Project invitation Slovenija 360

We would like to invite you to a project with which we could jointly contribute to the fact that more young high school students (where our association and also the Mountaineering Association of Slovenia observes the highest dropout rate in the activities of our members…) would like to get involved in hiking and exercise in nature… But we also want to include those who cannot afford to participate in longer hiking because of financial reasons.

More details about the project are in the following text.

One of the two key goals is that two of our members will hike the K5hike this summer and the desire is to combine this with meetings between members of our and your organization.

Basic goals

Modernization of mountain trails

E-stamps on mountain trails, benches at viewpoints, selfie frames with motifs of cities in all 4 directions of the sky from every viewpoint. All with the goal of encouraging Slovenians to continue to vacation in our homeland in the future through the project activity Views of Slovenia. Both in the mountains and in those beautiful places below, which we will point out from the viewpoints.

At each of these points there will also be a plaque with a QR code, which, in addition to the aforementioned link to the content and the e-stamp, will also be intended to increase the safety of hikers in the mountains. In case of person’s disappearance, it will be possible to quickly check when and where that person was moving. This would save time when this was checked through the registration books at the huts. With our method, we would significantly speed up this process and increase the response time, and thus the possibility of faster action and the start of rescue.

Spodbujanje mladih za gibanje v naravi

Encouraging young people to exercise in nature

Encourage young people to exchange social media for exercise in nature more often, including hiking or mountaineering.

Together with the Mountaineering Association of Slovenia, schools and youth organizations, we will find ways to achieve this. For now, through prizes for young couples (romantic dinner with overnight stay, mobile technology services, etc.) and through their desire for attention. Thus, we will reward the couple or group of young people who visit the most mountain points, those with the most liked selfies and photos from viewpoints, and a few participants who will just participate in the action…

Care for forests and nature

Wherever possible, we will plant a Friendship Linden tree or another tree that would benefit the area in clearings and other suitable locations for socializing. We will encourage as many people as possible to take part in such activities. From past experience we could figure it out how much nature helps us, what are positive influences of trees…

Where this is not possible, we would at least plant an indigenous aromatic plant or herb from which it will be possible to prepare herbal tea.

Promoting inter-neighbourly cooperation: project goals is also to promote implementation of the projects on »border” between neighbouring mountaineering associations

1. The aforementioned Linden (tree) of friendship will not only perform a nature protection function but also a connecting effect. The meaning of the Linden of friendship is presented in detail in the attached catalogue, so here we will only add specific goals that relate to those from the aforementioned catalogue.
2. Around a tree or at a nice viewpoint near K5hike route, we would place a wooden bench with information about hike and short poem verses[1] about the importance of socializing (how much we missed it during quarantine times…), and about why it is necessary to spend as much time as possible in nature.
3. This could be a place for members of neighbouring mountaineering associations to socialize and meet. In the case of promoting hiking among target groups (currently unemployed people, high school students and students, who are increasingly rare hikers…), local guides at the border point would take over such a group and hand it over to guides on the border with the new neighbouring association. Of course, during agreed periods or for the duration of the project. But the goal is to hold such a meeting of the aforementioned groups from neighbouring municipalities at least once a year.
4. We also want to maintain the nice Slovenian custom of bringing small, practical gifts to your host when you come to visit. In the case of a project, the Mountaineering Association and other partner associations will commit to implementing the specific objectives described in the previous points within the agreed time.
5. During the first implementation of the Get to Know Slovenia in Slovenia360 hike, hikers will collect a pinch of herbs suitable for tea and local walnuts for well-known Slovenian cake: Potica from each local association. Part of this will be handed over to representatives of the local mountaineering association in the neighbouring municipality. The other part will be carried to the final point of the hike: Debeli rtič (near border with Italy), where it will be handed over to representatives of the nearest local mountaineering association. They will undertake to welcome and treat the first hikers who will set off back towards Štajerska region along the expanded Slovenian Hiking Trail as part of this project with tea and cake Potica.
6. We believe that during the aforementioned activities, representatives of local mountaineering associations will prove to be hospitable at least to socially disadvantaged groups who will be included in the first K5hike expedition. Through sponsors and donors, we will ensure that they will not have to contribute anything to participate in this journey, as we hope to obtain donations for them in the form of food, drinks, mountaineering footwear and equipment, and some funds to cover overnight stays…. If we would be successful in the previously described activities and if local mountaineering associations will help us, we will be able to expand the planned number of 2 young people to some additional…
7. At least the hikers from Štajerska region had promises that they will make sure that at the same time as our hikers who will take part in hike will get some good wine when they will arrive at the end of hike (at the Slovenian coast), because we want to use it to teas not only our hikers but also our coastal friends.
8. Because due to the announced economic crisis we are not sure that we will be able to achieve all the aforementioned goals, we will do everything to implement them at least at the starting (Maribor) and ending (coast) points, where the project coordinator has committed to planting two trees and two spa benches at the aforementioned locations, and to preparing a short cultural and musical program for these events.
9. We believe that it will be difficult to implement such a project for the first time in these times. But that is precisely why we must implement it. To prove that we are united. That we Slovenians are in solidarity and ready to do something good together.
10. And above all, to prove that even without large financial investments, it is possible to enable those who are hindered by financial resources from achieving high goals to achieve them with our help.

