60 years of mountain orienteering in Slovenia...

60 years of mountain orienteering in Slovenia and SPOT Rakitna 2015

This weekend, 23 and 24 May 2015, Rakitna hosts the Slovenian Mountain Orienteering Competition (SPOT), a national-level orienteering challenge where 76 teams and around 350 competitors from all over Slovenia are expected. The two-day competition for the national mountain orienteering championship title, organized under the auspices of the Orienteering Committee of the PZS Youth Commission by the mountaineering clubs of the Gorenjsko-Dolenjska League, will take place on the 60th anniversary of mountain orienteering competitions in Slovenia.

Mountain orienteering competitions began in Yugoslavia in 1951, and the first such competition in Slovenia took place in May 1955. It was organized by PD Univerze as part of the 1st Gathering of Student Mountaineers of Yugoslavia. The two-day competition, which involved 17 teams, took place on the route Črna v Podstudencu–Ljubno ob Savinji–Travnik–Durce–Logarska dolina. The largest mountain orienteering competition organized in Slovenia was in 1979 in the Snežnik area, when Slovenia hosted the Yugoslav national championship, and the greatest success in orienteering was achieved in 1982, when it became the Yugoslav team national champion. The renewed rise of mountain orienteering competitions began after 1996, first in MDO PD Savinjske, then spreading to almost all of Slovenia. A system of regional competitions within leagues (Gorenjsko-Dolenjska, Koroška, Podravska, Rogaška, Zasavska, Savinjska, Primorska League and Smrekovec League) was established, through which the best teams qualify for the Slovenian Mountain Orienteering Competition (SPOT).

"Mountain orienteering competitions have always encouraged competitors to take a holistic approach to mountaineering on their 60-year path, as success in such competitions requires a wide range of mountaineering knowledge and experience that cannot be acquired only at competitions, but requires year-round engagement in mountaineering. It is important to emphasize that these competitions are widespread throughout most of Slovenia and that mountaineers of all ages can participate," highlights PZS President Bojan Rotovnik on the anniversary, who was also the head of the PZS Youth Commission Orienteering Committee in 1997 and 1998, and adds: "Given the large participation and rich history, we are actively negotiating with mountaineering associations from the Balkans, where they also hold similar competitions, to jointly organize international mountain orienteering competitions, which will certainly be an appropriate upgrade to the Slovenian competitive system and an additional incentive for the best teams."

Orienteering is encountered in everyday life, on mountain trails, and as a sports activity. It represents a combination of knowledge, experience, and the use of technical devices for movement in nature. The purpose of learning orienteering is for the individual to acquire knowledge with which they can independently and confidently master movement in the mountain world. Mountain orienteering competitions are one of the most popular methods of learning orienteering, which is also promoted by the PZS Youth Commission. They differ from other orienteering challenges in that they also test participants' mountaineering knowledge and skills, such as knot tying,

knowledge of rocks, flora and fauna, first aid, and other contents of mountaineering school. Competitors, who compete in teams of three to five members, are divided into ten categories: A – pupils up to 6th grade of primary school, B – pupils from 7th to 9th grade of primary school, C – secondary school students (from 1st year of secondary school to 18 years), Č – youth (from 19 to 26 years), D – seniors (over 27 years), E – older (seniors over 40 years), F – families (at least one parent and children up to the last grade of primary school), G – open (less demanding, comparable to category B), H – open (demanding, comparable to Č and D) and I – open (medium demanding, comparable to C).

"Improving the ability to orienteer in unknown terrain is only part of the experience that engagement in orienteering brings. Young people set out into the unknown on orienteering hikes, often into forests, even off trails, and in this way come across many interesting corners that otherwise only rarely see a foot. This brings a different and more authentic experience of nature than other forms of outdoor activity. Above all, I think it is important that there is no one with them at the competitions to supervise them and immediately rescue them from trouble. In case of trouble, for example when a team gets lost, they must first find a solution themselves. In these challenges, young people usually enjoy themselves, which motivates them for such quality free time spent in nature with peers. Orienteering thereby strengthens independence, self-confidence and teamwork, and emphasizes the importance of correct decision-making in stressful situations," describes the added value of this type of orienteering learning Tina Arh, head of the PZS Youth Commission Orienteering Committee.

SPOT Rakitna 2015 will take place on 23 and 24 May 2015 in the Rakitna and Krim area, where competitors will have to demonstrate, in addition to honed orienteering knowledge, general mountaineering knowledge and good physical fitness, also practical knowledge of mountaineering school material and additional material on Slovenian myths and legends from the mountain world. 76 teams will participate in the Slovenian mountain orienteering competition this year. Around 350 competitors from all over Slovenia will compete for the national mountain orienteering champion title in ten categories with a compass and map in hand.

