Blaz Stres

I’m an IFMGA Mountain Guide and an Alpine Instructor from Slovenia.

At the back of the house where I grew up, past a slope, a higher hill and some rocks, you could see Mount Triglav rising towards the blue sky.

Mountains were a part of my backyard and I started practicing alpinism when I was a schoolboy. At that time, I enrolled for a sport climbing school and I became an alpine instructor in 1995.

Between 1995 and 1997, I’ve been a member of the Sub-commission on Extreme Alpinism for the Slovene Alpine Society. Some years later, I was Chief of the Commission for Alpinism.

As a member of the alpine team, I went on several expeditions in North and South America, the Himalaya, the Tian Shan and the Kookshall-Too mountain range.

I climbed more than 700 routes in Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland and France. Long winter climbs and ridges are always among my favorites.

I made some first winter ascents: on two routes on the north wall of Ribezni, Možnica (700m, V+, 5, UIAA VI/A1) and in Jof di Montasio / Poliški Špik, Grapa (700m, UIAA 4, ascent and complete ridge traverse). Other memorable climbs were a winter traverse of 4000 m peaks in Mont Blanc (4807 m) and the Slovenian Peuterey ridge traverse, among many others.

After 6 years of training, I obtained my IFMGA certification in 2010.

I organize many guided ski touring, rock climbing and ice climbing trips in Slovenia, especially in the surroundings of Mt. Triglav and the whole Soča valley.