Other general and medium-term goals

1. The project was also presented to the national Mountaineering Association, with the aim of making the goals of this project a program that would attract people to hiking and encourage them to continue with it also in the future.
2. Designing the K5HIKE and Slovenija360 brand. This could also be of market interest, as the aforementioned hikers could also perform non-commercial and therefore objective tests of equipment, footwear and clothing that are still in the development phase… Golden sponsors would be allowed to use this brand with the notation. Tested at K5HIKE/SLOVENIJA360HIKE!
3. Socializing of young people (high school students and students) and members of the Mountaineering organization on the borders between neighbouring mountaineering associations. Hikers (unemployed and students) would then be escorted by members (or at least their local guide) of the individual mountaineering association to the area of ​​the next one, where they would socialize again and thus try to conclude a 360-degree line, which the hikers would walk in socializing with our members who decided to walk all or only part of the K5HIKE/SLOVENIJA360HIKE.
4. Demonstration of what interesting can be seen in Slovenia – an upgrade of a project we have already implemented. Our goal is to encourage even more people to spend their holidays in Slovenia… and especially for students to travel, hike in Slovenia…
5. A platform for distance learning regarding content related to biology, geology and geography…

6. Psychophysical preparation for new crises and quarantine with suggestions for hiking in your area. Young people from all over Slovenia will give suggestions on where to calm their minds the fastest and gather positive energy.
7. We will publish an E-book: Slovenian Hiking Trail (K5HIKE).
8. Remote sports and social games. In the apartment and non-contact sports in nature. among others. also beach tennis, yoga…
9. Promoting national consciousness, belonging to local products and services. Specifically, that we will want to get to know Slovenia when there are no external reasons and also financial incentives from the state.
10. Hikers within the framework of this K5HIKE project have proven that all the aforementioned goals are worth striving for. It is up to us to do everything in our power to ensure that as many of these goals as possible are realized in the future, that the goals and activities are upgraded and supplemented.

When

We will start the next phase of K5HIKE project as soon as we have obtained sufficient sponsorship and donation funds to enable at least one unemployed person and a high school student to hike the entire K5HIKE, and when we have attracted as many associations and their guides to the project for routes where we do not yet have a sufficiently experienced guide.

Participants

We will invite representatives of all local mountaineering associations near the K5HIKE route. The goal is that in addition to an experienced mountain guide, will participate at least one unemployed person (who does not have the money for such a route) and one high school student who will hike the entire K5HIKE route.

Briefly about the coordinating organization

The Holiday Association Kažipot Velenje, which has been implementing projects for young people for over 70 years, which could be divided into the following groups: international cooperation, entertainment, informal education and sports. As part of the last major association project, representatives of North and South Korea planted two Friendship Linden Trees in the Peace Park which was built in Velenje. Our members have planted a total of 5 Friendship Linden Trees in several EU countries and 2 trees in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The members have also built their own sports park with a climbing wall through their own hard work. We also have a mountaineering section…

Honored youth organization Kažipot

For past activities, we have been awarded the status of a Non-Governmental Organization in the Public Interest by both the Republic of Slovenia and the Velenje Municipality. For past activities, especially for the project www.nomorewars.eu, we are also obtaining the status of a Non-Governmental Organization in the field of international cooperation.

[1] Oh neighbor, stop! Sit down. Tell me something nice, how it was and how it will be…

What can we do together before we start to…

Then, like in the past, we will sang a Slovenian song together! Ivančič (44, 2020)