Falling Rocks

Falling rocks are the cause of numerous mountain accidents in Slovenia and abroad. As these accidents are becoming more frequent, mainly due to the increasing number of mountain visitors, we offer some tips on how to increase hiker safety.
First, we need to know which areas have a higher probability of falling rocks. These are walls, rocky slopes, narrow valleys, gorges, ravines, couloirs, steep sides and steep slopes.
The causes of falling rocks are the following:
-The most dangerous and unpredictable is an earthquake. In this case, larger rockfalls occur and walking on these paths is not safe for several years after the earthquake.
-A thunderstorm, which itself brings great danger, also causes falling rocks. When lightning strikes a rocky slope, rocks are dislodged and fly down into the valley at high speed.
-Snow melt is the cause of falling rocks especially in spring and early summer days. As the snow melts, a smaller or larger piece of hard snow breaks off and falls downward, potentially pushing larger rocks into the valley. The most dangerous areas are below walls, as a cornice (wind-blown snow on ridges) usually breaks off on the ridge above us and flies into the valley.
-Animals trigger rocks on steep rocky slopes, often above hiking trails and off-trail areas.
-Hikers who walk on rocks along the path and do not take care not to dislodge rocks while walking. The most dangerous are heavily visited paths used by less experienced hikers or even tourists. In Slovenia we have quite a few such paths; the most dangerous are Mangart, Mojstrovka via the Hanzova pot, Prisank, Prestreljenik and Triglav. These are mainly paths with high-altitude starting points.
-There are also some less common causes.

How to behave when walking on slopes where falling rocks can be expected:
-Put on a helmet,
-Cross these slopes as quickly as possible but still safely,
-Take care not to dislodge rocks ourselves,
-Do not stop for a snack.
If we notice rocks flying near us, we warn other hikers with a loud shout “WATCH OUT, ROCKS ARE FALLING!”, while trying to move to a safe place as quickly as possible. If we cannot find a completely safe place, we use our backpack to create some shield. Most importantly, we must protect our head, neck, nape and spine.