Crown of the excellent summer mountaineering season on Kum

This year's summer mountaineering season already peaked in mid-August, showing it would be among the better ones in recent years, thanks to weather favorable for mountain visits, widely open doors of mountain huts, and numerous domestic and foreign visitors who decided to spend part of the summer quality time in the mountains. Three-fifths of Slovenian mountain huts report, by their own assessment, better turnover, higher attendance, and more overnights than the five-year average; the number of foreign hikers is also increasing. At the end of September, high-altitude mountain huts mostly close their doors, while lower ones switch to autumn-winter operating hours.

The Economic Commission of the Alpine Association of Slovenia (PZS) conducted an assessment of the success of mountain hut operations at the end of the 2015 summer mountaineering season based on a questionnaire comparing the season over the last five-year period in terms of number of guests, overnights, foreign guest overnights, and turnover assessment. Feedback was received for a good quarter of the 163 serviced mountain huts; in addition, there are 15 bivouacs in Slovenia. Data is distributed both by hut categories and regions where the huts are located. "By the caretakers' assessment, this season in mountain huts is among the better ones compared to the average of the last five years. Three-fifths of the huts record better overall turnover, which by their estimate is eight percent better than the last five-year average. Both attendance at huts and overnights are five percent higher than the last five-year average. The share of foreigners continues to increase and is eight percent higher compared to the last five-year average," summarized PZS expert associate Dušan Prašnikar the findings of the analysis of the 2015 summer season in mountain huts.



Nearly three-quarters of high-altitude huts have, by their own assessment, a better season than the five-year average with higher turnover and more overnights. Mid-altitude and lower huts also report better attendance and higher generated turnover. The share of foreigners is increasing most in high-altitude huts, where it is nearly twenty percent higher than the average, reflecting the fact that high-altitude huts are the most attractive for foreign visitors and the most tourist-promoted. By assessment, compared to the last five-year average, the best attendance and turnover in mountain huts is in the Karawanks. Also in the Julian Alps, the area of the most visited mountain huts in Slovenia, despite average attendance they report better turnover. Huts in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps have a slightly better season than the average of the last five years. Reports of lower attendance come from huts in Soča Region and northeastern Slovenia.



At the end of September, most high-altitude mountain huts close their doors. Nevertheless, of the 163 serviced huts, 118 remain open or partially open also in autumn and winter, mostly on weekends and holidays, some continuously, e.g., Dom na Komni, Dom v Tamarju, Domžalski dom na Mali planini. In total, eleven mountain huts will remain open year-round in the high mountains, and from lower ones mainly those accessible by road. Some winter-closed high-altitude huts have winter rooms. This year, a new replacement Bivouac under Skuta was erected, Bivak II at Jezerih will be closed presumably until the next season, and by then construction of a new bivouac near the closed Dom Petra Skalarja on Kanin is planned. Current data on mountain hut openings are up-to-date on the PZS website http://koce.pzs.si/.



"One of the better seasons in recent years, especially noticeably better than last year's, when poor weather mainly affected lower attendance of hikers in the mountains, is a good omen for the associations to improve their business results, which is important in many places mainly to cover last year's losses and easier planning of various renovations, modernizations, and investments," said the head of the PZS Economic Commission Janko Rabič. Before summer, the Commission issued promotional leaflets on mountain huts for the Julian Alps and the central part of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps and Karawanks, enabled presentation at fairs for mountaineering associations and huts, and is awaiting preparation of a new hut regulation aimed at modernization, unification, greater transparency, and inclusion of the entire area of mountain hut operations.



"During the summer season, the PZS Economic Commission received some complaints regarding prices and management in mountain huts, mainly high-altitude ones in the Julian Alps area. It addressed the complaints and took action towards associations according to the currently valid regulation. Associations that are owners of huts where approved maximum prices for accommodation and services were violated received a warning to rectify irregularities. These associations will also temporarily not be able to use some benefits that PZS provides to mountain hut owners," emphasized Janko Rabič. As an important measure, the commission is establishing an expert committee for high-altitude huts to resolve issues regarding maximum prices for accommodation and services in these huts. One of the important future tasks will be training caretakers and those in associations responsible for economic activities; the first is expected at the beginning of next year.



Efforts to regulate the area of ecological hut sanitation were highlighted by PZS General Secretary Matej Planko. Economic commission representatives participated in several discussions and activities among PZS representatives, the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, and other state services, and contributed to the public consultation on the new Decree on Discharge and Treatment of Wastewater. For mountain hut owners, a call for co-financing project documentation for ecological and energy sanitation of mountain huts is open until November 15, 2015; they also have access to a free Advisory Office within the PZS Economic Commission. For ecological and energy investments in huts, counseling was provided this year for twelve mountain huts.



More and more mountaineering associations are joining PZS campaigns Environmentally Friendly Mountain Hut and Family Friendly Mountain Hut, which is an important step in environmental protection and efforts for greater family attendance at huts. Huts with environmentally or family friendly certification and those with built-in treatment plants participated in the selection for the best mountain hut 2015, organized by the Alpine Association of Slovenia in collaboration with the Planet Siol.net media. This award was convincingly won this year by Planinski dom na Kumu (1211 m), cared for for decades by Planinsko društvo Kum Trbovlje. Caretaker Roman Ledinek spoke about the honorary but binding title and presented the responsible and diverse work in the hut that convinced hikers with hospitality, tasty food, vast views, and homely atmosphere. "I'm glad people like to come to Kum, leave satisfied, and like to return. I've been the caretaker of Planinski dom na Kumu only the second year, but the increase in visitors from last year to this is encouraging," said Ledinek, whose words were confirmed by PD Kum Trbovlje President Marjeta Bricl: "We are very satisfied with this and last season. We were lucky in choosing the caretaker, and when Roman took over the hut, attendance significantly increased; otherwise, visitors like to come to the panoramic Kum, which is interesting and accessible for young and old."



Attendance also satisfies Zoran Belko, caretaker for seven years of Frischaufov dom na Okrešlju (1396 m, PD Celje Matica): "The mountaineering season is definitely better than last year, one of the better in recent periods. Due to proximity to the valley, we don't have many overnights, which are evenly distributed over the years, but this year there were slightly more foreigners than previous years, mostly Dutch, English, and Croats. However, we had better turnover with food and drinks, a result of higher attendance due to better weather," assessed the season the caretaker of the hut in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, which will remain permanently open until the end of October, and in winter on weather-favorable weekends.

"This year was really a good season, shaped by nice weather in July and August, less attendance in September. It was better than the last five-year average, as we had better attendance, more overnights, and turnover, as it all interconnects. Credit goes mainly to the weather and many foreign guests, as among overnight guests this year two-thirds were foreigners and one-third domestic hikers," drew a line under this year's summer mountaineering season Jure Brečko, long-time caretaker of Zasavska koča na Prehodavcih (2071 m, PD Radeče), which has already closed for this year. The popular hut in the Julian Alps was visited this year by most foreigners from Germany, Czechs, Belgians, and English, with a handful from more distant countries like India, Mexico, Thailand, Colombia, Chile, and Brazil.