22.08.2013
Mountain runner Marjan Zupančič, who started on the Slovenian Mountain Trail (SPP) from Maribor to Ankaran at 6 a.m. on August 15, 2013, to improve Klemen Triler's record from last year, is progressing excellently and it seems he will break Triler's record. Marjan will arrive in Ankaran after just over 7 days today, August 22, 2013, between 8 and 9 p.m.
Klemen Triler ran the Slovenian Mountain Trail last August in just 8 days, 14 hours, and 45 minutes. After just over six days, Marjan was already running from Idrija towards Golaki, Čavn, Predmeja, Col, and towards Nanos. The goal was to end the day at Razdrtem. Yesterday's rain didn't stop Marjan either; he overcame climbs and descents, alpine pastures, peaks...
According to his companions, after the fantastic pace of the last few days, Marjan reduced his tempo today. The reason was sore muscles and blisters. Today he climbed Slavnik and is already progressing towards the final point of the Slovenian Mountain Trail.
According to the latest data, Marjan will arrive in Ankaran between 8 and 9 p.m.
Everyone is invited to join him on the last part of the trail - by following, cheering, and also at the finish in Ankaran!
Zdenka Mihelič
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More about the feat and the Slovenian Mountain Trail:
The Slovenian Mountain Trail (SPP), the oldest and longest Slovenian long-distance trail, is also the oldest such trail in Europe and the world, and on August 1, 2013, it celebrated 60 years since its opening (based on the conceptual design of Ivan Šumljak, the father of SPP) with a length of 600 km, 45,200 meters of ascent, and 45,500 meters of descent. Last year, Klemen Triler managed to run the SPP in record time: 8 days, 14 hours, 45 minutes. This year, Marjan has decided to challenge his time and set a new record.
The fastest to complete or run it in history so far was Klemen Triler in 2012, more: http://www.pzs.si/novice.php?pid=7247. Last year, Pia Peršič also walked the SPP in one go (in 30 days), http://www.pzs.si/novice.php?pid=7281.
However... A beginner systematically acquires mountaineering knowledge, skills, and experience on it. When they walk the entire trail, they are already an experienced, knowledgeable mountaineer with strengthened spiritual values that such a trail gives, shapes, and preserves. Therefore, the Slovenian Mountain Trail is not just for collecting stamps. Ivan Šumljak gives us advice: "Friend, walk slowly! You can really do the traverse in one month, but walk it over five years instead. Then you will get more from it, much, much more. The honorary badge will wait for you!"
Several mountaineer runners have already broken records on the Slovenian Mountain Trail. The first were Franc Kavčič - Kavka and Marko Dovjak, who managed the traverse in 1983 in eleven days gross or 10 days net (they rested on the fourth day due to a weather front passage). Radovan Skubic - Hilarij managed the SPP trail in 11.5 days or 10.5 days; first in 1995, then again in 1997. Milan Županec, who went for the record in 2002, also had quite bad weather like Hilarij, and his time was 13 days. Uroš Feldin needed the same in 2009. The only woman who has run the SPP so far was the late ultramarathoner and mountain runner Ruth Podgornik Reš - she ran it in 2010 in 13 days. Bojan Jevševar wrote in Planinski vestnik (August 2008) the line between running - walking the SPP: if you manage it in less than 14 days, you ran it; if in more than 14 days, you walked it. This thought also motivated Feldin to run it. Klemen's record - 8 days, 14 hours, and 45 minutes - is certainly more than excellent - now Marjan will try to surpass it and arrive in Ankaran faster than Klemen.
Everyone tackling the SPP must not only be excellent mountain runners but also hillwalkers; they must know how to move in the mountains, on demanding and very demanding secured mountain trails, etc. Even a small mistake can be fatal on such a trail.
INTERVIEW BEFORE DEPARTURE:
Marjan on preparations: "I started preparing for the project at the beginning of the year, when I ran the entire SPP route with friends for training. We got properly lost several times due to poor markings. Losing our way won't be a problem now, as I saved all the paths in Garmin as a track. Preparations are successfully completed, and on August 15 at 6 a.m. in Maribor, I start the run."
What is the plan for your run on the SPP?
The first day – August 15 at 6 a.m. - awaits me crossing Pohorje from Maribor to Slovenj Gradec. Then SPP turns to Smrekovca and Raduha and steeply descends to Robanov kot. However, I won't see the beauties of the mountains because I will probably be walking there at night.
The second morning, Oljstrica ascent and crossing Grintovci await me for breakfast. Then home hills follow: Storžič, Kriška gora, Dobrča, Begunjščica, and Stol. When I'm on Stol, I will already see Triglav, the highest point of the trail. Until then, a whole day of running awaits me across the western part of Karavanke. If the weather is nice, and if I happen to be there during the day, I can already see the goal from Triglav's summit - the sea. After Triglav follows the technically most demanding part of the trail across Kriške pode, Razor, Prisojnik, and Jalovec. Once that's behind me, only one two-thousander awaits - the Primorsky giant Krn. Then crossing Spodnje Bohinjske gore, which are almost my second home. After that, the trail becomes technically less demanding, but distances become longer. Bolnica Franja, Ermanovec, Bevkov vrh, Sivka, Idrija, Vojsko, Mali Golak, Čaven, Sinji vrh, Col are points on the Slovenian Mountain Trail that I will visit that day. From here follows crossing two Karst plateaus Javornik and Nanos. Then only two two-thousanders to the goal - Vremščica and Slavnik.
Marjan, why did you decide to do the record on the Slovenian Mountain Trail with 69 stamps and not with 75, as SPP has had since last year?
Because I want to improve Klemen Triler's record achievement, I took the same booklet/logbook from the Slovenian Mountain Trail that Klemen used - the one with 69 control points.
SLOVENIAN MOUNTAIN TRAIL IN NUMBERS and interesting facts about it:
Opened on August 1, 1953, it had 80 points.
Initiator and conceptual designer: Ivan Šumljak.
Number of points: today 75 control points since 2011 (2003-2011: 71 control points, 1993-2003: 69 points (in 2001 one point was changed), before 1993 there were 80 control points).
Trail length: length along the relief (the one we give for SPP length): 599 km, total ascent: 45.2 km, total descent: 45.5 km.
When hikers today walk the Slovenian Mountain Trail from Maribor to Ankaran:
- they visit 75 control points,
- refresh in 58 mountain huts,
- climb 23 wonderful peaks,
- visit 5 Slovenian towns and
- 2 museums -> Slovenian Mountaineering Museum in Mojstrana and Bolnica Franja.
- One of the points on the trail, Škocjanske jame, is part of UNESCO cultural heritage.
- Red-white Knafelc marking with number 1 accompanies them on the entire SPP.
In PZS Planinska založba about SPP:
- Logbook from the Slovenian Mountain Trail
- Guide Slovenian Mountain Trail
Just at this time, within the Alpine Association of Slovenia, the campaign "Droben prispevek za markanten vtis" is also taking place, where with a contribution of 1 EUR you help renovate mountain trails (send SMS with keyword "POT" to 1919).
So far, around 9500 hikers have successfully walked the Slovenian Mountain Trail, and exactly as many badges have been awarded to them.
Number of participants/hikers in recent years who walked SPP: 2000: 251 walkers, 2001: 247, 2002: 255, 2003: 255, 2004: 194, 2005: 185, 2006: 200, 2007: 179, 2008: 206, 2009: 178, 2010: 116, 2011: 167 participants.
