Highest PZS Awards for 2013 Presented

On Saturday, December 7, 2013, the solemn presentation of the highest awards of the Alpine Association of Slovenia for 2013 took place in the Regional Museum of Koper.

The presentation was organized by the Alpine Association of Slovenia in cooperation with

the Municipality of Koper and the Coastal Mountaineering Association (OPD) Koper.

The Alpine Association is one of the largest and most mass non-governmental organizations in Slovenia. It unites thousands

of people who contribute to spreading love for nature, clean environment, maintain and care for groomed trails, spread

positive mountaineering spirit. And this year too, the Alpine Association of Slovenia (PZS) awarded recognitions to individuals and mountaineering clubs for their tireless

voluntary work. This year's presentation, attended by high guests from Nepal, the Hunting and

Fishing Association of Slovenia, the Mountain Rescue Association of Slovenia and the Sports Association of Koper, took place for the first time in southern

Primorska; in Koper, on the Slovenian Coast, where the Slovenian Mountain Trail also ends (in Ankaran). It celebrates

60 years since its opening this year and is the oldest long-distance mountaineering trail in Slovenia, Europe and the oldest such trail

in the world. And as PZS President Bojan Rotovnik said: "The celebration of the 120th anniversary of our

mountaineering organization is coming to an end, which we started with a solemn academy on February 27, on the birthday of the Slovenian

Mountaineering Association, whose successor is the Alpine Association of Slovenia. In 2013, we also marked the beginnings

of SPD branches, which were established the same year, in 1893. We are concluding the celebration on the Coast to honor

the Slovenian Mountain Trail and its 60th anniversary."

Welcome addresses to the award recipients, guests, participants and others were also given by the deputy mayor

of the Municipality of Koper Daniel Cep, president of OPD Koper Aldo Zubin, who recently received a high award

from the National Council to the most deserving volunteers in 2013, secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation of Nepal Madhu Sudan Burlakoti accompanied by the honorary general consul of Nepal in Slovenia mag.

Aswina K. Shrestha and former president of the Mountaineering Association of Nepal Ang Tshering Sherpa. Welcome

words of the head of the PZS Awards Committee Jože Melanšek were read by committee member Irena Pečavar Čarman.

The wonderful event, carried out in cooperation with the Municipality of Koper and PZS by very dedicated members of OPD

Koper led by president Aldo Zubin, was enriched with Slovenian folk and Istrian music by the Batista family,

Emil Zonta with friends, Vasilij Valenčič on piano and the Singing Group of OPD Koper, which was

established in January 2009 on the top of Slavnik, their home mountain. After the event, the attendees were also taken

on a tour of the city of Koper.

Before the event, in the foyer of the Regional Museum of Koper on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Slovenian Mountain Trail,

PZS President Bojan Rotovnik, OPD Koper President Aldo Zubin and Ciril Velkovrh, author of the photo exhibition

from the Slovenian Mountain Trail, opened the exhibition of the same name, to which the students of the local

music school provided musical accompaniment.

At the event, a special part was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the PZS Commission for Expeditions to Foreign Mountains (KOTG), which in

50 years of its operation has strung together numerous successes in the high mountains of the Himalayas and the world, and without which Slovenia

and Slovenian alpinists would not be recognizable on the map of world elite alpinism. In addition to alpinistic

sports activities, it has also contributed in the humanitarian field, as in 1979 in Manang (Nepal)

it established the Slovenian Mountaineering School for Nepalese, where numerous generations of locals were trained for safe

work in high mountains and which has operated until today, when Nepalese have reached the level of knowledge that enables

independent operation. A historical overview of the activities of Slovenian alpinists in the Himalayas and elsewhere was presented by

Tone Škarja, long-time chief of PZS KOTG, who took over the leadership of the commission after Pavle Šegula (1963–1975) and

Aleš Kunaver (1975–1979).



