37 Thousand Volunteer Hours by Trail Markers on Mountain Trails

Mountain visitors often only realize the importance of trail markings, signposts, and maintained paths in fog, darkness, on ruined trails, or when they get lost, as these enable safer and worry-free mountain visits. Behind this stand nearly 900 trail markers of the Alpine Association of Slovenia (PZS), who lengthen, mark, clean, and maintain hiking trails voluntarily, for the benefit of all of us. Registered trail markers dedicated nearly 37,000 volunteer hours to work on hiking trails in the past year, and due to the increasing number of mountain visitors, they have more and more work, so they desire and need new and younger forces.

The alpine organization maintains a network of hiking trails totaling more than ten thousand kilometers, and also oversees around two thousand kilometers of mountain bike trails. Hiking trails crisscross most of the country; one could circle Slovenia along its state border more than seven times along them. Under the umbrella of the Alpine Association of Slovenia, there are 884 registered trail markers and trail marker instructors of all three categories, each of whom, on average, cares for more than eleven kilometers of hiking trails, which, for example, is almost twice the length of the trail from Vrata along the very difficult Tominšek Route to Triglav. Registered trail markers in alpine clubs, assisted on the ground by numerous other volunteers, dedicated 35,316 volunteer hours to the renovation and maintenance of hiking trails in 2021, while the technical team of the PZS Commission for Hiking Trails, which cares for difficult and very difficult hiking trails in the high mountains, added another 1,540 volunteer hours - in total, dedicated trail markers contributed 36,856 volunteer hours to trail maintenance.

PZS trail markers constantly monitor hiking trails under the care of their alpine clubs. Basic maintenance of hiking trails includes measures for their proper passability, drawing or renewing markings and other related signs, renewing inscriptions or installing signposts at trail junctions, starting points, and elsewhere on the trails. Due to erosion, steepness, or exposure, trail markers add wooden reinforcements such as steps, side supports, or wooden handrails. In the high mountains and elsewhere where there are difficult, exposed, and dangerous passages, pegs and wire cables are installed, with uniform installation overseen by the technical team of the PZS Commission for Hiking Trails.

"The number of trail markers is slowly increasing, but so is mountain visitation, so trail markers always have more work. Hiking trails constantly change due to human factors as well as natural processes. We want the markings to correctly guide hikers to their destinations. Many think shortcuts shorten a bend, but few realize how those steps destroy the hiking trail. They channel torrential waters, which with their destructive force tear into the hiking trail and soon wash away the base as well as wooden protections and erosion controls. Trail markers acquire appropriate knowledge on courses to guide trails adapted to natural features. We perform various tasks, from simple cleaning and maintenance to the most demanding work with chainsaws, drills... Everyone helps according to their abilities and knowledge. Some join the technical team, which works on the most demanding actions in the high mountains with helicopter support," explains Katarina Kotnik, professional associate of the Alpine Association of Slovenia and trail marker instructor, adding: "Unfortunately, we are not numerous enough to simply coordinate our free time with natural forces on the trails. We work to our abilities, and every contribution is highly welcome. The work is voluntary and provides relief from stressful everyday life, the company is good, the mood excellent, and the accomplished work gives us special satisfaction. The average age of trail markers is 53 years, and any new force is welcome, especially young people joining us."

The quality work of trail markers and uniform procedures for trail maintenance are the result of trainings conducted for years by the PZS Commission for Hiking Trails. This year's trail marker courses, supported as in previous years by Zavarovalnica Triglav with the Očistimo naše gore campaign, started in April at Dom pod Ježo, this weekend there will be basic training for trail markers, the Category A trail marker course at Raka in Goričko, in June at Gori Oljka, and in September in Vrata. A very important course for advancing to Category B trail markers will be from May 20 to 22 in Kamniška Bistrica. In addition, the KPP ensures that trail marker instructors, technical team members, and technical action leaders acquire appropriate specialized knowledge in leadership, safe chainsaw work, use of geographic information systems, work with helicopter support, and more. "Although this year's courses are fully booked, we are collecting pre-registrations from new interested parties. We would like to conduct more trainings and count on state assistance, as the amendment to the hiking trails law brings state co-financing for trail marker training and trail maintenance - currently, the financial burden of trail maintenance still mostly lies on the shoulders of PZS and alpine clubs," emphasizes PZS professional associate Katarina Kotnik.

