27th National Competition Youth and Mountains

Idrija competitors unbeatable at the 27th national competition Youth and Mountains in Tržič.

On Saturday, January 23, 2016, Tržič hosted the 27th national competition Youth and Mountains, the most established mountaineering competition for young people testing knowledge, skills, and experiences from all areas and forms of mountaineering activities. In the old shoemaking town, the Idrija team celebrated double victories – among primary school students the Idrski jegliči, who left behind the Slivniška avtohtona vrsta from Slivnica pri Celju and Pr farske gamse from Spodnja Idrija, and among secondary school students the Planinski muhi, who defeated the Tržič team Pancertanc and the Braslovče Capricorn.



The 27th national competition Youth and Mountains was organized in the town of last year's winners by the Alpine Association of Slovenia (PZS), the Youth Commission (MK) of PZS, the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Sport (ZŠRS) Planica, the Mountaineering Association (PD) Tržič, and the Primary School (OŠ) Tržič, where they also carried out the eco-friendly school project on the theme Mountains and Tržič – I am a Tržičan, known far and wide, so the fourth January Saturday passed entirely under the sign of mountaineering, cheerful spirit, and exciting mountaineering knowledge of more than 120 competitors.



Youth and Mountains, which is both a knowledge competition and a sports competition, as mountaineering equally combines both elements, is intended for primary school students from 6th to 9th grade, and this year a similar trial was also conducted for secondary school students. One of the most important competitions for popularizing mountaineering and a respectful attitude towards nature is also an opportunity for socializing and mutual acquaintance among young mountaineers from all over Slovenia, who demonstrated a lot of knowledge already at the regional competitions in November 2015 in Podnanos, Fram, and Bohinjska Bistrica.



The tension before the competition in Gorenjska was eased by a mountaineering-themed cultural program performed by students – actors and singers from OŠ Tržič, and the young competitors were greeted by the principal of OŠ Tržič Stanislav Grum, PZS president Bojan Rotovnik, PD Tržič president Uroš Ahačič, ZŠRS Planica representative Boris Tomazin, Tržič municipality mayor Borut Sajovic, competition coordinator Brigita Čeh, and Youth Commission PZS leader Barbara Bajcer.



Four-member primary school teams and two-member secondary school teams started the competition in the morning with tests of mountaineering knowledge, which the young people acquired in mountaineering clubs and through their (multi-year) involvement in mountaineering. Six best teams qualified for the final part of the national competition for primary schools, where in a quiz format they answered appropriately challenging questions at the national level from the Mountaineering School and additional material on the 120th anniversary of Planinski vestnik, the oldest still-publishing Slovenian magazine, and also had to demonstrate practical knowledge in orientation and first aid.



22 teams competed for the title of national champions in the primary school category, with the top six in the live final, which was a solid challenge of knowledge for all present. The final trials crowned the new national champions the Idrske jegliči (OŠ and PD Idrija), national champions from two years ago. Immediately behind the winners came the Slivniška avtohtona vrsta team (OŠ and PD Slivnica pri Celju) in second place and Pr farski gamsi (OŠ Spodnja Idrija, PD Idrija) in third. In fourth place finished Ščinkovci (OŠ Preserje pri Radomljah, OŠ Venclja Perka from Domžale, PD Domžale), fifth Krompirjev hribov c (OŠ Šenčur, PD Kranj), and sixth Korada (OŠ Deskle, PD Valentin Stanič Kanal).



At this year's premiere competition Youth and Mountains for secondary school students, 22 secondary school teams also competed. The top six demonstrated knowledge in orientation, first aid, and general mountaineering through more difficult practical tasks in a separate final. The victory went to Planinski muhi (PD Idrija), second place to Pancertanc (PD Tržič), and third to Capricorn (PD Dobrovlje Braslovče). Fourth place went to Prekmurske planinke (PD Matica Murska Sobota), fifth to Dos Sfingas, and sixth to Lazohribke (both teams PD Srednja vas v Bohinju).



The authors of the questions, which sought practical mountaineering knowledge, were PZS Mountaineering Education Instructor Izabel Vadnal and former Youth Commission PZS leader Uroš Kuzman, who emphasized that practical knowledge was decisive in the final rankings. The best teams were rewarded with a mountaineering camp at the Mountaineering Educational Center Bavšica or a weekend package at the Mountaineering Lodge on Zelenica, trophies and medals, and all participants with practical prizes.



The primary school winners Barbara Čibej, Klara Kavčič, Andrej Erjavec, and Timotej Tušar, who formed the Idrski jegliči team, were thrilled to reclaim the national champions title in Youth and Mountains after a year's break: "Two years ago we won with a slightly different lineup, last year we took the ungrateful fourth place, which is still an excellent result, but this year victory again. We are very happy, the feelings are phenomenal, we couldn't believe it was real – but it is!" They of course had to work hard for the victory, and about their preparations they said: "We met with our mentor twice a week, we also prepared with a nurse, orienteer, and alpinist, each prepared individually as we divided the material. Teamwork and prior knowledge count a lot, as we've been mountaineers since first grade, we love going to the mountains, also with our mountaineering association, which greatly contributes to our practical knowledge."



The other Idrija winning team, the secondary school Planinski muhi, consisted of Ana Petkovšek and Luka Jesenko, who together with Čibej and Erjavec were primary school national champions two years ago, and this year crowned the success with a victory among secondary school students. "Since we competed in primary school and did well, we decided to try the secondary school competition too. We are very happy with the victory, for which the experiences from previous competitions and of course excellent mentoring by Nace were most decisive," said the young mountaineers.



Nace Breitenberger, president of PD Idrija and mentor of the Idrija teams, was extremely satisfied with his competitors' successes – not only the two victories but also the third place of Pr farski gamsi, who participated for the first time this year. "Successes are the cherry on top for the competitors, but more importantly, they gained a lot of knowledge that will stay with them for life. That's always the motto I prepare them with, but it takes quite a bit of the mentor's time and sometimes patience. I emphasize the usefulness of everything that's written in various guidebooks. I've been a mentor for many years and have plenty of experience on what has come in handy, I support the discussed topics or theoretical knowledge with my own experiences too. These children and youth have to master many things, and secondly, they have to demonstrate that knowledge on time, which is no joke – just like the mountains are no joke," concluded the Idrija mentor, who forged the mountaineering youth together with Marija Bončina and Radko Vehar.



A special experience for the competitors and companions was the guided tour of the town and Tržič Museum and meeting the surprise guest Iztok Tomazin, top alpinist, mountain rescuer, paraglider, and publicist, who wished the young mountaineers to enjoy the mountains at least approximately as much as he did at their age and still does. The victory in the art competition on the theme 60 years of the Youth Commission went to the Zobl team from Ljutomer, zobl zobl pa lük, and the literary competition on mountaineering camps 60 years ago and in 60 years to Barbara Čibej, otherwise a member of Idrski jegliči.