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The expedition was the greatest success yet of Serbian mountaineering, and it remains recorded that this was the most numerous Serbian expedition to have ever climbed the world’s highest peak. The expedition was led by Dragan Jaćimović, the first citizen from Serbia who climbed this peak seven years ago. His team had nine members, and he was joined by a tenth, Dr. Gligor Delev, from Canada. Unfortunately, in the last phase, two members of the Serbian expedition had to give up their climb due to health problems. The team included a woman – Dragana Rajblović – who climbed one of the Himalayas’ peaks last year and became the first woman from the Balkans to climb to the height of 8,200 meters.
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Mount Everest is called Sagarmata in Nepal – forehead of the sky, and in the Tibetian language it is Chamolungma –mother goddess of the universe. The summit was named after Sir George Everest, the British surveyor-general who, was assigned the task of making a topographic map of India in 1852.
The roof of the world was first climbed on May 29th, 1953, by New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepal Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. The oldest person to have ever climbed Mount Everest is 70-year Juichiro Miura from Japan, and the youngest was 15-year old Minikipa, a girl from the Sherpa ethnic group. |
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In this century, Serbs have twice climbed Mount Everest as members of international expeditions. This year they set out on their own. Preparations lasted four years, after five expeditions and the same number of climbs to Himalayan peaks, as well as trips to the Andes and the Alps. The adventure took place in the pre-monsoon season, during April and May, from the northern, Tibetian side.
Dragan Jaćimović, leader of the expedition who brought the Serbian climbers to the foot of the highest summit in the world, kept a dairy whose excerpts we publish together with photographs taken by Petar Pećanac. |
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17th May – At 14.00 hrs by local time, the team left A-B-C (6,400m) and set out toward C-1 (7,150m). We are on the way to the summit! After 50 days spent at the foot of the highest mountain in the world, the day has come.
Seeing them off today and throwing rice at "Pudji" behind them, I have a feeling they have all waited for this day. Miloš will lead the ascent and be my eyes and ears in the following days. The others are divided into teams according to their personal preferences: Ilija and Petar, Basko and Dragan, Marko and Gaga and Dr. Gligor and Simo. At C-3 (8,300m) the Sherpas will join them.
18th May (11.30 hrs local time) – On the northern saddle it is clear and sunny but above 7,500m it is totally cloudy without rain or snowfall. The weather is favourable for climbing. Five members of a Russian expedition are ascending toward C-2. It is not as crowded as it was on 15-16 May.
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19th May (15.15 hrs) – Petar and Miloš have just called by radio. They have climbed up to 8,200 meters. I didn’t expect them to climb so high so quickly. In the group are Petar, Gaga, Miloš, Basko, Ilija and Dragan. Lagging behind them half an hour are Simo and Dr. Gligor. If they keep up this tempo, the two of them will make it in time to C-3, at a height of 8,300m, and make the ascent with the others. The weather is perfect.
I am sorry for Marko. While descending from C-2 to C 1 today he used oxygen. I sent one Sherpa from A-B-C to C-1 to go with him.
I am expecting them to arrive at A-B-C in a couple of hours. Marko is not angry at me because I sent him back, which is not frequent. Tonight the two of us will follow the others on their way up to the summit. No sleeping. |
20th May (01.30 hrs) – I would give everything in the world to be up there with them. They climb slowly, monotonously conquering meter after meter. Everyone with a single thought: "Will I endure?" For now everything is going according to plan.
(02.52 hrs) Miloš has just called by radio. They crossed the first step, 8,539m, and are approaching the famous second one at 8,610m. This area can be very hard for climbing. Granite cliff s covered with fissures with frozen ice. And all that during pitch-black night. One must be cautious with securing the ropes. Bulky feather gloves impede handling equipment. The current temperature is minus 41 degrees centigrade.
(06.40 hrs) It is dawning… Is there anything more beautiful than daybreak on the Himalayas? Peter called by radio. He is in front of the Third Step. Dawn has turned him crazy.
(07.40 hrs) The weather is excellent. There is almost no wind at all.
(08.45 hrs) Yessss… Serbia on the roof of the world… The Serbian tricolor fl utters this morning on the highest point on the planet, above which there is only sky. We are: Dragan Petrić, Basar Čarovac, Ilija Andrejić and Petar Pećanac! They shout, cry, rejoice… The rest of the team is approaching the summit.
(10.00 hrs) The other part of the team has reached the top! Dragana Rajblović, Miloš Ivačković, Dr. Gligor Delev and Sherpas Lakhpa, Turke and Soam.
Miloš called me and told me a lot of things he has never told anyone else. It is Everest, the roof of the world. It activates emotions you weren’t aware you had.
Peter is blocked. I think he will use the energy of this day as long as he lives. Dr. Gligor still cannot come to himself and take in what is happening to him and where he is. Gaga is pure Zen Buddhism. If I live five hundred years I won’t reach the state of spirit he has.
Now follow the most important and the most difficult part of the expedition; the descent down to C-2 (7,800m). It is much more difficult then climbing to the top.
| The word 'himalaya' is of Sanskrit origin: "hima" means snow, "laya" place of living. Out of 14 of the world’s summits that rise above 8,000 meters, eight are in Nepal, among them is Mount Everest. It rises above two thirds of the earth’s atmosphere, its climate is harsh, especially in winter when temperatures are 45 degrees below zero centigrade and when winds reach speeds of up to 225 km per hour. There is one interesting thing. The height of 8,848 meters was established in 1955 but the latest satellite measurement made in 1999 showed the elevation to be 8,850 meters. The summit of Everest rises about six millimeters a year. | | 
