In the years around 1900, the most active Mountaineering Society
in Julian and Savinjske Alps was the German-Austrian DÖAV.
The German alpinist educated the locals and made them mountain
guides serving to their own organisation. The local mountain guide
is once again just `the second after the gentleman', not an equal
partner in a mountain conquest. This `tradition' of slovenian
mountaineering was started already in the age of enlightenment,
when the local people served as guides and helpers to the well-to-do
visitors of mountains, tourists and scientists. Let us just name
some of the most famous: A. Kos, L. Korosec, L. Skantar, J. Skantar,
J. Ravbar and F. Stare in Bohinjski kot; A. Tozbar (a tragic
`hero' of Trenta, to whom the bear tore away the lower jaw),
M. Kravanja, A. Kravanja, Andrej Komac (in the photo), J. Komac
and I. Berginc in Trenta and Soca; G. Rabic, F. Smukavec
and J. Klinar in Mojstrana.
In addition, there were J. Pecar, J. Rogar, J. Peternelj,
G. Zerjav and M. Ojcelj in Kranjska gora, A. Cernuta in Srednji log
and Anton Ojcinger (in the photo) in Ovcja vas. Both Ojcinger
and A. Komac were Julius Kugy's favourite mountain guides.
Other mountain guides are described in great detail in the book
`Mountain guides in the Julian Alps' from 1961 by Lovsin.
In similar conditions worked F. Kremzar and M. Matijevec from Luce,
L. Potocnik and M. Ursic from Stahovica, L. and V. Ursic from
Kamniska bistrica, Suhadolnik from Kokra and J. Piskernik from
Logarska dolina. Mountain guides in Kamniske Alpe was dealt with
in `Mountains' faces and ridges' from 1959 by B. Rezek.
DÖAV organized courses in 1894, 1895, 1897 and 1903 to educate the locals in order for them to be able to guide foreign tourists over our mountains. In 1904, also the Slovenian Mountaineering society claimed their right to educate and train its own guides, and the first course was held in 1906 in Ljubljana with a participation of 30. The first preserved official authorisation of a mountain guide was given to Simon Pinter from Mojstrana in 1877. At the same time, the official approvals also sped up the founding of the Mountaineering Rescue Service (today GRS) in 1912 in Kranjska gora, initiated by dr. Josip Ticar and dr. Jernej Demsar.
