LEGEND

Silvo Karo

One of the greatest climbers of all time, among the protagonists of the golden age of Slovenian climbing, Silvo Karo, born in 1960, is simply a legend.  He has left his mark everywhere: from the Alps to Patagonia to the Himalayas.
His masterpiece? Perhaps the route established with Janez Jeglic on the west face of Bhagirathi III (6454 m): a line of 1300 metres that includes VIII and A4, achieved in splendid style on 2 to 7 September 1990. But let's not forget that two years before Karo and Jeglic had also climbed the south face of Cerro Torre (3102 m), another hair-raising first ascent (Directisima del diablo, 1200 m, VII, A4 and AI5). Staying on Torre: in 1986 the memorable Directisima del infierno (1200 m, VIII+, A4, M6/7 and AI5) on the east face, established by Karo with Jeglic, Francek Knez, Pavle Kozjek, Peter Podgornik and Matjaz Fištravec. A few months later (December 1986), on the nearby Torre Egger (2850 m), Karo, Jeglic and Knez opened Psycho Vertical (950 m, VII+, A3 and 90°) along a fearsome dihedral. Speaking of dihedrals: the north-east one on Fitz Roy (3405 m), christened Diedro del diablo (950 m, VII and A2) was climbed by Karo and friends (1983). What else can we say? Just that as the years go by Silvo has never stopped and among other things, in 2006 he made the first ascent in one day of the mythical Eternal Flame on the Trango Nameless Tower (6238 m).