125 Years of Organized Mountaineering in Slovenia

On February 27th, a century and a quarter since the founding of the Slovenian Mountaineering Association, the Alpine Association of Slovenia (PZS), the most mass sports organization in the country, celebrated 125 years of organized mountaineering in Slovenia. The meeting with Prime Minister Miro Cerar was followed by a reception for related organizations, state institutions, and business partners, and then, in the presence of numerous representatives of mountaineering societies, the ceremonial opening of the new PZS premises at Ob železnici 30 a in Ljubljana.



On February 27, 1893, the Slovenian Mountaineering Society (SPD) was established, the predecessor of the Alpine Association of Slovenia, which 125 years later unites 290 mountaineering societies and clubs. With more than 57 thousand members, it is the most mass sports organization in Slovenia and among the most mass non-governmental and volunteer organizations in the country. Mountaineering societies manage 181 mountain huts, shelters, and bivouacs and maintain a network of hiking trails totaling more than 10,000 kilometers throughout Slovenia. In addition, the mountaineering organization cares for the protection of mountain nature and safety in the mountains, professional training of mountaineering cadres, and mountaineering culture. Planinski vestnik, published since 1895, is the oldest still-publishing Slovenian magazine. In the same year, Ajažev stolp was erected on Triglav, and this year marks 240 years since the first ascent of Slovenia's highest mountain, which is also the strongest national symbol of the Slovenes. World-recognized alpinism and competitive sports under the auspices of PZS - sport climbing, ice climbing, and ski touring - are experiencing a real boom both with top international achievements and at the recreational level.



Representatives of the mountaineering association first met with Dr. Miro Cerar on the day of the 125th anniversary celebration. They presented to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia the importance and scope of maintaining hiking trails and proposed permanent budgetary funds for their maintenance; regarding mountain huts, an important part of Slovenia's tourist infrastructure, they would like assistance with energy and ecological renovation as well as tax incentives for operators of high-mountain huts, as well as the introduction of the mountaineering ID as an identification document for overnight stays in mountain huts. For preparations for the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020, where sport climbing will be featured for the first time, appropriate infrastructure is needed in Slovenia, where securing at least part of the funding from public sources would be welcome. They also proposed changes to legislation regarding the transfer of agricultural land owned by societies to the agricultural land fund and a renewed review of the proposal for the Slovenian Mountaineering Museum to become a museum of national importance. The Prime Minister of the RS first congratulated the mountaineering association on the high jubilee and at the same time expressed thanks to numerous volunteers in the mountaineering organization for all the activities carried out in various fields of operation. Regarding the submitted proposals, he promised to review them with the individual ministries and that we would soon be informed of possible solutions.



The traditional laying of a floral arrangement at the memorial plaque on the facade of the Nama department store in Ljubljana, at the founding site of the SPD, was followed in the new PZS premises by a reception for related organizations, state institutions, and business partners. The Alpine Association also received from the President of the Sports Union of Slovenia, Dejan Crnek, a certificate as a health-friendly organization. In the afternoon, the ceremonial opening of the new premises was attended by the broader mountaineering public celebrating 125 years of the mountaineering organization, which approved the new home of Slovenian mountaineers.



"On this day 125 years ago, the Slovenian Mountaineering Society, the predecessor of the Alpine Association of Slovenia, was founded. The leadership at that time, with deep national consciousness and great mountaineering enthusiasm, embarked on carrying out many activities with which they preserved the 'Slovenian face of the Slovenian mountains'. Through four different social systems, the mountaineering organization has developed from modest beginnings to this day into one of the most numerous and content-richest non-governmental organizations in Slovenia. We wanted to celebrate today's introduction to the festive year in a working manner, so we ceremonially opened the new premises of the mountaineering association, which are an important acquisition for our organization primarily due to functionality, accessibility, and the possibility that we can now conduct at least part of the mountaineering trainings in our own premises, as well as a larger part of the organizational activities that were previously scattered in various locations. I hope that these premises will thus become the new home of Slovenian mountaineers or a meeting point for mountain lovers in the urban environment of the capital. The celebration of the 125th anniversary has begun with the opening of the new premises, but we will certainly remember the high jubilee at various mountaineering events this year," emphasized PZS President Bojan Rotovnik.



General Secretary of PZS Matej Planko spoke about the importance and mountaineering character of the new premises: "I am glad that today, on the high jubilee of the mountaineering organization, we have opened and given to the mountaineering community new business premises, thereby concluding a 20-year-old initiative. The new premises of 365 square meters are easily accessible from the highway and have 19 owned parking spaces. They are functionally arranged and have a large conference room that can be divided into three smaller ones. With this, we have fulfilled all the requirements we set at the beginning of the purchase process. We also wanted to give the premises as much mountaineering spirit as possible, so panoramas of mountains will greet you in the corridors, starting far in the east with Donačka gora and through Pohorje to the Kamniško-Savinjske Alpe. It also includes a panorama of the Julijske Alpe, which extends through the Bohinjske gore into the inner highlands. The premises appropriately house photographs of all former PZS presidents as well as gifts, thanks, and recognitions from mountaineering societies, related organizations, and state institutions. In planning and selecting equipment, we also considered requirements for a healthy working environment and workplace ergonomics. I believe that both employees and other visitors will feel good in the premises and that the mountaineering organization will successfully operate in them for many years."



The gathering was also addressed by the President of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia - Association of Sports Federations, Bogdan Gabrovec: "In content, you have done inestimably much for Slovenia in all forms of social organization, certainly the most in preserving the wonderful nature in the mountain world, so on behalf of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia - Association of Sports Federations, I express sincere sports thanks for the development of Slovenian recreational sports engagement and at the same time achieving top sports results. With your entry into the Olympic family, the Slovenian Olympic movement has gained added value that only a sports organization that actually cultivates sports as a way of life can contribute."



About Slovenes and mountain identity, the heritage of 125 years of the Alpine Association of Slovenia, at both events at the new PZS headquarters, spoke historian Dr. Peter Mikša; a cultural seal was added by the vocal-instrumental group Triglavski zvonovi from Mojstrana and Dovje. The Alpine Association now resides on the outskirts of BTC, where a pleasing number of Slovenian mountaineers gathered and used the celebration for pleasant socializing, reminiscing, and planning for the future. On this occasion, two new subpages came to life on the PZS website: Honorary Members of the Alpine Association of Slovenia and What Happened on This Day.



In addition to the relocation of the PZS headquarters, the recent period is also marked by the informatization of the mountaineering association's operations: the Naveza information system that connects all mountaineering societies, establishment of the hiking trails cadastre, alternative membership options in the mountaineering organization (online, at Petrol, with gift cards), transfer of data and archives to the website, and activity on social networks, so PZS, despite its traditional orientation, keeps pace with the times.