Not only did top mountaineer Valery Babanov (CAN, RUS), extreme climbers Ueli Steck (SUI) and Adam Ondra (CZE) attend the 5th annual of Festival of Alpinism in Smichov, Prague which took place on Nov 21-23, 2008- But also the president of Czech Republic Vaclav Klaus came.

Check out a few photos from the international event:


Valery Babanov


The audience in the hall


The Czech extreme bigwall climber Mara Holecek at his show which was voted as the lecture of the day


The honor guests from Nepal - Ang Tshering and Dawa Sherpa


The president of Czech Republic Vaclav Klaus came to see the exhibition Stüdl, section Prag, which was organized as a parallel program of the Festival. The president accepted invitation from the organizers and the village Kals, Austria where he and his wife regularly spend their holiday. Kals was connected with history of establishing mountaineering in the Gross Glockner area by Johann Stüdl from Prague about hundred years ago.


The president of The Asian Mountaineering Association, Ang Tsheringa, granted medals to Czechs D. Fojtik, L. Sulovsky and J. Nezerka for their ascent of Mount Everest


Roger Schäli a Christoph Hainz, extreme climbers from the Alps


Radek Jaros and Zdenek Hruby with Valery Babanov met recently this year under Dhaulagiri


Slovak extreme mountaineer Peter Hámor gives an interview for Czech mountaineering magazine  lide&HORY


Wolfi Nairz presented his film from the first ascent to Mount Everest without oxygen by Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler in 1978


Ueli Steck, who made the speed clmbing record on the Eiger

Resume:

When: 21.-23. 11. 2008
Where: Narodni dum at Smíchov, Prague
Number of shows: 23
Number of visitors: 1912
Number of partners - sponsors and exhibitors: 33
Number of accommodated foreign guests: 102

Parallel program:
1/ Exhibition Prague, Stüdl, section Prag and beginning of the organized mountaineering in Europe
2/ Photo exhibition by Ladislav and Marcela Novaks: The world of mountains
3/ The fair of outdoor companies 

International jury of the festival:
Ang Tshering Sherpa - NEP, Viki Groselj - SLO, Jiri Novak - CZE

Foreign partner of the festival: company Salzburger Land Tourismus

Extraordinary moment of the festival: the visit of the president of Czech Republic Vaclav Klaus




From left - Martin Minarik, Valery Babanov, Jiri Novak a Ueli Steck