European mountaineering associations in Bohinj on mountain huts...

European mountaineering associations in Bohinj on mountain huts and safety in Slovenian mountains.

The Alpine Association of Slovenia hosted the assemblies of the European Association of Mountaineering Organisations and the Association of Balkan Mountaineering Organisations between 15 and 18 May 2025 in Bohinjska Bistrica. The leadership of European mountaineering federations unanimously agreed that maintaining mountain huts as key infrastructure for active tourism requires state support. The PZS presented the "Safe Path to Slovenian Mountains" campaign to the leadership of organisations with a total membership of 3.2 million, aiming to increase safety for the growing number of foreign visitors to our mountains.

The European Association of Mountaineering Organisations (EUMA) brings together 36 mountaineering federations with a total of 3,266,106 members. Member federations maintain 21,119 hiking trails across Europe, as well as 1,927 mountain huts and 43 climbing areas in total. Under the umbrella of the Association of Balkan Mountaineering Organisations (BMU), eleven mountaineering federations operate. The Alpine Association of Slovenia, a member of both, hosted 26 mountaineering federations from various parts of Europe in mid-May in Bohinjska Bistrica.



The Alpine Association of Slovenia, one of Europe's oldest mountaineering federations, has previously hosted representatives of Balkan mountaineering organisations in Slovenia, but this was the first time it hosted the assembly of the European Association of Mountaineering Organisations, a great recognition for the federation on the sunny side of the Alps. It was also a good opportunity to present the "Safe Path to Slovenian Mountains" campaign to the leadership of European mountaineering organisations, with which all Slovenian stakeholders responsible for safe mountain visits aim to reach as many foreign visitors to our mountains as possible. Slovenian mountains are relatively low, yet often very demanding even on marked trails, which many people are unaware of. Faced with the challenge of how to reach foreign visitors with advice alongside Slovenian ones, in 2024 the Alpine Association of Slovenia, Mountain Rescue Association of Slovenia, Slovenian Tourist Board (STO), Slovenia Outdoor, Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia, Police, Association of Mountain Guides, and Triglav National Park joined forces. The STO also calls for safe visits to Slovenian mountains and responsible behaviour in nature with additional and updated content in all its communication activities, in as many as seven languages - Slovenian, English, German, French, Russian, Spanish, and Chinese.

The European Association of Mountaineering Organisations, led by President Josef Klenner from the German Alpine Club, focuses on hiking trails, mountain huts, and natural climbing areas. At the regular and electoral assembly of EUMA on 17 May in Bohinj, they elected a new deputy president Jan Coolsa from Belgium and a new vice-president Ivy Adamakopoulou from Greece. They addressed numerous topics, with the most current being the issue of mountain huts. "The key message of the assembly is that all federations in Europe, even the much larger and more numerous ones, face a similar problem of maintaining mountain huts. The common realisation is that they represent key infrastructure for active tourism, directing mountain visits, safety, and preserving heritage and cultural landscape, so we need state support for their preservation. Therefore, the assembly approved the formation of an EUMA initiative to the European Commission and European Parliament to recognise our urgent needs also at the EU level," explained Jože Rovan, President of the Alpine Association of Slovenia.

The day before, on 16 May, the regular annual assembly of the Association of Balkan Mountaineering Organisations took place at the Bohinj ECO Hotel, under the leadership of President Dragoslav Gogić from the Mountaineering Association of Serbia. They discussed important steps for the future development of joint activities, paying special attention to changes in the regulations for the Balkan Championship in Mountaineering Orienteering, and also prepared and presented a new regulation for the Balkan Championship in Mountain Running. They also presented the new website bmunews.com, which is now available to all members and the interested public.