Postojna-Tržič victory at the 32nd national Youth and Mountains competition...

Postojna-Tržič victory at the 32nd national Youth and Mountains competition.

Proud primary school national champions at the 32nd Youth and Mountains competition became members of the Nanoške zveri team (PD Postojna) on April 9 in Litija, ahead of the runners-up Neustrašni gorski učenjaki (PD Kranj) and Planinski mulci (PD Litija) in third place. Secondary school honours were shared by the winners Gorski kuri (PD Tržič) ahead of the duo Prihaja Nodi (PD Litija) in second and Najboljši pod Nanosom (PD Podnanos) in third place. ​

Gradec Primary School in Litija was a real anthill of young mountaineers and their mentors on the second Saturday in April at the 32nd national Youth and Mountains competition, the most established mountaineering challenge for young people testing knowledge, skills and experiences from all areas and forms of mountaineering activities, which has been preparing primary school students for safer and more independent mountain visits for over three decades, and this year secondary school students demonstrated their mountaineering knowledge for the sixth time. Youth and Mountains is not just a competition, but also an opportunity for socialising and acquiring lifelong mountaineering knowledge. In the town of last year's winners, where the Saturday buzz was dictated by admirable mountaineering knowledge and good spirits of more than 200 competitors, the 32nd national MIG competition was organised by the Alpine Association of Slovenia, PZS Youth Commission, Republic of Slovenia Sports Institute Planica, Litija Mountaineering Association and Gradec Primary School.

The mountaineering cultural rainbow was painted for the competition's introduction by the youth and children's choir of OŠ Gradec. The competitors were encouragingly addressed by the Vice-President of the Alpine Association of Slovenia Roman Ponebšek, Deputy Mayor of Litija Municipality Lijana Lovše, Principal of OŠ Gradec Damjan Štrus, President of Litija Mountaineering Association Alma Jere, Head of PZS Youth Commission Ana Suhadolnik and long-time competition coordinator Brigita Čeh. Before the final, PZS President Jože Rovan wished the young mountaineers plenty of knowledge at the competition and in the mountains, and hidden guest Vladimir Habjan, alpinist, mountain rescuer, off-trail hiker and editor of Planinski vestnik, emphasised that visiting mountains requires a lot of responsibility and knowledge.

Three- and four-member primary school teams and two-member secondary school teams started the competition in the morning with tests of mountaineering knowledge acquired in mountaineering clubs and through mountaineering activities. Six best teams qualified for the final part of the national primary school competition, where they answered questions from the Mountaineering School and additional material about curiosities in Litija and surroundings, what brothers Badjura, GEOSS and Bogenšperk have in common, and about the native from Šmartno pri Litiji Jože Sinigoj in a quiz format. They also had to manage practical tasks in first aid and mountaineering knots.

43 teams competed for the national champions title in the primary school category, with the top six in the live final, which was a tough test of knowledge for all present. The Nanoške zveri team (PD Postojna) celebrated the victory ahead of the runners-up Neustrašni gorski učenjaki (PD Kranj) and Planinski mulci (PD Litija) in third place. Fourth place went to Črne marjetice (PD Izola), fifth to Poskočni planinci (PD Podnanos) and sixth to Podzemne veverice (OŠ Orehek Kranj).

Proud primary school national champions Tinkara Simčič, Aljaž Žakelj and Gregor Samsa, who named themselves Nanoške zveri, were extremely happy with their success, which did not surprise them too much, as the boys, ninth-graders, have been competing since sixth grade and always qualified for the final, while the sixth-grader is a newcomer: "At the Youth and Mountains competition, you have to show extensive practical knowledge and it's much easier if you're involved in mountaineering, like we are. We attend a mountaineering club where we had a lot of preparation for the competition, since third grade we participate in PD Litija summer mountaineering camps, we also prepared for the competition with the help of mountaineering guides, especially for knots and orientation, and also at home. We expected the victory a little and tried extra hard because one guide promised to take us to a three-thousander if we win."

"Participation in the Youth and Mountains competition is a reward for young competitors for regular attendance at the mountaineering club and hills they love to visit, and victory is additional motivation for further mountaineering engagement, developing perseverance, dedication, curiosity, joy of nature, genuine interpersonal relationships and intergenerational cooperation within PD Postojna, as the whole association breathes with the competition, from the youngest to the most experienced," emphasised Veronika Biščak, mentor of young mountaineers in PD Postojna for 33 years.

At the sixth Youth and Mountains competition for secondary school students, eleven secondary school teams competed in Litija. The victory went to Gorski kuri (PD Tržič), second place to the locals Prihaja Nodi (PD Litija) and third to Najboljše pod Nanosom (PD Podnanos). Fourth was Črnopotoška lupina (PD Litija), fifth Gorska mulca (PD Idrija) and sixth Od višine se zvrti (PD Litija).

Gorski kuri, secondary school winners Tinkara Košir and Neža Kočevar, are already seasoned mountaineering cats who have podiumed as primary school students, and this year competed among secondary school students for the second time. "We both love visiting mountains, we acquired mountaineering knowledge already in primary school, where the club mentor lured us to the Youth and Mountains competition. We approached preparations relaxed, as we simply wanted to go to the competition, it's great to work with the mentor and meet other mountaineers. Practical and theoretical knowledge are strongly intertwined, so everything is easier and more logical if you go to the hills," emphasised the competitors, their mentor Gorazd Čerilec highlighted the added value of the Youth and Mountains competition even after primary school, as "this way we enthuse secondary school students to stay in mountaineering and hiking, because otherwise in the growing-up period they often get lost in the rhythm of youth and parties, and their motivation for sports drops, which many young people quit. If they prepare for the competition, they have to dedicate themselves to it and persevere".

Theoretical questions and practical tasks are prepared by experts with a wide range of mountaineering knowledge and experience with the desire that competitors can use the acquired knowledge for independent and as safe as possible movement in the mountains. This year they were overseen by Urška Trček, Jure Brečko, Monika Gubenšek, Ana Suhadolnik, Vanja Blažica, Nina Rman, Uroš Kuzman, Bojan Pollak and Domen Strle. The best primary school teams were awarded a mountaineering camp at the Bavšica Mountaineering Education Centre, secondary school teams with a cycling weekend under the PZS Touring Cycling Commission, the best with trophies and medals, all participants with practical prizes. In the art competition titled Z markacijo na pot, the winners were Jon Milič and Tia Šafarič (PD Ljutomer), Neža Strel (PD Idrija) and Vida Lia Rutar (PD Litija).