The competition for categories C, Č, D, H and I will start on Saturday, 23 May, at 8:30 a.m. at the Hunting Lodge above Gornja Brezovica. The goal of the first day will be at the Rakitna Youth Climate Sanatorium, where there will also be a night competition in the evening. The highlight of the orienteering event will be on Sunday, 24 May, as all 76 teams will be at the competition venue. At the parking lot in front of the lake in Rakitna, the organizers will greet the competitors at 8:00 a.m., followed by the start of teams in categories A, B, E, F and G, while competitors in categories C, Č, D, H and I will already be on the course after an early start in Rakitna. The goal for all teams will be at the sanatorium in Rakitna, where the exhibition Planinski vestnik – 120 years with us on mountain trails will be on display all day, and around 5 p.m. there will be a closing ceremony with the awarding of recognitions.

You can feel, record, photograph or film the true orienteering spirit of the SPOT Rakitna 2015 competition for media reporting precisely on Sunday, 24 May 2015. With a little effort, you can catch competitors at one of the live control points, where they will test themselves in both orienteering knowledge and practical mountaineering knowledge and skills.







60 years of mountain orienteering in Slovenia

Mountain orienteering competitions began in Yugoslavia in 1951, and the first such competition in Slovenia took place in May 1955. It was organized by PD Univerze as part of the 1st Gathering of Student Mountaineers of Yugoslavia. The two-day competition, which involved 17 teams, took place on the route Črna v Podstudencu–Ljubno ob Savinji–Travnik–Durce–Logarska dolina.

Among the more important competitions, the Milovanovič memorial competitions hold a special place, which began in 1959 in Završnica organized by MK PZS and took place throughout Slovenia organized by mountaineering, scouting and veterans' associations until 1987, when the last such competition was held in the Savinja Valley. In the early 1960s, competitions for the Kozjak Cup, Jelovica Cup and Šmohor Cup began, which took place quite regularly for almost 20 years. Also at the republican level, competitions took place from 1965 onwards, which also served as qualifications for national (Yugoslav) competitions. After 1975, a system of selective regional competitions for qualifications for republican competitions was in place. The largest mountain orienteering competition organized in Slovenia was in 1979 on Snežnik, when Slovenia hosted the Yugoslav national championship, and the greatest success in orienteering was achieved in 1982, when it became the Yugoslav team national champion.

The first orienteering competition for individuals according to the rules of the International Orienteering Federation (IOF) was on 17 October 1976 in Radovljica. Later, more and more competitors opted for competitions in this system, and fewer for classic mountain orienteering competitions. After 1996, the rise of mountain orienteering competitions began again, first in MDO PD Savinjske, then spreading to almost all of Slovenia. A system of regional competitions (Gorenjsko-Dolenjska, Koroška, Podravska, Rogaška, Zasavska, Savinjska, Primorska League and Smrekovec League) was established, through which the best teams qualify for the Slovenian Mountain Orienteering Competition. This system, which is based on both the Rules of Mountain Orienteering Competitions and the Rules of the Mountain Orienteering League, is still in force today. For several years, alternative competitions to popularize mountain orienteering, Eksponent – mountain orienteering experiment, have also been organized.

From the beginnings of mountain orienteering competitions, this activity has organizationally fallen under the framework of the PZS Youth Commission and the Orienteering Commission of the Mountaineering Association of Yugoslavia, in which Slovenian representatives also participated. An important milestone was the establishment of the PZS Youth Commission Orienteering Committee in 1975. From the beginnings to the present day, this committee has been led by Jože Pezdič (1975–1979), Roman Novšak (1979–1981), Roman Sladič (1981–1983), Marijan Leban (1983–1986), Bojan Jevševar (1986), Roman Volčič (from 1987 to dissolution in 1989), Bojan Rotovnik (1997–1998), Matjaž Mandelj (1998–2000), Dušan Prašnikar (2000–2010), Matej Ogorevc (2010–2012), Matevž Zih (2012–2014) and Tina

Arh (from 2014). In 1983, the Mountaineering Association of Yugoslavia and thus indirectly PZS joined the International Orienteering Federation (IOF) and remained a member until the disintegration of Yugoslavia.

Orienteering has never been purely competitive, but has been an integral part of many mountaineering educational programs. Since 1957, it has been included in the program for volunteer guides, since 1959 in the mountaineering school program, and since 1960 in the alpine school program. The beginning of organized training in the field of orienteering competitions is considered 1979, when a seminar for orienteering competition organizers was held on Mrzlica organized by the PZS Youth Commission Orienteering Committee. Then, trainings for orienteering instructors (who became qualified for further teaching orienteering) and for route setters (who became qualified for preparing competitions) were separated by content. These trainings began in 1981 and lasted until 1987, mostly taking place on Ig.

In 1997, the long dormancy in the field of trainings was broken with the first orienteering seminar on Menina Planina. Within the mountaineering organization, the professional title of PZS orienteering instructor was introduced. Until 2000, uniform orienteering seminars were held every autumn, then they were divided into two parts: orienteering seminar and seminar for route setters and POT organizers. We know such a system today. In 2002, the textbook Mountain Orienteering Competitions was published by Planinska založba, which presents a more detailed historical overview of the development of mountain orienteering. In addition, the textbook is a teaching aid for seminars and courses and represents a rich source of information for competition organizers.