SLOVENIA'S 5 CORE VALUES

In addition to their members, several other walkers took part in the walk. Saturday was the most suitable day for it, and so a group of people in high spirits gathered at the starting point early in the morning. After an introductory greeting and the kind-hearted guidance of the guides, it was time to start the climb. With a lot of good humour, cheerful hearts and enthusiasm for the trail, the hikers started to take their first steps. They all reached Kredarica and the very top of Triglav safely and happily. 

They looked forward to the evening and woke up on Sunday morning with happy thoughts and feelings. Then it was downhill and home. During the descent into the valley, the walkers talked, shared thoughts and gave off a wonderful friendly energy with their smiles. In between, they rested their eyes and souls on the beautiful views and soaked up the sun's pleasant rays. 

They started descending towards Vodnikova hut and were somewhere in the area called Konjski preval. They decided to stop for a few moments to relax and refresh themselves. They stopped at a part where there was a good metre deep overhang on one side, which continued to a steep depth. The guide had just started to explain something when he noticed Mrs Lili from the group, who at that very moment was leaning on the walking sticks with both hands and then resting her head on them. He immediately asked her if she was all right. Behind her was Antonija Bakšič, a mountaineer who had also noticed Lili's distress. In the same second, the lady threw up. Antonija's quick reaction was the key. In that split second, she somehow managed to pull on the left sleeve of Lili's jacket, reversing the direction of her fall. The lady fell anyway, but thanks to Antonia's quick move, she stopped just in time on the precipice before she could fall deeper. If she had fallen lower into the abyss, the consequences could have been extremely critical. She was helped immediately and Mrs Lili quickly came to. She did not know very well what had happened to her, but she was also somewhat absent and uncomprehending. It took some time for her condition to improve and for her to become aware of the world around her again. For the rest of the hike, two hikers walked right next to her the whole time, carrying her rucksack. The guide was informed that the lady was a heart patient, which she had not told or warned anyone about. Neither did the person who, according to later conversations, knew about her condition warn anyone. After the hike, the guide himself also recalled some moments from the very top or at the hut on Kredarica when Mrs Lili's gestures were a bit unusual. These moments made sense after this event. However, as he did not know the background to Lili's condition, he did not pay much attention to it at the time.

Fortunately, the event had a happy ending, albeit with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Every mountaineer makes a conscious decision to be mentally and physically fit to walk. It is also a good idea to inform the guide of any health problems. This places a responsibility and duty on the mountaineer towards others, and above all towards himself.

Let's be honest, respectful and responsible. 

Andreja Bakšič Grozdina