up amongst Germany, Hungary and Italy. Partisan groups, under the leadership of Josip Tito, managed to liberate the state by 1945, and then began a period of relative calm, under the benevolent rule of Tito. A Communist, he began to distance himself from the Soviet Union, looking to western economic models as Yugoslavia struggled to rebuild. During the thirty years following the war, a Yugoslavian passport was one of the best in the world, and Yugoslavians could travel freely during this time, if they had the money. Most did not.

But alpinists did. Through centralized government programs that established elaborate training régimes and state-supported expeditions abroad, Yugoslavian alpinists began making impressive climbs in the Himalaya as early as 1960. By the early 70’s, they had advanced to the 8000ers. Although not exclusively Slovenian, the teams were – not surprisingly – dominated by Slovenian climbers, since Slovenia is blessed with the Julian Alps. A fiercely steep range of limestone peaks, the Julian Alps provided the ideal training ground for Slovenian climbers, in both summer and winter. The brooding north faces and razor-sharp ridges taught them the skills they would need on the highest mountains on earth – the Himalaya.

But when Tito died in 1980, the calm period ended. Inter-ethnic conflict and economic decline ripped the country apart. Serbian Communist leader, Slobodan Miloševic, led the charge with, what appeared to be an unstoppable strategy of aggression and oppression. But he misread the strength and character of several Yugoslavian states, including that most northerly one – Slovenia. By the summer of 1991, Slovenia was an independent country.

Slovenia continued the tradition of support for climbers, and success breeds success. By 1995, all of the 8000ers had been climbed by Slovenian teams. And in the next ten years, some of the most dramatic and futuristic climbs were made by Slovenian climbers. Apart from a few superstars, most of these amazing athletes remain unknown in the West.

What prompted this Himalayan performance by a tiny nation of just two million people? Life in Slovenia during this period was defined by shortages, preoccupation with ethnic conflict and poor living conditions. Yet, like had previously happened in Poland, its neighbor to the North, Slovenian climbers seemed to thrive and excel in these trying conditions, setting standards that no other country could replicate. Alpine Warriors explores the explosion of Slovenian alpinism within the context of its turbulent political history. ...more

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Hardcover, 336 pages

Published September 21st 2015 by RMB | Rocky Mountain Books

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· 116 ratings · 9 reviews

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Aug 11, 2016 Tina rated it liked it

Všeč mi je bil popolnoma zunanji in precej objektiven pogled na slovenski alpinizem. Tudi vzponi so bili opisani precej tehnično, kar je dobrodošlo, kajti ko bereš knjige plezalcev samih, je običajno poudarjen predvsem čustveni vidik vzpona. Tako oboje naredi smiselno celoto. Ni pa mi bilo všeč pretirano opiranje na Pot Nejca Zaplotnika in nekateri citati so bili resnično vzeti iz konteksta, samo da bi podprli avtoričino trenutno misel. To se mi je zdelo nekoliko nepotrebno.

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Oct 10, 2017 Mihai rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2015-books, mountaineering, owned

Fascinating account of the history of Slovenian high altitude alpinism, which was at the forefront of the sport of mountaineering for almost two decades, from the mid-1970s through the 1990s. Like all of author McDonald's previous books, Alpine Warriors is a compulsive read that sets the scene well through important geopolitical facts (which in the case of former Yugoslavia are critical), and presents the climbing personalities with just enough detail so that the reader does not get bogged down ...more

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Nov 13, 2019 Ivan Kantardziski rated it liked it

This is 280 pages of evidence why Slovenians don't belong in the Balkans and probably wound up here by some mistake.

As amazing they are as alpinists and as people, the book was a bit dull. It just didn't connect many dots or delve s bit into a topic from which it could extract more meaning. Also I found the historical explanations of WWII and postwar Yugoslavia simplistic.

Overall, a nice book to learn more about the amazing Slovenian climbing world and the Slovenian people in general which I adm ...more

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May 04, 2017 Bill Leach rated it liked it

Accounts of bold new mountaineering routes carried out by Slovenians during the 1980's and 1990's, where they were among the leading mountaineers of the world in terms of fast climbs over difficult terrain. Unfortunately, bold routes are usually higher risk routes. Six of the people highlighted in the book eventually died in the mountains.
...more

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May 21, 2019 J rated it it was ok

just skimmed it, too much detail

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Sep 18, 2020 Camila Oyarzún rated it really liked it

Interesante historia de los alpinistas eslovenos y su forma de organizar y ejecutar expediciones.

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Aug 08, 2016 Marko rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: gorništvo

Zgodovina slovenskega alpinizma, podana skozi osebne zgodbe najpomembnejših akterjev. Odveč so (slovenskemu bralcu) zgolj odstavki z zgodovino Jugoslavije, ki z osrednjo zgodbo nimajo neposredne povezave.

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Nov 16, 2016 Matic Sket rated it it was ok

Shelves: mountains, real-life

Neka sredina, ni "ful dobra" in tudi ni "za en k*rac."
Tako na kratko opise podvige Alpskih bojevnikov v vseh mogocnih gorah Sveta.
Za kaksne bolj podrobne poglede v same ekspidicije, pa je bolje prebrati knjige ki so jih spisali sami junaki, tako imenovani Alpski bojevniki. ...more

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