Mountain trails and climbing areas are closing

Mountain trails and climbing areas are closing; to the mountains with a book, not with inspiration from social media.



The Alpine Association of Slovenia (PZS) still urges all mountain lovers to cancel their activities in the mountains under the current circumstances, not to expose themselves to unnecessary risks, and not to additionally burden mountain rescuers and medical staff. Mountain huts, natural climbing areas, and some mountain trails throughout Slovenia are closed, so they should opt only for easier walks near home and follow the recommendations of the authorities. The mountains will wait for them; to maintain contact with them, the online library S knjigo v gore is available, where PZS adds a free book or video content or an article from Planinski vestnik every day; for acquiring mountaineering knowledge, it has set up the online Little Mountaineering School.







Due to the spread of the new coronavirus, the authorities have limited gatherings and movement in the country to a maximum of five people, immediate family members or members of the same household, while maintaining a safe distance from others. PZS has already last week called on mountaineering clubs and sections to temporarily suspend all activities - mountaineering trips, activities of alpinist, sport climbing, ski touring, mountain biking, ski mountaineering and mountaineering schools, courses, training, social events, circles and general assemblies, not to carry out alpinist ascents, ski touring and biking, climbing, in short, all outdoor activities or in the mountain world where participants gather in groups or expose themselves to the potential risk of injury and consequent need for rescue and hospitalization. It still urges all visitors to the mountain world to respect the measures and choose easier and less visited paths in their area for recreation, maintain a safe distance when meeting other people, and locals will be grateful if they do not linger at trailheads, parking lots and playgrounds.







The Alpine Association of Slovenia has set up a special website koronavirus.pzs.si, where it promptly publishes measures and recommendations. "We must seriously put personal goals aside and adhere to movement restrictions, as only with responsible behavior can we contribute to containing the spread of the epidemic and reduce the risk of accidents. The devil has taken the joke! We see what is happening abroad, where restrictions have not been sufficiently observed, so we once again urge mountain lovers to cancel activities in the mountains under the current circumstances and not expose themselves to unnecessary risks, thus additionally burdening rescuers and medical staff. Mountain huts throughout Slovenia are closed, as are natural climbing areas; mountaineering clubs have closed some mountain trails at the urging of civil protection or municipal orders, so we ask everyone to opt only for easier walks near home and follow the authorities' recommendations," emphasizes General Secretary of the Alpine Association of Slovenia Matej Planko and warns to follow public announcements, as movement will most likely be further restricted in the coming days. "In addition, we ask visitors to the mountain world and nature in general not to forget responsible behavior towards nature along with responsible behavior towards each other and not to leave trash at closed mountain huts or trailheads, but to take it home and dispose of it in appropriate containers there."







Mountain huts closed their doors indefinitely last week, so visitors should not linger there in groups, sit on benches, and children should not climb on play equipment. Climbing gyms and gyms are also closed, and this week the alpine association also called on mountaineering clubs, sections, and other climbing area caretakers who have not yet done so to temporarily close natural climbing areas and thus help contain the epidemic and accident risks. Mountaineering clubs, their sections and clubs are consistently following recommendations to suspend activities and publishing measures to limit the spread of the new coronavirus on their websites, but social media still features many posts about individual demanding ascents or ascents in small groups and ignoring recommendations and calls from the authorities.







"Social media is still full of current photos from the mountains showing ski touring, mountain biking, climbing... Mountain rescuers last week called on the public to cancel all activities in the mountain world for the duration of the extraordinary situation, which includes climbing in crags, because it carries a risk of injury, and moreover, there are clear instructions that in case of injury in the mountains and suspicion of covid-19 infection, the helicopter crew will not approve transport, mountain rescuers must then proceed according to special prescribed methods, which prolongs the intervention time to the casualty and the rescue system itself, and we must also be aware that health centers are operating under special conditions," warns PZS expert collaborator and mountain rescue instructor Matjaž Šerkezi and adds: "It's hard for me to understand that individuals don't get it, even harder that some post even more intensively on social media what they are doing, where they have been - from climbing in crags, ascent to Triglav, Raduha and I don't know where else. I see this as encouraging the masses to irresponsibility and unnecessary exposure not only of themselves but especially of those who will have to take care of them in case of an accident, i.e., mountain rescuers, medical staff, firefighters..." Time at home can also be used to acquire mountaineering knowledge - and in the Little Mountaineering School on the PZS website, with the help of video content, learn mountaineering knots or some other skill for safer mountain visits.







Instead of additionally burdening mountain rescuers, mountain lovers can read some rescue story - Vladimir Habjan in the short story collection Čez rob describes the demanding, dangerous and difficult conditions in which these volunteers often operate. Young mountaineers can refresh or test their knowledge with tasks from Planinski zabavnik and Planinski zabavnik 2, in which Urška Stritar, Karmen Usar, Natalija Marovt, Mojca Stritar Kučuk and Emil Pevec introduce them to the mountain world. Planinski vestnik, the oldest still-publishing Slovenian magazine, has survived all storms in 125 years and reported on much that is beautiful and bitter, so we can trust it today as well. When we have to stay home, legendary stories by Rado Kočevar in the book Tista lepa leta and Joža Miheliča in the book Vprašaj goro will be welcome for pastime, Pravljičarija pod Triglavom by Kristina Menih will take the youngest to the mountains. The online library S knjigo v gore also offers some links to mountaineering films, e.g., about Aljažev stolp, alpinist ascent to Latok 1 or Himalayan peaks of Slovenian women, and to the virtual exhibition Korajža je ženskega spola of the Slovenian Mountaineering Museum. PZS adds some free book or video content or article from Planinski vestnik every day.







Books from PZS Planinska založba are also available in the Biblos e-library and e-bookstore: Velikani Himalaje (Viki Grošelj), Čez rob (Vladimir Habjan), Ljudje v gorah (Dušan Škodič) and as novelties also titles Vprašaj goro (Joža Mihelič), Tista lepa leta (Rado Kočevar and Mojca Volkar Trobevšek), Plezalna tehnika (Marjan Keršič - Belač), Pravljičarija pod Triglavom (Kristina Menih) and Pravljica o gamsku Viliju in gorskih rožicah (Stanka Klakočer).