Veberič Ivo, tragically deceased mountaineer

Veberič Ivo, tragically deceased mountaineer

Symbol: The last climb before accident

Realistic drawing on the grave of the mountaineer depicts the moment before the tragic end of his life, his ascent up the steep ice wall with an ice axe and crampons. The drawing is a symbol of his last triumph.

Ivo Veberič was a member of Maribor mountain climbing sections Kozjak and TAM. On 1. July 1983 the team went on a climbing expedition to the mountains of Central Caucasus. Here the team of mountaineers successfully climbed two difficult routes in mountain Ullu-Tau. But during the descent, a tragic accident occured and two mountaineer of PD Kozjak Maribor, Srečko Rihter and Ivo Veberič, lost their life.

This tragic event was later documented by Ljubo Hansel, a participant in the expedition:
"At first light we are on our feet. I am putting on wet and icy clothes. I do not feel my fingers and toes anymore. The rocks are covered with thick sleet. I put on crampons. Joko is also ready, but Srečko and Ivo are somewhat slower. They don’t get cold. In fine Goretex sleeping bags they had a warm and dry bivouac. We decided with Joko to go ahead. We are quickly near the trail, that was made yesterday. Srečko and Ivo follow us. We reach the last tower. We scream when talking and tell others, that we will descend over a small saddle into the gutter on the south side, where we see traces. The terrain is fairly easy. After descending by rope followed a simple crossing of the reef and into the snow around the gendarme on a gently sloping western ridge. We are sitting in the snow and waiting. About five hundred vertical meters below we see a line of Russians. We think that some kind of course is happening on the glacier. Probably a rope got stuck downhill - that is why they are not yet on the ridge. And we're talking about the next ascents. Again it is a nice weather - sunny. On the saddle to the west I see another group of Russians. We go towards, because the water is also there. On the saddle we will wait for our friends. When we are approaching the Russians, one of them is waving his hand. In his hand is a radio. He crossed his arm and pointed toward the wall of Ullu-Taua: "Your two other kill!" were the words, which I will never forget. I stepped nervously: "It can't be true, because our friends are coming down the ridge." He gave me the transmitter. I heard a shocked voice of our leader Tone. He said, that there are Russians, which described them. Unbelievable. "I want to go to them!" I said in the radio. Tone: "Leadership of lager and the expedition decided, to descend immediately! End! ".
Ivo and Srečko fell about 600 meters deep. In the evening, rescuers brought them to the camp and loaded their corpses in a vehicle. Tone, Paulus and Hansel were with them on the way back to the valley and to Slovenia. They had vowed to each other that they will return home together, regardless of how heavy this path will be.

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