On this occasion, the Mountaineering Association of Nepal and Nepal awarded recognitions to the most dedicated in the Slovenian Mountaineering School in Nepal on the

50th anniversary of PZS KOTG. They were received by: Tone Škarja, Bojan Pollak, posthumously: Aleš Kunaver,

initiator of the Slovenian Mountaineering School in Nepal, and the Alpine Association of Slovenia.

Recipients of the highest awards of the Alpine Association of Slovenia for 2013:

RECIPIENTS OF THE HIGHEST AWARDS of the Alpine Association of Slovenia, SOLEMN PZS CERTIFICATES, for 2013 are:

Lojze Abram (Slovensko planinsko društvo Trst), Ivo Berdon – Giovanni (SPD Gorica), Silva Donko (PD

Mariborski tisk), Rajko Ortan (PD Prevalje), Branko Planinc (PD Dol pri Hrastniku), Anton Purg (PD Ptuj), Jože

Ružič (PD Matica Murska Sobota), Ivan Trobiš (PD Vojnik), Friderik Zobec (PD Skalca Hoče-Slivnica), Štefanija

Žagmeister (PD Pošte in Telekoma Ljubljana).

PZS MEMORIAL PLAQUES, which the Alpine Association of Slovenia awards on life anniversaries to its

most deserving members for their long-term loyal and exceptionally successful work, were received by:

for 60 years: Ivan Eder (PD Pošte in Telekoma Maribor), Mirjam Frankovič Franetič (PD Sežana), Nevenka Furjan

(OPD Koper), Julčka Partlič (PD Fram), Janez Sagadin (PD Fram), Bogdan Seliger (PD Horjul), Alenka Zorko

(PD Ptuj), PD Pošte In Telekoma Ljubljana,

for 65 years: Ignac Breitenberger (PD Idrija), Anton Kresnik (PD Saturnus), dr. Andrej Koren (PD Maribor

Matica), Franc Legat (PD Gorje), Vida Mali (PD Poljčane), Janez Petkoš (PD Bled),

for 70 years: Daniel Cilenšek (PD Krim), Ludvik Feltrin (PD Cerkno), Milorad Guzina (PD Pošte in Telekoma

Ljubljana), Avgust Koncilja (PD Trbovlje), Inge Križe (PD Ruše), Klavdij Mlekuž (PD Dovje – Mojstrana), Emil

Orel (PD Sežana), Jože Rožič (PD Tržič),

for 75 years: Franc Čretnik (PD Liboje), Albin Jakopič (PD Gorje),

for 80 years: Maks Paradiž (PD Prevalje),

for 90 years: Ivan Lužovec – Dušan (PD Maribor Matica), Leopold Urajnar (PD Saturnus).

On this occasion, the Alpine Association also awarded SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS, which were received by:

 Urban Čepon (PD Vrhnika) – written praise from PZS on the proposal of the Research Group for the diploma thesis

"Analysis of the operation of wastewater treatment plants at mountain huts".

 Organizational committee of youth mountaineers camps of the Savinja Inter-Association Board of Mountaineering Clubs

– written praise from PZS for 30 years of organizing youth camps from mountaineering clubs of the Savinja MDO PD.

 Ciril Velkovrh (PD Ljubljana–Matica) – PZS gold honorary badge for promoting the Slovenian Mountain Trail and

mountaineering in general with photographic exhibitions, of which there have been more than 600 so far.

 Mountaineering Association of Nepal – PZS gold honorary badge for long-term very successful cooperation in training

professional staff and international cooperation between the two associations.

On behalf of all recipients of the awards, the recipient of the highest award in the Alpine Association of Slovenia,

the solemn certificate, Jože Ružič from Planinsko društvo Matica Murska Sobota thanked, who in an enthusiastic speech expressed

gratitude, joy and the desire for continued engagement in this field of voluntary work – in mountaineering.

The awards are a great honor and praise for their efforts, which they have been selflessly investing for years in the development of mountaineering in our country.

We parted with the wish for continued cooperation, loyalty to friendship, mountains and the mountaineering organization.

We thank all recipients of the awards for their work in the mountaineering organization and sincerely

congratulate them.