zelodko - Recent messages

Hello!

I'm wondering if anyone else noticed this summer groups of foreigners (mostly Austrians or Italians) in our mountains who head onto our secured climbing paths with full gear but without knowledge or sense of how to use it?

Less than a month ago on Mojstrovka I witnessed a group that, besides self-belay kits, dragged an endless amount of ropes with them. Even before entering the wall, they tangled themselves in the ropes (it looked like they were trying to "knit" a sweater), then they made a train from the kits (one end of the kit on the cable, the other on the hiker ahead). The entry into the wall was already very difficult, I don't know what happened afterwards because luckily we went ahead.

Today on Prisojnik it was similar. A group of about 15 Austrians headed onto Kopiščarjeva pot; we watched their snail-like movement and reclipping of carabiners the whole time, not to mention their sense for belaying: where there's a real drop, they clutched the cable tightly with their hands and didn't clip in, where the cable is just meant to make going up the slope easier, they clipped in happily like rags on a rope and watched what the mountain would do to them.

Such hikers don't belong on paths that require you to know how to take good care of your own safety, in my opinion. They're not very considerate of other hikers either (don't know why I trigger max. 10 pebbles on the whole path, but they trigger a whole landslide on one section???). I support foreigners coming to our mountains, but I hope they'll start using self-belaying with their heads and behave properly.

Helmet obligatory, because occasionally something can come flying down, especially below. Via ferrata kit at own discretion, been to MM many times via Hanzova, first with SVK, then no more, because at the spot where it might actually be useful, it can't be used. If you hike a lot on such paths and have sure footing and a clear head, then not needed, otherwise recommend.

It's true some Slovenians also like to trigger rocks, but from my observations in the hills it happens like this...

1) Self-belay - foreigners and us. Here SVK isn't yet standard for every Slovenian hillwalker on secured paths, foreigners all have it. But Slovenians show knowledge of use, foreigners mess up in ca. 3/4 cases, and due to clipping to cable look less under feet.

2) Slovenians have kinda split hiking sphere: those without height issues and knowledge fly around high mountains too, others stay in valley on little hills with churches. Foreigners rush to mountains unprepared (known case: tourist crowds in Tevas and Adidases "assault" Mojstrovka via south path and have problems, not speaking of climbing paths).

3) In Slovenia we get concrete info on paths before going - internet, friends, PD, while foreigners often barely know where they're going. What would it cost them to ask at start about path and check internet a bit, fewer would rush where they're not capable. Example 1: hot summer day 2 dehydrated Austrians underestimate tour length, go with 1L water. On return beg for water along path cuz one can't go further. Example 2: Czech "morons" climb to summit, then others follow cuz don't know descent other side...

In hills should emphasize more at starts what path is like and gear needed. Some control too, so fewer fly around without helmets and "scramble" scree in sneakers.

I don't know what kind of school that is, where you don't clip above the abyss but do where there's an innocent path? Exactly that doesn't make sense to me, it's the same as walking at home on the edge of the balcony without a railing, but belaying with a rope on the stairs.

Of course I support any training of hikers in the right direction, but I think Kopiščarjeva pot simply isn't suitable for practicing how to reclip carabiners there. You do that on shorter climbing paths and then increase the difficulty.

Superbly written, I fully agree! Trekking poles don't belong on the Hanz path to Mojstrovka, but helmet on head is obligatory. Especially at the entrance, some stone often flies down.

Sending this to everyone to read: http://www.gore-ljudje.net/objave/sulc/DEMOKRACIJA_ZPP_v5mk.pdf

If you see such a group that could potentially trigger rocks, better wait 10 minutes under the wall until they go ahead and thus reduce the probability that rocks will fly onto your head - or rather, you climb the wall before them and go slowly and safely. They will wait. If you do trigger rocks, then yell and warn the surroundings about what happened.

On Hanz, self-belay is definitely recommended, and there is no dilemma about the helmet.

Mojstrovka, despite being close to Vršič, is not a tourist mountain. The south approach is indeed much easier, but still not easy, and I certainly do not approve of the behavior of numerous tourists who head up in sneakers. Hanz is not a tourist walking path at all!!

Those "tourists" who don't need protection because an invisible helmet protects your head, better trigger rocks on the scree and fool around there. You will likely end up among the bushes and some branch will nicely whack you a few times as you push through, and you might realize that it's better to walk around Lake Bled.

Good luck!

Today I found out that works on Hanz's path to Prisojnik will presumably take place around 18./19 July 2012, depending on the weather and army help. Then we can hope for the reopening of the path.

Thanks for the information.

And does anyone know how Hanz's path is? Has it been repaired at all after last year's landslide?