General Assembly of the International Mountain Guides Organisation IVBV/UIAGM/IFMGA

From 21 to 25 November 2022, the General Assembly of the international organization of mountain guides from all over the world IVBV/UIAGM/IFMGA took place in the Grand Hotel in Stary Smokovec. In Slovakia, such an event took place for the second time, the first time was in 1998 at Štrbské Pleso. A total of 59 participants from 25 countries from all over the world took part in the assembly.

This year’s event was also a celebration held on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the founding of the National Association of Mountain Guides of the Slovak Republic and next year’s 150th anniversary of organized mountain guiding in our territory.
The General Assembly included expert seminars focused mainly on climate change, diversification of mountain guide work, mobility and other topical issues.

As part of the accompanying programme, the opening of the exhibition entitled “In the footsteps of mountain guides” was opened on Tuesday, 22 November 2022, in cooperation with the State Archives in Prešov, Poprad Archives in the premises in Spišská Sobota. The opening took place under the patronage of the President of the IVBV/UIAGM/IFMGA and the President of the National Association of Mountain Guides of the Slovak Republic. The exhibition will be open to the general public until July 2023.

The next programme was an evening screening of a new film by Pavel Barabáš entitled “Mountain Leader” in the presence of the author. The film received a great ovation for its approach and unusual insight into the work of a mountain guide.

During the Gala Dinner Pavol Rajtár, Milan Sekelský, Peter Tomko, Alexander Luczy, Róbert Gálfy, Milan Šuna, Róbert Turianik, Oleg Štulrajter, Peter Rajec, Ján Pet’o, Vinco Brož, Milan Hoholík, Dušan Macko, Jaroslav Michalko, Jean Lou Eberhard, Peter Gayer, Peter Ponholzer and Sepp Glocner were awarded for their merits in the development of leadership and the establishment of the National Association of Mountain Leaders of the Slovak Republic. They received a commemorative plaque and an award from IVBV/UIAGM/IFMGA President Peter Cliff and NAHVSR President Jozef Janiga.

At the same time Anton Sedlak, Lukáš Benický, Marek Černý, Štefan Krasňan, Daniel Mahdal, Vlasto Pšenko, Ján Šustr, Denisa Šulcová, Ján Tegelhof and Peter Tomko Jr., who successfully completed the three-year cycle of training and passed the final exams, were selected as new mountain guides. They received their badge and leadership booklet from the candidate for the new president Wellauer Urs IVBV/UIAGM/IFMGA and the chairman of the NAHVSR technical committee Michal Gerčák.

NAHVSR President thanked the organizing committee composed of Miki Knižka – chairman, Michal Gerčák, Jozef Brejčák, Štefan Krasňan, Marek Biskupič, Jaroslav Michalko, Peter Tomko, Pavol Kuna, Peter Matura, Denisa Šulcová and Róbert Gálfy for the organization of the General Assembly.

Finally, on his last day as IVBV/UIAGM/IFMGA President, the NAHVSR leadership thanked Peter Cliff for his work and the advancement of mountain guiding around the world.

At the end of the General Assembly, the new President Wellauer Urs was ratified.

The next meeting of the IVBV/UIAGM/IFMGA General Assembly will be next year in Kyrgyzstan.

After the end of the General Assembly, the international climbing competition on the climbing wall on difficulty was held in the premises of the climbing centre LA SKALA in Žilina, which was attended by 34 competitors – mountain guides from 4 member countries.
Results of the male category: 1st place Vlasťo Pšenko, 2nd place Marek Kazjor and 3rd place Radek Lienerth.
Results of the female category: 1st place Rita Christen, 2nd place Denisa Šulcová and 3rd place Ladina Durst.

The oldest competitor was 85 years old.

The National Association of Mountain Guides of the Slovak Republic has a total of 65 members and has been a member of the international organization IVBV/UIAGM/IFMGA since 1996.

The event was supported by: Prešovský samosprávny kraj, LA SKALA, PSPW, Hydrometal, Air Transport Europe, Mountain Pro Guiding, Chata pri Zelenom plese, Mountain Equipment, Black Crows, Ortovox, Mountain Addiction