Slovenian Mountain Orienteering Competition 2016

The Slovenian Mountain Orienteering Competition (SPOT) 2016 will take place in the vicinity of Celje, Šentrupert nad Laškim and Gorica pri Slivnici on 14 and 15 May 2016, attracting around 300 competitors from all over Slovenia, who will compete in various categories for the title of national champions. The two-day competition, to which the best teams from individual regional leagues (Gorenjsko-dolenjska, Koroška, Podravska, Rogaška, Zasavska, Savinjska, Primorska league and Smrekovec league) have qualified, is organized by the Youth Commission of PZS and the mountaineering societies of the Rogaška Orienteering League.



Mountain orienteering, which has a tradition of more than 60 years in Slovenia, represents a combination of knowledge, experience and the use of technical devices for movement in nature. The purpose of learning orienteering is for the individual to acquire knowledge with which they can independently and confidently master movement in the mountain world. Mountain orienteering competitions are one of the most popular methods of learning orienteering, which is also promoted by the Youth Commission of PZS. They differ from other orienteering events in that they also check participants' mountaineering knowledge and skills, such as knot tying, knowledge of mountains, flora and fauna, first aid and other contents of mountaineering school. Competitors, who compete in teams of three to five members, are divided into ten categories: A – pupils up to 6th grade of elementary school, B – pupils from 7th to 9th grade of elementary school, C – high school students (from 1st year of high school to 18 years), Č – youth (from 19 to 26 years), D – members (over 27 years), E – seniors (members over 40 years), F – families (at least one parent and children up to the last grade of elementary school), G – open (less demanding, comparable to category B), H – open (demanding, comparable to Č and D) and I – open (medium demanding, comparable to C)



The Slovenian Mountain Orienteering Competition 2016 in the Celje region, with the assistance of the Orienteering Board of the PZS Youth Commission, is organized by the mountaineering societies Vitanje, Slivnica pri Celju, Sloga Rogatec, Boč Kostrivnica and Celje Matica. Competitors will have to demonstrate, in addition to honed orienteering knowledge, general mountaineering knowledge and good physical fitness, also practical knowledge of mountaineering school material and additional material about the Celje native Alma M. Karlin and the natural and cultural heritage of the Celje region. This year's SPOT will be attended by 70 teams. Around 300 competitors from all over Slovenia will compete for the title of national champion in mountain orienteering with compass and map in hand.



The competition for categories C, Č, D, H and I will start on Saturday, 14 May, at 8 a.m. in front of OŠ Frana Kranjca in Celje, with mountaineers facing an evening night competition. The climax of the orienteering event will be on Sunday, 15 May, as all 70 teams will be at the competition site. Behind the cultural-fire station in Gorica pri Slivnici, the organizers will greet the competitors at 8 a.m., followed by the start of teams in categories A, B, E, F and G, while competitors in categories C, Č, D, H and I will already be on the course after an early start. The finish for all teams will be in Gorica pri Slivnici, where the exhibition Planinski vestnik – 120 years with us on mountaineering paths will be on display all day, followed after 4 p.m. by the closing ceremony with the presentation of awards.