Every mountain visitor can make a small contribution to a marked impression and with an SMS POT5 to 1919 and a 5-euro donation co-create marked impressions. All donations will be used for hiking trail maintenance; in 2021, with the help of donations, hiking trails to Rjavina, Razor, Mrzla gora, to Matkov štek, from Planika to Triglavska škrbina, Tominšek Route to Triglav, and Jubilee Trail to Prisojnik were renovated.

Marking hiking trails dates back to 1893, when at the founding general assembly of the Slovenian Alpine Association (SPD) - predecessor of the Alpine Association of Slovenia - alongside the main board, a marking committee was also established. In its first year of operation, the Slovenian alpine organization marked 97 trails - the main purpose was to prevent Germans from continuing to make German inscriptions and signposts on our hiking trails. To unify markings, in 1895 they issued Regulations on Marking Trails of the Slovenian Alpine Association in issue 4 of Planinski vestnik. To create a uniform marking system in marking activities, the Tourist Club Skala organized a marking course at the end of 1921. It was led by cartographer and mountaineer Alojz Knafelc, who in 1922 designed a uniform sign - a white dot with a red circle around it -, so it is now called Knafelc's mark after him, and he also introduced a uniform red signpost with white inscription. He published Instructions for Marking Trails in the July issue of Planinski vestnik in 1922 and in 1924 in a separate booklet, on the first page of which each mark was hand-drawn.

Knafelc's mark, which celebrates 100 years this year, has become one of the symbols of Slovenian mountaineering; after its father, the PZS Commission for Hiking Trails named the highest PZS trail marker award in 1960 - the Alojz Knafelc diploma, awarded for lifelong work, and since 2004 it also awards the Alojz Knafelc award for special achievements in trail marker work. "I love mountains and nature very much, I like hiking in the hills and socializing, and I also enjoy working on hiking trails, which are the main arteries for access to alpine destinations, huts, and summits. Since 1985, I have been a volunteer guide in the Planinsko društvo Krka Novo mesto, and since 1991 also a trail marker - when I went to the course then, I didn't exactly know what I was getting into, but today I see it was the right decision. The Alojz Knafelc diploma really means a lot to me because I received confirmation that I am on the right path as a trail marker, my thirty years of work were recognized by others and surprised me greatly. I don't count volunteer hours on hiking trails; when we organize with a team of trail markers, those days are reserved for field work and we strive to do it quality to make the path easier for other hikers," emphasizes Mladen Živković, recipient of the Alojz Knafelc diploma in 2021.

Živković has been dedicated to hiking trail maintenance for more than three decades, since 2006 also as head of the Hiking Trails Section of MDO PD Dolenjske and Bele krajine: "Maintained hiking trails primarily mean safety to me, which is very important for every hiker, as well as respect for nature, not using shortcuts but walking on marked hiking trails. Unfortunately, I notice that some visitors do not appreciate or understand our work. We receive complaints that some trails are poorly marked or maintained. But hiking trails are alive - they run through private parcels, people manage their forests and sometimes cut down a tree with a mark or turn a hiking trail into a forest skid during wood extraction. Weather influences are also relentless; in Dolenjska and elsewhere, many ride motocross bikes on hiking trails and destroy them, so I believe we need stricter law enforcement. Criticisms of poorly maintained hiking trails are mostly unfair because the trails are alive; all Slovenian trail markers strive to the best of their abilities in their free time for trail arrangement and maintenance, even if just for a sandwich and a thank you - one feels warmth when hearing a hiker say they would have gotten lost without our markings. The problem is that trail markers are aging; to attract young cadres to our ranks, we must be great artists. I will work in the field as long as my health allows, as long as my hands and feet serve me."