January the 10th, 2025 – Former Croatian Defence Minister Ante Kotromanović has conquered the highest peak in Antarctica, taking with him Croatia’s signature checkers.
As Morski writes, Ante Kotromanović was the defence minister in Zoran Milanović government. He’s currently in Antarctica and busy conquering the highest peak, which he’s now successfully done.
“After six days of cold weather and a lack of sleep, we managed to conquer the highest peak in Antarctica, Mount Vinson,” Ante Kotromanović posted on Facebook.
Mount Vinson is otherwise the highest peak on the entire southern continent, towering above all else at 4,892 metres above sea level. Vinson was first climbed back in 1966 by an American team led by Nicholas Clinch. The 2001 expedition there was the first to climb the eastern route, where GPS measurements of the peak’s height were also made. Since February 2010, 1,400 climbers have attempted to reach the summit of Mount Vinson, which ranks in 6th place in terms of topographic isolation.
Ante Kotromanović will continue spending time in Antarctica. He has already visited Union Glacier, a famous research station on this freezing, remote continent. A few days ago, he also gave his public support to the current Croatian President Zoran Milanović in the upcoming second round of presidential elections.
Ante Kotromanović served under an SDP government between December 2011 and January 2016. As well as being the former defence minister, the politician is also a Croatian army officer. A decorated Homeland War veteran, the former minister served from 1990 to 2002.
