“Silvo Karo. The very name strikes a silent dread into most of the world’s serious climbers. How can a mere man climb these things? The West Face of Bhagirathi III… The Devils Dihedral on Fitzroy… Both the Directissime de l’Enfer and the South Face of Cerro Torre have gone down in folklore as some of the world’s most treacherous walls. Indeed all are still unrepeated after over thirty years! This is no simple auto-biography: this is the story of a survivor who has brought back something precious from the other side.”

“You wonder how Silvo Karo has done so much, how he’s survived, and what it was like to evolve through such incomprehensible intensity. Yet you meet him and he’s quiet, calm, stoic. One evening after some casual sport climbing, our
conversation drifted and Silvo began telling stories from the golden age of Slovenian alpinism – a time yet to be eclipsed. I sat, rapt, as if I were listening to Moses recount the days of the tablets. This is the book we’ve been waiting for, one that brings to life an era and a group of people who still evoke much-deserved awe, as told by one of the masters.”

“This long-awaited memoir from Silvo Karo is a welcome addition to the rich tradition of Slovenian climbing literature. His spectacular and uncompromising performances on vertical terrain are beautifully balanced by his refreshingly modest nature and his light-hearted style.”

“Silvo has always kept up with the times and was eager to share his experiences with the younger generations. This book will give an even wider circle of up-and coming alpinists a chance to experience some of the old alpinist wisdom (or is it madness?) and incorporate it into their own climbing.”

“Not just another mediocre climber writing about a walk up Mt. Everest, Silvo Karo is one of the true heroes of modern alpine climbing, and these are the stories of some of the most difficult mountain faces ever climbed.”

“A book with the biggest number of legendary stories from what was probably the most productive period of Slovenian alpinism, which continues to be a major source of inspiration for me.”

“Through the images of walls one catches a glimpse of nine lives.”