Even an easy mountain trail requires equipment and experience

Even an easy mountain trail requires equipment and experience; very difficult mountain trails are not via ferratas.



Mountain trails in the Slovenian mountains are categorized by technical difficulty as easy, demanding, and very demanding. In general, it must be understood that these are not tourist paths and require appropriate equipment and skills. The first step towards a safer visit to the mountains is planning the route and obtaining information about its technical difficulty, length, and exposure. The goal must be adapted to one's psychophysical abilities, and one must head to the mountains with appropriate equipment, as slipping is the most common cause of accidents in the mountains, primarily due to improper footwear, inexperience, or fatigue.







Mountain trails in the Slovenian mountains are marked with the Knafelc trail mark (a white dot surrounded by a red circle). Depending on technical difficulty, they are classified as easy, demanding, and very demanding mountain trails. "For movement on an easy mountain trail, we need mountain boots; hands are not needed for walking, but hiking poles can be used. On a demanding mountain trail, we use hands at individual more difficult sections, and safety devices help maintain balance. A very demanding mountain trail, where hand use is necessary, has installed pegs and steel cables that allow safe passage on areas that would otherwise be impassable for ordinary hikers; the use of a via ferrata set is recommended. A protective helmet is recommended on all trails where there is a risk of falling rocks. It also provides protection against falls and head impacts on the ground, so it is essential on demanding and very demanding trails, scree fields, and areas where the trail runs under cliffs," explains Bogdan Seliger, head of the Mountain Trails Commission of the Alpine Association of Slovenia, adding: "According to the agreement of the Association of Alpine Associations of the Alpine Arc (CAA), technical difficulty of trails is also indicated in Slovenia on direction signs, where an empty triangle means demanding and a triangle with an exclamation mark means very demanding mountain trail; if neither of these signs is present, the mountain trail is easy. The technical difficulty is also marked on all mountain maps, where a solid red line represents an easy mountain trail, dashed demanding, and dotted very demanding."







Both in media reports and among mountain visitors, the incorrect naming of very demanding mountain trails often appears, confusing them with via ferratas, which the alpine association has already pointed out at a press conference before the start of the summer mountaineering season. Tominšek Trail to Triglav, Kopiščar Trail to Prisojnik, Hanz Trail to Mala Mojstrovka, Kremžar Trail to Kočna, trail from Cirja to Lisco, and others are categorized in the mountaineering organization as very demanding mountain trails, where walking is replaced or supplemented by climbing, equipped with steel cables, pegs, and steps to assist in progression and passage through difficult areas; they connect the starting point to the goal and follow natural passages. They must be distinguished from via ferratas, protected climbing areas that belong to adrenaline sports facilities in the natural environment, usually near settlements as a complement to tourist offerings, and are not part of the mountaineering infrastructure. On via ferratas, where there is greater emphasis on climbing and they are routed through more demanding and attractive sections despite the possibility of easier passages, the climber requires greater psychophysical fitness and arm strength; for them, the goal is the path/via ferrata and not the summit of the hill or mountain.







Via ferratas do not have the status of mountain trails and are not marked with mountain trail marks, like mountain trails whose caretakers are mountaineering clubs. In Slovenia, there are 808 registered trail maintainers who voluntarily care for a network of over 10,000 kilometers of mountain trails, of which 50 kilometers are very demanding and 81 kilometers demanding trails, the rest are categorized as easy mountain trails.







"Mountain trails also differ from each other in the quantity and type of installed safety devices; for example, the very demanding mountain trail to Mrzla gora from Matkov kot or from Rinka waterfall is categorized the same as, for example, Tominšek Trail to Triglav or Kopiščar to Prisojnik, which are extensively equipped with steel cables and thus suitable for using a via ferrata set, while this is not as useful for the ascent to Mrzla gora, where hikers must use either pegs or natural holds for progression. Therefore, it is important to obtain necessary information about the trail before heading to the mountains; the most reliable source is mountaineering guidebooks," emphasizes Matej Planko, General Secretary of the Alpine Association of Slovenia. A mountaineering education instructor and long-time PZS guide further explains that an easy mountain trail can also be physically demanding and requires a lot of attention: "An easy mountain trail does not mean it is easy for someone who has no experience with hills. Easy trails according to mountaineering categorization cannot be equated with easy marked hiking or tourist paths in valleys. The easy mountain trail to Kamniško sedlo from Kamniška Bistrica takes three hours and 45 minutes. The first part through the forest on a combination of rocks and soil overgrown with roots requires a lot of attention, especially when wet. The upper part runs along the southern slope on completely open terrain with no protection from the sun, and due to scree on the trail, it is even more exposed. Due to all this, the ascent to Kamniško sedlo is a demanding undertaking, much more demanding than, for example, the easy mountain trail to Zelenica or Krnska jezera, but every one requires appropriate equipment and skills from the mountaineer."







It must also be understood that the Slovenian Mountain Trail is a very demanding circular route that cannot be equated with long-distance trails popular abroad, such as the Camino pilgrimage route or St. James' Way, Planko further emphasizes. To make the step of both domestic and foreign visitors to Slovenian mountains safer, to be properly equipped, to find their way on mountain trails or in case of an accident in the mountains, the Alpine Association of Slovenia in cooperation with the Mountain Rescue Association of Slovenia has prepared a leaflet with tips for safer summer visits to the mountains in Slovenian and English; the English guide to the Slovenian Mountain Trail is also about to be published.



DFVarneje v gore poleti: napotki za obiskovalce gora (3,30 MB)



DFSummer mountaineering safety tips: staying safe in the mountains (3,30 MB)







"We advise mountain visitors not to venture off trails. If they get lost, they should return the same way and find the last mark they saw, rather than continuing into the unknown. The first step towards a safer visit to the mountains is planning the route using a mountain map; they should also use a printed guidebook, with web data only for refreshing current conditions," advises Matjaž Šerkezi, professional associate of the Alpine Association of Slovenia, alpine instructor and mountain rescuer, who also warns about the danger of slipping: "The Slovenian alpine world is demanding, and even in late summer, there can be snow patches on individual trail sections with dangerous outlets, such as rock jumps or long slopes, which can only be safely crossed using an ice axe and crampons. Without this equipment, it is better to turn back due to the risk of slipping. In dry conditions, slipping can occur due to rocks or soil on rocky ground, so everywhere, regardless of the trail's technical difficulty, we must be very focused while walking, choose footsteps correctly, especially on descent. Even an easy section can become demanding due to natural influences or overcrowded trails, and we often need to use hands, always facing the ground and following the rule of three points of contact, meaning both hands and a foot or both feet and a hand in contact with the ground. Slipping is the most common cause of accidents in the mountains and is primarily due to improper footwear, inexperience, and fatigue, so we must realize that we are only halfway when at the summit; our goal is a safe return to the valley."