Dijana Vrhovac from Banja Luka will remember this July 28 for the rest of her life. That day, this mountain climber, a former journalist, made one of her biggest dream in a three-years-long climbing career true – she conquered the highest peak of Western Europe, the famous Mont Blanc.
“The expedition lasted for ten days, and it was a mixed type of expedition which included five members of the mountaineering club Summit from Banja Luka, two members from Serbia and one member from Ljubljana. That feeling after the fog clears out is really amazing, and after nine hours of extreme efforts we made the unavoidable photography. The descent was not easy as well since you are already exhausted, your body is giving up, you are heavily breathing, all of that takes the toll,” said Dijana.
This is not Dijana’s only success, because she conquered Elbrus last year as well, which is actually the highest peak in Europe at a height of 5.642 meters, or nearly 1,000 meters higher than Mont Blanc.
“I climbed to Elbrus a lot harder than on Mont Blanc, and I had a huge crisis, but I managed to overcome all of that and get to the top, but of course, nothing happened overnight. Before those large peaks, I climbed almost all the major peaks in the former Yugoslavia, as well as Europe, and they are the highest peak of Balkan Musala, the highest peaks of Germany Alpspitze and Zugspitze, all the tops of the Dolomites in Italy, so I am done with Europe,” said Dijana proudly.
Her next goal is 5,895 meters high Kilimanjaro, while she is not thinking about the “top of the world” yet.
Diana said that there is no regular training for mountain climbing, it is a matter of individual approach, and she is maintaining her physical form through volleyball and walking. She is taking care of her diet, but she is not on any kind of rigorous regime. He noted that the alpinists Dusko Blazic “infected” her with mountaineering after he recognized the potential in her.
“Basically, everything is in the mind, that is very important, if you want something, love it and enjoy it, then you are going for it,” said this fearless girl from Banja Luka.
(Source: M. T./Klix.ba)
