Emir Balić is a 21 year old Bosnian alpinist, a member of SNIK „Atom“ - sports, scientific and exploration club from Zavidovići, with a purpose of promoting exotic and wild parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina. His hobby is filming and photography of these parts. Is there fear? How significant is the presence of adrenaline? How did everything start?
ALPINISM
The term ''alpinism'' occured in 1787. – the year when Michel-Gabriel Paccard and Jacques Balmat made their first ascent of Mont Blanc. Today, alpinism is the highest level of mountaineering, which is rock climbing where rocks are used for ascenting, rather than the mountain paths. Thanks to this branch of mountaineering, research of the most inaccessible parts of the world (such as the Himalayas, Andes, Hindu Kush, Arctic and Antarctic) is possible. Alpinism is also one of the least grateful sports where the fight is led between the man and the nature, and where fan support and cheering are not present.
We bring you the story of Emir Balić, a young man from Zavidovići, that will tell us what it is like to be an alpinist and to turn experiences from dangerous expeditions into video footage.
Not wasting time
„ Being an alpinist and doing extreme sports was my dream as a child. And to do extreme sports as a child was not possible because of age restriction in this kind of sports.“ – says Emir.
Emir joined SNIK „Atom“, by persuation of his friend, when he was 15 years old. He showed enthusiasm and strong will for adrenaline from the start. Hard work and dedication resulted in him becoming the secretary of the club and the deputy chief of the Mountain rescue service station (GSS) in Zavidovići in just a few years. In addition to many activities of the club and the station in which he participated, Mountain rescue service also evacuated endangered citizens of Zavidovići in the 2014 floods that hit Bosnia, together with some other countries of the Southeast Europe. While the city was blocked due to the floods, one of the few available and functioning resue services was GSS that helped the citizens over the clock. Emir was in the first rows, ready to help, and after the floods he even got the „Street Hero“ title for the courage he showed during his service and engagement in cleaning the city and the GSS premises immediately after the floods.
Being aware of the natural weаlth
Bosnia and Herzegovina abounds with natural weаlth. The mountains take almost two thirds of the country, so BiH belongs to the big family of mountainious countries in the world. The mountains offer a variety of options – from a healthy lifestyle to sources of drinking water, of which it is abundant with - and by this parameter, BiH is even ahead of the most developed countries of the world, such as China, France, Germany, Japan and USA. After Emir visited many exotic and wild destinations all over Bosnia and Herzegovina, he wanted to stop just verbally recounting all the experiences he gained on the expeditions, and to transfer them in the form of pictures and videos.
„One of the main reasons I started taking pictures of the expedition and the beautiful landscapes is that I wanted to share my part in spreading a better, more positive picture of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A great number of Bosnian citizens is not aware of the natural weаlth that is all around them, and that there is no need to travel to some other countries in order to feel the adrenaline and see the beauty of the nature.“ - says Emir.
The members of „Atom“ put together all the experiences from the expeditions and the natural wealth they encountered while travelling all over Bosnia and Herzegovina, into an exhibition of photographs for everyone who loves nature and the challenges it brings. Emir gave a big contribution to the exhibition. During the event a few of his photographs were sold, and all the money gained from that is being used to finance this year's „Atom“ expedition to Mont Blanc.
Although a photograph surely says a thousand words, a video leaves a deeper impact on the spectator. With time, the young alpinist is getting adequate equipment for shooting adventures while climbing the highest tops of BiH, broaching the fast canyons or exploring the deepest Bosnian caves.
„My position as a cameraman is always extreme and dangerous, because I usually hang on a rope, stand in cold water, deep snow or in the wind while shooting. With extreme terms also come random dangers that can exist on the mountain, but together with my team, I always fight off the tough situations that the nature brings. The reason for that is how close everyone in the team is, and how we help each other, and without that there is no success in this kind of sport.“ – says Emir.
Fear is a feeling that usually doesn't benefit the people who sense it. It usually limits the ability to think and disrupts the self-confidence. Emir turned his fears in his favor, although he says he isn't always capable of doing that, but it is a certain boarder he needs to reach, and often cross to make his body produce as much adrenaline as possible.
„Even though alpinism is my forefront, I feel the most adrenaline while kayaking down the Gostović river. That is where I encounter many rapids, cold water, capsizing, struggle for breath.“
And when talking about future, Emir is focused on intensive preparations with his team for the ascent of the highest top of West Europe - Mont Blanc. The team is starting the expedition in less than a month. And one of the members of the team is Adnan Silajdžić who might become the youngest Bosnian alpinist to conquer this peak. We can all expect great video footage and photographs from the roof of Europe.
Original text by: Elmin Fehrić
Translation: Nerma Vrabac