Gregor Kresal

All three Slovenian expeditions to Spitzbergen (in 2005, 2006, and 2007) had to face logistical difficulties. Violent storms and temperatures in the region of minus 50 degree Celsius are not uncommon in the Polar Circle. The steep walls of the largest island of Svalbard - Spitzbergen - call for a completely different climbing approach from that required in the Alps, the Andes, or other mountain ranges around the world. And don't forget to watch out for polar bears!

On the north face of Triglav, the highest peak in the Julian Alps, there is a giant wall known as The Sphinx. Daunting and imposing, it has stirred the imagination of Slovenian climbers for centuries, and is included itself as a character in this dramatic feature-documentary. With dizzying heights and sharp angles, this film recreates the heroic efforts of the first team to climb the Sphinx in 1966, and more recently, highlights the wall's first free climb. On the summit, the generations come together in a Who's Who of Slovenian mountain culture.