22.07.2015
The summer mountaineering season is in full swing, mountaineering groups in the mountains are gathering, and mountain huts with open doors are welcoming visitors. Several anniversaries are approaching: Češka koča na Spodnjih Ravneh celebrates 115 years, Aljažev stolp on Triglav and Vodnikov dom na Velem polju a respectable 120 years. It is pleasing that the number of huts that have obtained the family-friendly or environmentally friendly mountain hut certificate is increasing, with which 23 mountain homes boast, some even with both. Mountaineers are also choosing the most popular mountain hut this year, which means additional incentive for improving the offer and attitude towards visitors.
"Compared to last year, this mountaineering season has been fantastic so far, even though visits during the week have somewhat dried up since the start of the holidays, as Slovenian mountaineers mostly come in August. The majority of visitors are Czechs, in the last month most overnight guests were Czech mountaineers. The promotion of the hut in the Czech Republic is really very noticeable," emphasizes Karmen Karničar, the caretaker of Češka koča na Spodnjih Ravneh (1542 m, PD Jezersko), which is celebrating 115 years this year. It was built by the Czech branch of the Slovenian Mountaineering Association in Prague and opened on July 26, 1900, when it was also blessed by the priest Jakob Aljaž. To mark the 115th anniversary of Češka koča, they revived the mountain run from Jezersko to the hut, which last Sunday was attended by 46 competitors. Tomorrow, July 23, at 5 p.m. in the center of Jezersko, they will solemnly unveil information boards dedicated to the rich history of Češka koča and present a dozen decades of Czech-Slovenian mountaineering cooperation at a press conference. "The main ceremony will be on Saturday, July 26, when at 11 a.m. with a cultural program at Češka koča we will remember the festive opening 115 years ago and with the celebration contribute to preserving the memory of the generations that built the hut and maintained it for decades for future generations. This will be followed by mountaineering socializing with Czech beer and Czech ham, as it was 115 years ago. As in the past, we will cook chamois goulash and roast outside in pots, fry cutlets, and there will be live music too," announces Karničar.
August will be festive in the Julian Alps, as Aljažev stolp, the highest-lying Slovenian mountaineering shelter, and Vodnikov dom na Velem polju are celebrating 120 years. For the 120th anniversary of the erection of Aljažev stolp on the summit of Triglav, there will be a commemorative ceremony on the summit of Triglav on the morning of August 7, 2015, wreath-laying at Jakob Aljaž's grave in Dovje in the afternoon and a mass in his memory, and at 6 p.m. a solemn academy with a cultural program and the opening of exhibitions Aljažev stolp – This tin has a soul! and works by some participants of the Vrata 2015 painting colony in front of the Slovenian Mountaineering Museum in Mojstrana.
On August 19, 120 years will pass since the opening of Vodnikov dom na Velem polju (1817 m, PD Srednja vas v Bohinju), which was named after the Slovenian poet in memory of the 100th anniversary of Valentin Vodnik's ascent to Mali Triglav on August 20, 1795. "The season is not the best, as there are fewer visits than in previous years, but considerably more than last year. Mostly only foreigners overnight here who are heading to Triglav, there are very few Slovenians, as they are at the sea in July, so we expect more visits after August 1," says caretaker Viktorija Pirnat. At the hut at the foot of Tosca, where in the last year they arranged a terrace and a coin-operated shower, renovated the toilets, sink with drinking water, solar collectors and winter room, and brightened the dining room, they are also preparing for the celebration, which will be on August 22, 2015, with a morning traditional mass for shepherds on the Velo polje pasture and an afternoon cultural program and music at Vodnikov dom.
Slovenian mountaineering associations manage 178 mountain huts, shelters and bivouacs with almost 7400 beds and more than 10 thousand seats. Mountain huts are mostly open permanently in summer, mountaineers can check up-to-date information on openness on the PZS website. "Hut managers are increasingly striving to address the ecological issues of huts, i.e., building sewage treatment plants, and with additional offers for families. Therefore, we are pleased to note that the number of huts that have obtained the appropriate certificates in the field of environmentally and family-friendly huts is increasing," emphasizes PZS vice-president Miro Eržen. The goal of the Environmentally Friendly Mountain Hut project is to ensure environmentally friendly and energy-efficient hut management, the Family-Friendly Mountain Hut project is to attract children and their parents to the huts and ensure they feel good and return willingly. The Mountaineering Association of Slovenia has so far awarded 15 certificates for the first project and 17 for the second. Both certificates are held by Koča pri Jelenovem studencu, Koča na Planini pri Jezeru, Koča na planini Razor, Domžalski dom na Mali planini, Mozirska koča na Golteh, Dom pri izviru Završnice, Planinski dom na Zelenici, Valvasorjev dom pod Stolom and Koča na Blegošu. The environmentally friendly mountain hut certificate is also held by Krekova koča na Ratitovcu, Poštarski dom na Vršiču, Cojzova koča na Kokrskem sedlu, Kamniška koča na Kamniškem sedlu, Dom na Peci and Dom na Uršlji gori, the family-friendly mountain hut certificate also by Planinska koča Velikonočnica, Dom dr. Klementa Juga v Lepeni, Koča na Gozdu, Kosijev dom na Vogarju, Planinski dom pri Krnskih jezerih, Dom na Menini planini, Planinski dom na Jančah and Planinski dom na Kumu.
Mountaineers reward huts with their visits that make special efforts for their well-being. As says the caretaker of Koča na Planini pri Jezeru (1453 m, PD Integral) Ivo Voler, "this summer season is almost 100 percent better than last year because the weather is completely different from last year. More and more people bring their own food and drink and we have to remind them to take the trash to the valley. But we try for every guest and every mountaineer is welcome here." The hut in the heart of Fužinske planine is a popular family destination and hospitable roof over the heads of many young mountaineers, as groups regularly come from Andersen kindergarten, from the sister SPD Trst, this year they also hosted young people on an English course. "Children and families feel good here, they often overnight here too. We have prepared half portions for children, beds are secured with railings, we strive for peace in the hut after 10 p.m. Some miss playgrounds, but I think they can rather go see some flower here or walk to neighboring pastures," adds Voler.
"The environmentally and family-friendly hut certificates are an obligation on one hand and a good reference on the other. Local mountaineers still do not know them well enough, for foreign guests they mean an ID card, as they increasingly look at this when choosing where to overnight," highlights Aleš Štefe, caretaker of Valvasorjev dom pod Stolom (1181 m, PD Radovljica), also satisfied with this year's visits: "For now, I can mark the summer season as very good, given the large amount of snow, the winter was also solid. Groups come who have organized trips to the Karavanke and also overnight here, Valvasorjev dom is a popular destination for day visitors, the number of touring cyclists is also increasing."
The good attendance is no surprise, as readers of Nedel have chosen the home in the vestibule of Stol as the most popular mountain hut of 2014. The selection for the best mountain hut 2015 is taking place in collaboration with the Planet Siol.net web portal. Mountaineers are choosing among 59 huts that have either a family-friendly or environmentally friendly hut certificate or an installed sewage treatment plant, the winner will be known at the beginning of September. The annual action of selecting the most popular hut has become interesting for visitors, and undoubtedly means even greater incentive for huts to improve the offer and attitude towards visitors.