Mountaineers in the region were shaken by two tragedies which happened on Monday and Tuesday, and the total balance is three dead and seven injured climber.
First came the news from Albania that a mountaineer from Croatia was killed, while three Serbian mountaineers were injured.
As stated, the Mountain Rescue Service in Albania rescued seven mountaineers, of which four are originally from Croatia, and three from Serbia.
One person died, and as it turns out, it is a scientist from Osijek.
After Albania, tragic news also arrived from Slovenia.
Namely, the bodies of two men who are citizens of Serbia were found in the area of Mount Triglav in the Julian Alps.
Their bodies were found during a search of the terrain by police helicopters, after the disappearance of the mountaineers on Saturday, writes the Slovenian "Delo".
According to the Slovenian agency STA, it is about a 33-year-old and a 42-year-old man who went hiking on Saturday morning, but fell at a height of 1.600 meters and died on the spot.
According to the Slovenian "Dela", the Mountain Rescue Service of Slovenia also participated in the rescue operation.
Photo: Tanjug / STAWeather often plays a role in tragedies
"Subjective error is the cause of the tragedy on Triglav"
Bojan Marić from the Serbian Mountain Rescue Service warns for "Vreme" that many people are not aware that an accident can happen very easily.
"Hiking tragedies are a combination of factors." They also happen in developed countries. Nature is such that the weather suddenly reverses and the mountaineers cannot 'read' the situation. Now, in this specific situation on Triglav, where two guys were killed, as far as I have read and seen - it is a subjective error. Namely, there was a third alpinist with them, who gave up - because constant bad weather was announced in several weather forecasts. And here we can say that it is a very subjective error," Marić points out.
He points out that forecasts can vary, but if several forecasts show bad weather, mountaineers should not make mistakes and ignore warnings.
"Those who died on Triglav probably did not research or read what the weather was like in the previous days, because after the thaw, there was a sudden cold and precipitation. The seriousness of the situation is indicated by the fact that the Mountain Rescue Service from Slovenia could not even approach them immediately when the accident was reported, but a day and a half or two later. They had to wait, the roads were buried, the visibility was poor, so even the helicopters could not take off. And all these facts point to a bad assessment of mountaineers," says Marić.
He adds that he did not know the dead, but he says that he heard about one of them that he was a very experienced mountaineer who had conquered many peaks over 2.000 meters above sea level.
Mountain Rescue ServiceMembers of the Mountain Rescue Service in action
Importance of training and courses on mountaineering
Marić advises that everyone who wants to engage in mountaineering should take the necessary training and courses, and not be self-taught, because life sometimes depends on it.
"On the courses, one gradually accumulates knowledge. Of course, it can be gained through experience, but without training, certain important things are skipped," observes the interlocutor of "Vremena".
Commenting on the "explosion" of the number of mountaineers in the last few years, he reminds that the corona virus is largely responsible for it, because at that time the number of those who started this activity multiplied.
However, it also indicates that there have been sporadic accidents in the past, as well as that there is a street in Zemun dedicated to mountaineers who died on Visočica in Bosnia.
The current situation and the increase in the number of those who would like to engage in alpinism are to blame or to blame - social networks.
Mountain Rescue ServiceProviding assistance to the injured
"People take big risks and are willing to do anything for a good photo"
"With corona and social networks, it all took on a different dimension. People are ready to do anything for a good photo. Without any knowledge and foreknowledge, they are taking a big risk. The special thing is that after seeing someone they know take a good photo on social media, people want to do the same, and often better. And an incident happens, even a tragedy. People get the seeming ability over the phone that anyone can do a lot easily. And he can't," emphasizes Marić.
He appeals to all those who like mountaineering to respect the basic training organized by the Mountaineering Association of Serbia and numerous mountaineering societies, because it is not expensive, and a lot can be learned.
"I also recommend that people suppress their egos a bit." That if they don't want to complete the basic training, they should at least be well informed through people who have some education and experience. Before going to the mountain, it is mandatory to read everything about it, it is not only photos, to study the weather conditions, and not to go to the mountain without any preparation. In the age of the Internet, information can be easily obtained. A person can and must prepare for what awaits him. You shouldn't underestimate places you haven't been to," concludes Marić.
