The Karničar brothers skied along the French route. Only the sixth Slovenian expedition resulted in the long awaited and much desired success at Annapurna. The expedition organized by the Mountaineering Association of Slovenia consisted of nine members, and their goal was to repeat the routes of the first climbers, descend on skis from the top, and if possible make the ascent in Alpine style. The expedition was led by Tone Škarja, other members of the team being Viki Grošelj, Tomaž Humar, Andrej (Drejc) Karničar, Davo Karničar, Janko Oprešnik, Doctor Damijan Meško, Stipe Božić (Croatia) and Carlos Carsolio (Mexico). The ascent by the French route was characterized by threat of avalanches, violent winds, and low temperatures, but it never diminished the extraordinary motivation of the team and their purpose to win the final eight-thousander the Slovenians hadn’t climbed yet.
On April 29, 1995 the Karničar brothers and the associated member of the team, Carlos Carsolio from Mexico, left the base camp IV at the altitude of 7,400 metres and headed towards the summit. At eight thirty they all reached the summit of Annapurna I, and an hour later the Karničar brothers started their risky descent on skis, and reached the base camp the same day. It was the first continuous ski descent from the summit of Annapurna, by which the Slovenian alpinists joined, as the ninth nation, the countries which had climbed all the 14 eight-thousanders. They needed 20 years to complete this goal. This year is also the 40th anniversary of the first Slovenian ascent to an eight-thousander. In 1975 Makalu was conquered. On May 6 Humar also managed to conquer the summit of Annapurna, and in 2007 he made the first ascent of the route in the Annapurna south face. In the end he succeeded, but it was Tomaž’s last achievementin Himalaya, as six years ago he died in an accident at Langtang Lirung.