Matevž Lenarčič
biologist, Alpinist, paraglider, first to circle the world in an ultralight
Things are a little different from the air. Even the rocky monoliths are not how they appear from below. The mountains become a whole, not just a collection of rock faces, peaks and valleys. The Kamnik-Savinja Alps also become a mighty backbone of ridgelinked grasses through which you can make out the invisible traces of human and animal visitors. Beneath the sky they appear solid, permanent and indestructible. So you must journey to recognise their more fragile side and sense the need to protect this Slovenian mountain jewel.
Davo Karničar
Alpinist and Alpine skier, the first human to complete an uninterrupted ski descent from the top of Mount Everest (Ski Everest 2000) and to ski down the highest peaks of all seven continents (Ski 7 Summits)
The Kamnik-Savinja Alps are my home. I literally grew up on the faces, ridges and peaks here. First with my parents, then with friends and alone, and now more and more often with my own children. They are sufficiently high and steep for me to be able to prepare for the test of any kind of mountain in the world. They are enchanting, the place where I spend the best moments of connection with my family.
Marko Prezelj
Alpinist, mountain guide and photographer, the only person to receive the Gold Ice Axe Alpinism prize four times
The chain of mountains to the north of my home is very important for me. For as long as I can remember, these hills have represented for me a kind of expanded home. From here I go out to visit other world mountain ranges and I always return with the realisation that my local mountains are an ideal space for intensive experiences. Here I learned almost everything I need for climbing much more notorious mountains. The advantage of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps lies in their variety and manageability. At any time of year you can find yourself in various situations and conditions, while at the same time you can make up very varied tours from the selection of the start to the finish. This accessible diversity, along with the possibility of enjoying nature along the way, is a rarer thing in the world than would appear to us who live here.
