With joint forces for safer mountain visits...

With joint forces for safer mountain visits in winter and abroad.



Ahead of the winter mountaineering season, the Mountain Rescue Association of Slovenia (GRZS), the Alpine Association of Slovenia (PZS) and the Police presented at a press conference on 8 December in Ljubljana an analysis of this year's rescue operations, an analysis of helicopter rescues by the Slovenian Army and Police in 2016, joint preventive actions, tips for safer winter mountain visits, new preventive leaflets, an analysis of an online avalanche survey, the importance of insurance for mountaineering activities abroad, the operation of mountain huts in winter and a message for the International Mountain Day celebrated on 11 December.



The analysis of rescue operations in 2016 shows that the number of rescues is increasing, said GRZS President Igor Potočnik, who presented this year's statistics. In 2016, GRZS has so far carried out 461 rescue actions, 39 of which were fatal. The most rescues occurred from July to September, most frequently in the Triglav area and Kamnik-Savinja Alps, where mountain rescuers most often assisted domestic mountain visitors. The main cause of accidents was slipping, the second most common cause was lack of terrain knowledge, followed by mental and physical unpreparedness, poor trip preparation and inappropriate personal equipment. Most accidents occurred among individuals and unorganised groups, with most injuries to lower limbs, followed by head, upper limbs, spine and heart attacks. It is necessary to highlight the increasing number of illnesses and fatalities due to heart problems and various chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer and asthma. Mountains are a special environment; late starts into the mountains in summer months when the heat is strongest, overly long tours and insufficient fluid intake are often factors that can exacerbate hidden or chronic diseases, with which we can live normally in the valley, to the point where the individual cannot continue the tour and needs help, and in the worst cases this even threatens their life. At the press conference, Mojca Pavlin from the pharmaceutical company Lek presented GRZS President Igor Potočnik with a donation cheque worth 5,000 euros for the training of mountain rescuers.



During the main mountaineering season in June, July and August, a helicopter team was permanently present at Jože Pučnik Airport, and this year the Slovenian Army carried out most of the transports. So far there have been 143 helicopter rescues, and on 28 August the team intervened nine times, said Martin Drnovšek from the Police mountain unit in his analysis of helicopter rescues in 2016, adding that they have observed an increase in rescues of people who are drawn to the mountains by the desire for adventure, but due to lack of experience, poor trip preparation, ignorance or inappropriate equipment, they call on mountain rescuers for help. In the summer, the Police and PZS also carried out preventive actions aimed at raising awareness for safer visits to the mountains. They were carried out on mountain trails from Pohorje through the Kamnik-Savinja Alps and Karavanke to the Julian Alps and received a positive response.



GRZS instructor and PZS expert collaborator Matjaž Šerkezi focused on winter mountain visits, characterised by lower temperatures, shorter days, closed mountain huts and specific snow conditions. Currently there is very little snow in the mountains, the trails are mostly dry, icy in places, especially in the morning and evening, so in addition to the rest of the equipment, including a helmet, do not forget crampons and an ice axe, which can be crucial for safer crossing of certain sections. Before use, check the condition of the equipment, hut openings and monitor weather and snow conditions. "In winter, the backpack should also include the avalanche triplet in addition to the technical equipment that we must know how to use: an avalanche transceiver, which must be worn on the body under the top layer of clothing or in a trouser pocket with a closed zip and a strap attached to the belt, an avalanche probe and an aluminium avalanche shovel. If we are frequent winter mountain visitors, it is also recommended to consider using a backpack with an airbag," emphasised Šerkezi. Short instructions for safer winter mountain visits are provided by the free leaflet Beware, Snow Avalanche, available at PZS, GRZS, mountaineering associations and other locations; this year we have also expanded the set of free preventive leaflets and prepared four leaflets for mountain visitors with ten CAA recommendations, the Association of Alpine Mountaineering Organisations, also available on the PZS website: Tour Skiing - Safe and Tolerant, Safe Hiking and Mountaineering, Safety on Very Difficult Mountain Trails and Safe High Alpine Tours.



