At the Slovenian Mountain Orienteering Competition (SPOT) Velenje 2026, organized by the Mountaineering Club Velenje under the auspices of the Youth Commission of the Alpine Association of Slovenia, 69 of the best teams from all over Slovenia competed. In individual categories, the national champions became competitors from the mountaineering clubs Zabukovica (A), Dobrovlje Braslovče (B), Žalec (C), Velenje (D and E) and Vitanje (F). The most successful qualified for the Balkan mountain orienteering competition, which will be held in the autumn in Montenegro.
Mountain orienteering competitions are one of the most popular methods of learning orienteering, which is also encouraged by the Youth Commission of the Alpine Association of Slovenia. This year's organization of the national competition was taken over by the Mountaineering Club Velenje, led by president Barbara Kelher and head of the youth section Samo Frankovič, with 40 volunteers participating in the organization. The competitors were also congratulated by the vice-president of the Alpine Association of Slovenia Andreja Senica and the deputy mayor of the Municipality of Velenje Aleksandra Vasiljević, and they were also watched with satisfaction by Jože Melanšek, the elder of the Šalek Valley mountaineering and the Youth Commission of the Alpine Association of Slovenia.
In Velenje and its surroundings on 16 and 17 May, 69 teams with a total of 300 competitors from five regional orienteering leagues showed their orienteering and mountaineering knowledge: Savinjska, Rogaška, Gorenjsko-dolenjska, Podravska league and the Smrekovec league. The Saturday day and night races were a challenge only for competitors in the most demanding categories C and D, while at the Sunday orienteering climax competitors from the remaining categories also gathered. In addition to excellent orienteering knowledge, the ability to move over demanding terrain, general mountaineering knowledge and good physical fitness, the mountaineers also had to demonstrate knowledge of the mountaineering school curriculum; on the course they faced practical tasks in first aid, mountaineering knots, orienteering and additional material on the Šalek Mountain Trail, younger categories also on the history of mountaineering, older ones on Planinski vestnik, the first training polygon Gonžarjeva peč and the use of technical equipment during winter visits to the mountains.
The Slovenian Mountain Orienteering Competition Velenje 2026 on 18 May at the Šentilj Branch School crowned new national champions in mountain orienteering: in category A (pupils up to 6th grade of primary school) the team of PD Zabukovica won, in category B (pupils from 7th to 9th grade of primary school) the young mountaineers from PD Dobrovlje Braslovče became national champions, in category C (youth up to 20 years) the competitors of PD Žalec were unbeatable, victory in categories D (members over 18 years) and E (members over 45 years) remained at home in PD Velenje, in category F (families) success was celebrated in PD Vitanje. In the open primary school category G, PD Tabor celebrated, in open I (comparable to E) PD Zabukovica. The first three placed teams in categories B, C, D and E qualified for the Balkan mountain orienteering competition (BMUMOC), which will be held in the autumn in Montenegro.
RESULTS SPOT VELENJE 2026 - first three placed teams in individual categories, national champions are in categories A to F. Teams in categories B, C, D and E are qualified for the international mountain orienteering competition.
Category A: 1. PD Zabukovica, 2. PD Dobrovlje Braslovče, 3. PD Ljubljana Matica
Category B: 1. PD Dobrovlje Braslovče, 2. PD Lovrenc na Pohorju, 3. OŠ Petrovče (PD Žalec)
Category C: 1. PD Žalec, 2. PD Polzela, 3. PD Gornja Radgona
Category D: 1. PD Velenje, 2. Poljčane, PD Škofja Loka
Category E: 1. PD Velenje, 2. PD Polzela, 3. PD Poljčane
Category F: 1. PD Vitanje, 2. PD Polzela, 3. PD Ljubljana Matica
Category G: 1. PD Tabor, 2. OŠ Žalec 2 (PD Žalec), 3. PD Vuzenica
Category I: 1. PD Zabukovica, 2. PD Vipava
The title of national champions in the most demanding category D was defended by competitors from the Mountaineering Club Velenje, also the absolute winners of the Slovenian Mountain Orienteering Competition in the youngest Slovenian town. The Puhasti oblački, as the team of students Manca Trebižan, Lenart Frankovič, Tjaž Zadravec and Žan Luka Šumečki named themselves, celebrated victory for the second time in a row.
In category B, the national champions became young mountaineers from the Mountaineering Club Dobrovlje Braslovče named Markacija, who also successfully compete at the national Youth and Mountains competition. "The knowledge we gain at mountain orienteering competitions is all useful, as we learn how to act in certain cases and find our way on the terrain, which often comes in handy. We enjoyed the competition, the weather was fine, the courses were not too difficult for us. A member of our team forgot his mountaineering shoes at home, so a friend from the team lent him his, while he himself had the mentor's too small shoes and thus collected a whole collection of blisters - but he gritted his teeth and we won despite that," were satisfied the pupils of OŠ Braslovče Gaja Škrap, Leni Plešej, Luka Peršuh, Anej Holc and Tian Zagoričnik, to whom the knowledge of mountain orienteering is passed on by mentor Saša Vitanc Brezovnik.
Source:
https://pzs.si/novice/18414-v-velenju-okronali-nove-drzavne-prvake-v-planinski-orientaciji/