Blind and visually impaired start the Slovenian Mountain Trail

February 8 this year will not only be Slovenian Culture Day, but also a mountaineering holiday, as the Alpine Association of Slovenia (PZS), Slovenian Caritas, Association of Slovenian Catholic Guides and Scouts, and Scout Association of Slovenia will sign an agreement on the cooperation of their volunteers in conducting inclusive hikes at Mariborska koča on Pohorje, and a group of blind and visually impaired will hike the first part of the Slovenian Mountain Trail in their company, marking the start of a three-year project led by the PZS Mountaineering for Persons with Disabilities/OPP Committee and KPŠRD Karel Jeraj.







The Alpine Association of Slovenia or its Mountaineering for Persons with Disabilities/OPP Committee, in cooperation with partners, has been carrying out activities for persons with disabilities/persons with special needs for several years, the most resonant is the action Deaf Serve in Mountain Huts, inclusive hikes intended for both disabled and non-disabled are also well attended. To offer this kind of mountaineering leisure opportunity to a wider community, a larger number of volunteers is needed, so on Saturday, February 8, 2020, at 10 a.m. at Mariborska koča on Areh, they will sign an agreement on cooperation with Slovenian Caritas, Association of Slovenian Catholic Guides and Scouts, and Scout Association of Slovenia, which will form the basis for joint action of volunteers in these organizations.







The first opportunity for cooperation will be the Blind/Visually Impaired on the Slovenian Mountain Trail (SPP) 2020-2022 project, which also starts on February 8 on Pohorje, otherwise volunteers will also be indispensable in implementing the Motorically Impaired Conquer Mountains project, under whose auspices they will enable mountain visits for motorically impaired in September. This year marks 58 years since the first organized hike of the blind to Triglav, which was an incentive for the PZS Mountaineering for Persons with Disabilities/OPP Committee and the Cultural-Educational and Sports-Recreational Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired Karel Jeraj to offer the blind and visually impaired the opportunity to hike the Slovenian Mountain Trail, Slovenia's most popular long-distance trail and one of the oldest in Europe and the world. It starts in Maribor and runs through Pohorje, Kamnik-Savinja Alps, Karavanke, and Julian Alps, then descends through the pre-alpine hills to the Karst and ends at Debeli rtič on the Adriatic Sea. It is marked with red-white Knafelc markers and the number 1 added. The action logo features a green map of Slovenia with the inscription Blind/Visually Impaired on SPP 2020-2022, equipped with a red helmet bearing the Pin/OPP logo, wearing red hiking boots, carrying a red backpack, and holding a gray cane. Added are the logos of the Slovenian Mountain Trail, Alpine Association of Slovenia, and KPŠRD Karel Jeraj, as well as the marker and number 1.







120 hikers have registered for the first inclusive hike, including ten from Croatia; organizers expect 34 blind or visually impaired on Slovenian Culture Day, each with an escort, three with guide dogs. They will gather at 9 a.m. and set off from Hotel Bellevue to the first SPP stamp at Mariborska koča, where they will attend the agreement signing and cultural program, then continue to Ruška koča on Areh, where the second stamp is. Hiking boots, warm and spare clothing, and drinks are mandatory. In the first year of the project, blind and visually impaired hikers will presumably collect 22 stamps in the Logbook from the Slovenian Mountain Trail, after the start on Pohorje they will climb Slavnik in March, Nanos in June, to the remaining SPP points on Pohorje and Uršlja gora, in July they plan ascents to Okrešelj, Kamniško sedlo, Begunjščica, Veliki vrh, Zelenica, and Stol, in August to Triglav Lakes Hut and Komna, the date for visiting the Slovenian Mountaineering Museum, Vrata, and Soča Spring will be determined later. Anyone wishing to join the project, either as a participant or escort, can contact ss.spp2020.22@gmail.com for information.







INCLUSIVE HIKES 2020 (source: Mountaineering for Persons with Disabilities/OPP Committee)







All hikes will be inclusive - intended for everyone, disabled and non-disabled.



P - suitable for hikers

IV - wheelchair users possible

SPP - Blind and visually impaired on the Slovenian Mountain Trail

GOGO - Motorically impaired conquer mountains



SSOV - Together we step, we conquer the peak (for blind and visually impaired)







February 8



SPP Mariborska koča (stamp 1), Ruška koča on Areh (stamp 2)



P



February 21



inclusive hike along Bee Trail in Ljubljana



P + IV



March 8



SPP inclusive hike - Slavnik, Tumova koča on Slavnik (stamp 72)



P + IV



March 28



inclusive hike - Pliskovica



P



April 23



inclusive hike - Trška gora



P + IV



May 14



inclusive hike - Završki (Maistrov) stolp



P + IV



May 16



inclusive hike - Lisca



P + IV



June 4



all-Slovenian inclusive hike - Lavričeva koča na Gradišču



P + IV



June 14



SPP inclusive hike - Together we step, conquer the peak (SSOV) - Nanos, Vojkova koča on Nanos (stamp 68)



P



June 14



SSOV inclusive hike - Rudijev dom pod Donačko goro



P



June 19-21



SPP Koča na Klopnem vrhu (stamp 3), Koča na Pesku (stamp 4), Ribniška koča (stamp 5), Grmovškov dom pod Veliko Kopo (stamp 6), Koča pod Kremžarjevim vrhom (stamp 7), Poštarski dom pod Plešivcem (stamp 8), Dom na Uršlji gori (stamp 9)



P



July 11



SPP Frischaufov dom na Okrešlju (stamp 18), Kamniška koča na Kamniškem sedlu (stamp 17), Kamniška Bistrica



P



July 18-19



SPP Roblekov dom na Begunjščici (stamp 32), Begunjščica/Veliki vrh (stamp 31), Planinski dom na Zelenici (stamp 33), Prešernova koča na Stolu (stamp 34)



P



August 8



SPP Koča pri Triglavskih jezerih (stamp 49), Dom na Komni (stamp 50a) or Koča pod Bogatinom (stamp 50b)



P



September 5



inclusive hike - Motorically impaired conquer mountains (GOGO) - Tamar



P + IV



September 5



GOGO inclusive hike - Boč (extended SPP)



P + IV



September 6



GOGO inclusive hike - Čaven



P + IV



September 6



GOGO inclusive hike - Gradišče



P + IV



September 10



GOGO inclusive hike - Lavričeva koča na Gradišču



P + IV



September 17



inclusive hike - Rahtel



P + IV



October 3



inclusive hike - Mrzlica



P



October 8



inclusive hike - Plački stolp



P + IV



October 10



12th traditional run and walk Draga-Ig



P + IV



trip - date later



SPP Slovenian Mountaineering Museum (stamp 36), Aljažev dom v Vratih (stamp 37), Koča pri izviru Soče (stamp 47)



P