To improve avalanche awareness and training and reduce the number of interventions, last year the online Snow Avalanche survey was launched, which is still relevant as mountain rescuers need feedback from hikers, participants or witnesses of snow avalanches on their general mountaineering fitness, equipment and knowledge of use, and avalanche conditions at the time of the event. As summarised by GRZS Commission for Avalanche Rescue President Klemen Volontar, the responses so far have shown that most accidents occurred in the mid-mountains or lower high mountains, on slopes of 30 degrees or more facing east, during ski touring and during ascent; in most cases, no snowpack stability test was performed, and the equipment of the hikers was often inadequate. Mountain visitors can acquire knowledge and experience for safer winter mountain travel at courses and training sessions: 10.12.2016 at Ig: Day of Safer Movement in Mountains in Winter Conditions (org. GRS Ljubljana), 21.-22.1.2017 at Pokljuka: Day of Avalanche Protection (GRZS), 7.1.2017 at Zelenica: Avalanche Protection Course (GRS Tržič), 21.1.2017 at Grohot under Raduha: Avalanche Day (GRS Koroške), 27.-28.1.2017 at Mali Planina: Safer Mountain Walking Course (GRS Kamnik), 11.-12.2.2017 at Okrešelj: Avalanche Protection Day (GRS Celje).



The fact that there are very few incidents on organised mountaineering activities among mountain rescue interventions can be an invitation to mountain visitors to join one of the 287 mountaineering associations and clubs. PZS General Secretary Matej Planko presented the benefits of membership in the mountaineering organisation, which includes discounts on PZS and partner purchases and services, and accident insurance for rescue and treatment costs abroad with 24-hour assistance included. PZS has extended its contract with the insurer Adriatic Slovenica; as a novelty, tour boarding has been added to mountaineering activities and the definition of tour cycling has been updated. "I would like to reiterate the importance of taking out appropriate insurance in case of mountaineering activities abroad. This year there have been several cases of rescues abroad where members had to pay several thousand euros extra because they did not have appropriate insurance; for example, category B members have an insurance sum of 3000 euros, while the total rescue costs exceeded 7000 euros. One option is already included in category A membership, and we can add the special Coris tourist insurance package tailored specifically for mountaineers and valid also for tourist and business trips abroad," highlighted Planko.



Before visiting the mountains in winter, it is also necessary to check the opening of mountain huts. Of the 164 serviced huts (out of a total of 179 mountain huts, shelters and bivouacs), 121 are open in the winter months, mostly at weekends and holidays, while 58 are permanently open, 25 of them every day in winter, and 33 every day except Mondays and/or Tuesdays. Hut opening hours vary, associations adjust them independently according to servicing capabilities, weather conditions, snow amounts or hazards on the paths. High mountain huts are mostly closed in winter, but eleven category I mountain huts remain open all year round, including the permanently open Dom na Komni. Lower huts are mainly open, and in winter it is also possible to overnight in winter rooms in some mountain lodges; bivouacs are intended primarily for emergency shelter, emphasised PZS Economic Commission Head Janko Rabič, who also presented this year's first seminar for hut keepers. Mountain huts also invite you this year to enter the new year in pleasant company at one of the mountain huts organising New Year's Eve celebrations. Current data on mountain hut openings are up-to-date on the PZS website www.koce.pzs.si.



Only three days separate us from 11 December, International Mountain Day. The Alpine Association of Slovenia and numerous mountaineering associations are also joining this year's Alpine Convention initiative Read the Mountains 2016 and organising numerous events across Slovenia. Ahead of International Mountain Day, which this year puts mountaineering cultures in the spotlight through the prism of celebrating diversity and strengthening identity, PZS traditionally prepares a message focused on the importance of the Slovenian Mountaineering Museum, Mountaineering Bulletin and Aljaž Tower as pillars of Slovenian mountaineering culture. "With the emergence of numerous activities that perceive the mountain world merely as an arena for their performance, the culture of relationship to nature will face a severe test in the future. Preserving Triglav National Park with its original mission and nevertheless enabling sustainable development of its inhabitants will be a challenge not only for mountaineers but also for the state, which does not show a particularly responsible and respectful attitude towards mountaineering and its most prominent cultural symbols (Slovenian Mountaineering Museum, Mountaineering Bulletin and Aljaž Tower)," wrote PZS Vice-President Miro Eržen.



Good luck and safe steps!