First Time in History: Planinske Brihte Third Consecutive State Champions at Mladina in Gore.

First time in history: Planinske brihte third consecutive state champions at Mladina in gore.

Planinske brihte (PD Medvode) have already defended the title of state champions at the Mladina in gore competition for the second time and thus, as the first team in the history of this mountaineering competition, won three years in a row! At the 36th state competition on January 17 in Pirniče, second place was celebrated by Štrudli z Orožnove (PD Bohinjska Bistrica), third by Cepinonožci (PD Kamnik). In the high school category, the victory went to PD Litija for the second year in a row, this year to Litijska luftarja, second place to the pair Stena (PD Idrija), third to Postojnski duo (PD Postojna).

Do you know how to make a Prusik knot, position an accident victim when they wake from unconsciousness, and draw a snow cornice? Do you know in which year the Youth Commission of PZS was founded and how many times per minute we send a signal with a flashlight or whistle if we need help? Would you recognize a high bog in a photograph? Do you know what the highest state awards in the field of sports are, which vitamin we usually lack in winter, and what the new mountaineering winter Olympic discipline is? All this and more is shaken out of the sleeve by the competitors at the 36th state competition Mladina in gore, which was hosted by the Primary School Pirniče on the third January Saturday, where there was a real anthill of young mountaineers and their mentors.

The most established mountaineering test for young people from knowledge, skills, and experiences of mountaineering activities prepares primary school students for safer and independent visits to the mountains, and this year for the tenth time, high school students also showed their knowledge of mountaineering. Mladina in gore is not just a competition, but also an opportunity for socializing and acquiring mountaineering knowledge for life. In the place of the winners of the last two years, where the Saturday pulse was dictated by admirable mountaineering knowledge and good cheer of around a hundred competitors, the 36th state MIG competition was organized by the Slovenian Mountaineering Association, the Youth Commission of PZS, the Mountaineering Club Medvode, the Primary School Pirniče, and the Institute for Sport RS Planica.

To dispel stage fright before the start of the competition, the students of OŠ Pirniče took care of the cultural program, who also co-shaped the colorful backdrop in the sports hall. The competitors were encouragingly addressed by the vice-president of the Slovenian Mountaineering Association Roman Ponebšek, the mayor of the Municipality of Medvode Nejc Smole, the principal of OŠ Pirniče Damijana Božič Močnik, the head of the Youth Commission of PZS Ana Skledar, and the indispensable Brigita Čeh, the competition coordinator for more than 20 years. The competitors were also delighted by the hidden guest, the always sparkling sport climber Mia Krampl, who represented Slovenia twice at the Olympic Games, and was also the 2019 world vice-champion in lead climbing. She confided to the mountaineering youth how she balanced school obligations and top-level sport, and that despite the grueling work in sport, what always gave her momentum was that she really enjoys climbing.



Three- and four-member teams of primary school students and two-member teams of high school students started the competition in the morning with tests of mountaineering knowledge, which the young people acquired in mountaineering clubs and during participation in mountaineering. The top six best teams advanced to the final part of the state competition for primary school, who in the final in the form of a quiz answered questions from the Mountaineering School and additional material about the para-climber Manca Smrekar. They also had to manage practical tasks - knowledge of mountaineering knots and first aid.

20 teams competed for the title of state champions in the primary school category, the top six in the live final, which was a fair chunk of knowledge for all gathered, including the president of the Slovenian Mountaineering Association Jože Rovan, who was enthusiastic about the knowledge of the young mountaineers. The victory was defended again by the team Planinske brihte (PD Medvode) and thus wrote a historical chapter of the Mladina in gore competition. Second place was celebrated by Štrudli z Orožnove (PD Bohinjska Bistrica), third by Cepinonožci (PD Kamnik). Fourth place went to the team Markacija and fifth to Gremo, čeprav se nam ne da! (both PD Dobrovlje Braslovče), sixth were Padli borci (PD Litija).



The primary school state champions are Planinske brihte for the third time in a row, in recent years simply unbeatable students of OŠ Pirniče from the Mountaineering Club Medvode: Manja Goslar, Karin Jakša Jovanovski, Sara Mis and Viktoria Ana Šušteršič. "Incredible! We're still a bit in shock, because it wasn't as smooth as previous years, and until they announced second place, we didn't know we had won," the ninth-graders couldn't believe, who after a worse start ended up glowing with pride, as did their loud home fans. During their preparations, they also mentored a younger team and thus passed on knowledge, they only further strengthened the theoretical knowledge of past years, and upgraded the practical. "At the Mladina in gore competition, you learn a lot for life, for living in nature, you don't just acquire knowledge in mountaineering, but useful knowledge for everyday life as well," the classmates were of one mind, who might shake things up at the high school competition next year. "Every year I noticed progress, they were even more enthusiastic, although they already knew a lot. They collaborate very well and help each other, I'm glad they found joy in mountaineering, at the same time they proved to others what all is possible and are also their role model and encouragement to direct themselves to mountaineering," their mentor Mojca Resnik, also a volunteer PZS guide, was also glowing.

At the 10th Mladina in gore competition for high school students, 12 high school teams competed in Pirniče. The top six had to know mountaineering from A to Z in the final, master first aid, and prove themselves in searching with an avalanche beacon. The victory was celebrated by the pair Litijska luftarja (PD Litija), which defeated the team Stena (PD Idrija) in second and Postojnski duo (PD Postojna) in third place. Fourth place was earned by Lačna gamsa (PD Radovljica and PD Horjul), fifth Savska delfina (PD Litija), sixth Kekčevi deklici (PD Tržič) and seventh Gorska škrata (PD Bled).



The winners in the high school competition, Litijska luftarja, Jonaš Rua Kvapil and Lovro Vozelj, after last year's second place, confidently conquered the top of the Mladina in gore competition this year: "We expected the victory and are satisfied. If our primary schoolers didn't win, we had to!" They have been competing for five years, since seventh grade, most attracted by the reward camp and socializing with friends from primary school, where they attended the mountaineering club, and they still go to mountaineering camps: "We acquired a lot of useful knowledge, especially regarding movement in the mountains and first aid, which fortunately we haven't had to use yet." Their mentors are Janez Medved and Roman Ponebšek, and the president of the Mountaineering Club Litija Alma Jere emphasized that their club has been participating in the Mladina in gore competition from the beginning, more intensively since 2016, always with excellent achievements, directed towards the future: "We encourage young people to participate in the Mladina in gore competition to socialize, be in nature, know how to move in the mountain world and forge friendships - this way they connect and maintain the community, as we are aware that work with youth means the future of the mountaineering club."

Theoretical questions and practical tasks are prepared by connoisseurs with a diverse palette of mountaineering knowledge and experiences with the wish that the competitors know how to utilize the acquired knowledge for independent and as safe as possible movement in the mountains. This year, they were watched over by Neža Kočevar, Nuša Šef, Brin Tomc, Jure Brečko, Nejc Bobovnik, Urška Trček, Matjaž Kavčič, Tomaž Skok, Blažka Cepuš and Matic Šetina. The best were rewarded with cups, medals and tickets to the World Cup competition in sport climbing in Koper, high school students also with a free student camp, all participants with practical prizes. The competition participants were also thoroughly warmed up by an orienteering run in the vicinity of OŠ Pirniče, where Taborski sokoli (PD Tabor) won. In the art contest with the title Legend of the Origin of Šmarna gora, Ana Pavlina Cigale (OŠ Idrija) and Sara Mis (OŠ Pirniče) were awarded, and the competition logo was drawn by Viktoria Ana Šušteršič from OŠ Pirniče.