Dne 26. oktobra 1998 je 29-letni Tomaž Humar po 15-dnevnem vzponu uspešno zaključil plezanje po smeri Reticent Wall (VI, 5.9, A5, 1300 m) na El Capitanu v narodnem parku Yosemite. S tem je postal prvi evropski plezalec, ki je to izjemno zahtevno tehnično smer preplezal samostojno.
Tomaž Humar je širši javnosti znan predvsem po svojih uspešnih vzponih v Himalaji. Leta 1997 je skupaj z Janezom Jegličem v alpskem slogu preplezal zahodno steno Nuptseja, leto pred tem pa je v istem slogu z Vanjo Furlanom preplezal severozahodno steno Ama Dablama. Leta 1995 je dosegel vrh Annapurne po francoski smeri, plezal pa je tudi v Pumoriju, Lobucheju in Bobayeju, kjer je opravil solo vzpon.
O vzponu na Reticent Wall je Tomaž zapisal:
»Zame je ta vzpon še toliko pomembnejši, ker sem ga opravil brez predhodnih izkušenj s smermi na El Capitanu. Lahko rečem: prišel sem, pogledal sem in preplezal sem.«
V domačih Kamniških Alpah je Humar že prej preplezal več tehnično izjemno zahtevnih smeri, ocenjenih z A4 in A5, kar mu je dalo samozavest za oceno:
»Zdaj, ko sem preplezal eno najzahtevnejših tehničnih smeri na svetu z oceno A5, vem, da so bile moje smeri v Sloveniji pravilno ocenjene. Res pa je, da sem se prvič preizkusil v plezanju po velikih stenah tukaj v ZDA.«
Vzpon je zahteval natančno taktiko, zlasti glede opreme in logistike, saj je bilo zbiranje informacij o smeri omejeno.
»Pustolovščina v El Capitanu je bila zame nekaj povsem novega. Vajen sem hladnih razmer in objektivnega tveganja v Himalaji. Reticent Wall pa je s svojimi 1300 metri zagotovo najtežja tehnična smer, ki sem jo kadarkoli preplezal.«
Pogled naprej
Za leto 1999 Tomaž načrtuje nove vzpone v evropskih Alpah in Himalaji, kjer ga še naprej privlačijo najvišje in najzahtevnejše stene sveta.
Tomaž Humar climbed solo the Reticent Wall in El Capitan
On the 26th of October 1998 Tomaz Humar, 29, after 15 – day – climb finished the ascent in the Reticent Wall route (VI, 5.9 A5, 1300m) in El Capitan, Yosemite National Park. Tomaz is a well known Slovenian climber due to his successfull climbs in the Himalaya. A year ago he climbed the West face of Nuptse together with Janez Jeglic. The ascent was made in alpine stile. In the same stile he also climbed the North – West face of Ama Dablam, together with Vanja Furlan. In 1995 he did the French route to the Annapurna summit and he also climber mew routes in Pumori, Lobuche and solo Bobaye.
Tomaž says: “for me the climb of The Reticent Wall route is even more important because I did it without any experiences in el Capitanb routes. I can say: I came. I looked and I climbed it”. In Slovenia, in Kamnik Alps, Tomaz climbed a few very demanding tehnical routes like A4 and also A5. “Now, after I climbed one the most demanding tehnical routes of the world with a modern grade of A5, I know that my routes in Slovenia were graded correctly. But, it is also true that I first tried big wall climbing here in USA.”
Tomaž had some difficulties with the tactics of the climb especially what and how much to take in the wall. He also hed some problems with the gathering of the information about the route. “The adventure in the El Capitan was something totally new for me, for I am used to cold conditions and objective risk in the Himalaya mountains. I climbed some tehnically more demanding routes before the Reticent Wall but the whole route with its 1300m is for sure the most difficult aid climb I have ever done”. He is first European climber who solo this route.
For the next year Tomaz is Planning some climbs in the European Alps and also in the Himalaya were his interests are in the highest and the most demanding walls.
Address for contact: Tomaz Humar: Vilka Rozica 4b, SI-1240 Kamnik, tel. + 386 61 811-87-0 (or my e-mail)
