National Competition Youth and Mountains

PLANŠARJI FROM VRANSKO WINNERS OF THE 23RD NATIONAL COMPETITION YOUTH AND MOUNTAINS

On Saturday, January 14, 2012, the 23rd National Competition Youth and Mountains took place at OŠ Janka Glazerja in Ruše. The competitors from the Planšarji team from Vransko (OŠ Vransko – Tabor, PD Vransko) demonstrated the most knowledge and convincingly won. The 24th National Competition Youth and Mountains will thus take place in Vransko next year.

In Ruše, 24 best groups of young elementary school mountaineers from 6th to 9th grade from all over Slovenia, who excelled at the regional competitions on November 12, 2011, competed in this National Competition Youth and Mountains. The Youth and Mountains competition is always organized under the auspices of the Youth Commission of PZS, while the co-organizers of the final, i.e., national competition are the mountaineering association and the elementary school of the previous year's winners. This time, the national competition was prepared in the place of Božjih šteng, the second-placed team at the 22nd National Competition Youth and Mountains, as the team from Slivnica pri Celju won for the second year in a row last year. Osnovna šola Janka Glazerja Ruše and Planinsko društvo Ruše thus rolled up their sleeves and prepared an excellent event and competition. Additional co-organizers were Zavod za šport RS Planica and Ministrstvo RS za šolstvo in šport.

In the cultural program, students from the Ruše elementary school, their choir, and students from the music school on accordion performed; all competitors, guests, and visitors were greeted by the principal of OŠ Janka Glazerja Ruše Ladislav Pepelnik, deputy mayor Draga Fabjan, president of Planinska zveza Slovenije Bojan Rotovnik, vice-president of the Youth Commission of PZS Domen Strle, president of Planinsko društvo Ruše Iztok Urlavb, coordinator of the Youth and Mountains competition Brigita Čeh, and Gašper Plestenjak, representative of Zavod za šport RS Planica.

The young mountaineer competitors, full of knowledge and eager for challenges, were already waiting to tackle the tests where they could demonstrate their mountaineering knowledge acquired through year-long and multi-year mountaineering activities in mountaineering clubs, camps, hikes...

While the students were writing the tests, the organizers prepared a mentors' meeting, where Uroš Kuzman, a member of the competition's organizing board, led a discussion on the analysis of regional competition tests and updated programs Mladi planinec and Ciciban planinec; curator and educator Neli Štular presented the educational program of the Slovenski planinski muzej; and Lovro Bačun, representative of the Youth Section of PD Ruše, presented the annual action of building Pohorje huts and snow mountaineering huts on Areh.

This year's National Competition Youth and Mountains was themed around the North Triglav Face and the Sphinx, as young mountaineers had to demonstrate not only knowledge from the Mountaineering School but also creativity and knowledge on this topic – the history of ascents in numerous routes, all efforts of new connections, and the Sphinx – including the book and film, which the youth could watch at home; after the tests, a documentary film about the film Sphinx was presented by the main guest of the day, Tine Marenče, screenwriter and mastermind behind the very successful and multiple award-winning film Sphinx. The organizer also provided a social gathering and exploration of the area, as the youth viewed the mountaineering exhibition of the Meddruštveni odbor planinskih društev Podravja, the center of Ruš, the seat of Planinsko društvo Ruše, and Marijina cerkev in Ruše.

The top six groups after the written tests advanced to the afternoon final, which was in the form of a quiz. Competing for the national champions title were teams Slivniški svizci (OŠ Slivnica pri Celju, PD Slivnica pri Celju), Planinske muhe (OŠ Idrija, PD Idrija), Nepredvidljiv (OŠ Braslovče, PD Dobrovlje – Braslovče), Loka (OŠ Loka Črnomelj, PD Črnomelj), Bergmandlci (OŠ Idrija, PD Idrija), and Planšarji (OŠ Vransko – Tabor, PD Tabor). The final part of the national competition was truly tense; young mountaineers (from 6th to 9th grade) had to demonstrate a lot of mountaineering knowledge, including practical, which did not trouble them. The teams were very evenly matched, and only the last question placed the team firmly on the winner's podium. Planšarji from Vransko deservedly won with excellent knowledge. A tough battle then ensued for the subsequent places, for 2nd or 3rd and 4th or 5th.

Awards for the best teams – Planšarji, Idrija's Bergmandlci, and third-placed Nepredvidljive – were trophies and medals as well as participation in the award mountaineering camp in Bavšica organized by the Youth Commission of PZS; the other finalists received practical prizes contributed by numerous sponsors; all received certificates of participation.

The winners, who secured the first victory for Vransko, were overjoyed. Nina Dolar, Tjaša Pikl, David Pavlič, Žan Dolar, and mentor Zlatka Bukovec, a physical education teacher and PZS leader, said: "We prepared carefully for the competition, but not just in the last weeks; we delved into the chapters earlier, and we have been building our knowledge for many years, participating in mountaineering trips, hikes, camps, and mountaineering orienteering competitions for years. In the last week, we watched the film Sphinx several times."

During the final, they also announced the best teams in the art competition "Alpinism Then and Now" and the winner of the prize question about the hidden guest. The top three teams in the art competition were: third-placed Flosarke (OŠ Ljubno ob Savinji), second Štrki from PD Matica Murska Sobota; first Šokci from Semič. All submitted works (total 18) were exhibited at the Ruše elementary school, where they will be on display for some time.

President of Planinska zveza Slovenije Bojan Rotovnik praised all competitors and mentors, and of course the organizers, congratulated them, and said as a farewell: "Youth and Mountains competitions in all previous editions have proven that young mountaineers can acquire knowledge and experience for visiting the mountain world in a competitive manner as well. Of course, the reverse is also true, as the best teams are always composed of competitors who have been mountaineering active for a longer time. This year's national competition was held in Ruše, the cradle of mountaineering in Podravje, where mountaineering is well integrated into city life. This was evident in the excellent organization and genuine mountaineering atmosphere. I thank the organizers for the excellent work, congratulate all teams for qualifying for the national competition, and special congratulations for the victory go to the young mountaineers and their mentor from Vransko."

President of Planinsko društvo Ruše Iztok Urlavb summarized the impressions of this national competition as follows: "We organized well among ourselves and prepared everything necessary. We cooperate well with the Ruše school, known for well-organized events and competitions. The competition itself was pleasant and interesting, and the teams showed truly great knowledge."

Ladislav Pepelnik, principal of the host school, happily told Andreja Kljajič, mentor of last year's second-placed team from Ruše, at the end of the competition: "We have another successful project behind us, one we can be proud of. Of course, it wouldn't have happened without last year's successful team, which is now at gymnasium. It was nice to collaborate with Planinska zveza Slovenije, Zavod za šport RS Planica, Slovenski planinski muzej, and of course PD Ruše. I hope all competitors and mentors will carry nice impressions from Ruše to Slovenia. In the town under Pohorje, we did our best, and we succeeded."

Coordinator of the Youth and Mountains competition Brigita Čeh was also very satisfied with the course of the competition, as everything went smoothly and at a high level. She praised the organizers – the school and mountaineering association from Ruše, who collaborated excellently in the organization. Of course, she already invited everyone to the regional competitions: "Big thanks to all participants, and to all competitors: see you in the fall at the regional competitions and in 2013 at the 24th National Competition Youth and Mountains in Vransko!"