Slovene Alpine Club

The Slovene Alpine Club (Slovensko planinsko društvo Trst, SPDT) is a voluntary Slovene mountaineering association based in Trieste, Italy. It was founded on 4 June 1904 as a branch of the central Slovene Alpine Society in Ljubljana, with the teacher Miroslav Pretner as its main initiator and first president; at its founding it had around 90 members. Its purpose was to organise Slovene-speaking mountaineers in the Trieste region and to mark and maintain mountain paths across the Primorska area. From its earliest years the club combined sport, recreation and culture. Members marked trails, organised excursions and social events, managed the Vilenica and Dimnice caves, and planned the construction of mountain huts on Čaven and Črna prst. In 1912 it published a map of the Trieste district with Slovene place names. After the First World War, during which the club did not operate, activity resumed at a general assembly on 20 April 1918, with Pretner re-elected president. Under Italian rule the club faced growing pressure; its archive burned when the Narodni dom was set on fire, and in October 1923 the fascist authorities dissolved it. Former members re-founded an independent Slovene Alpine Society in March 1924, which was again dissolved in August 1927 and continued in illegality. In the 1930s two standing groups formed — the štempiharji (excursionists and cultural workers) and the magnamonte (mountaineers and alpinists) — and a caving section was active from 1938 to 1941. After the Second World War the club was revived in 1946 under the new name Planinsko društvo Trst, with Zorko Jelinčič as its first president until 1965. In 1954 it adopted its present name, Slovensko planinsko društvo Trst. It became a permanent member of the Italian skiing federation in 1968 and a member of the Association of Slovene Sports Societies in Italy in 1970. In autumn 1975 it laid out the Slovene Alpine Vertical (Slovenska planinska vertikala), running through places where Slovenes live in Italy, and in October 1983 it opened the Mangart home in Žabnice. In recent decades the club has organised major expeditions and a wide range of sections. In 1985 it organised an alpinist expedition to South Annapurna led by Lucijan Cergol, which did not reach the summit, alongside a trek in Nepal. Dušan Jelinčič became the first alpinist in Friuli Venezia Giulia to climb an eight-thousander, Broad Peak (8051 m) in the Karakoram, in 1986. The club organised the international Himalayan expedition "Alpe Adria Sagarmatha 1990", which successfully reached the summit of Everest on 7 October 1990, and it also ran a trek to Everest base camp. Between 1985 and 1992 members made successful ascents on Aconcagua, in Turkey, Nepal, Kenya, Mexico, on Kilimanjaro, the Rwenzori, in the USA and Patagonia. Today the club cultivates hiking, alpinism, sport and ice climbing, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, caving and mountain biking, organises lectures, and maintains its own mountain paths. Its sections include an alpinist section, a hiking section, a youth section (for members up to 30), a "drugače mladi" group for older members (over 70, active since 2015) and an MTB group. In 2024, on its 120th anniversary, SPDT received the Order of Merit of the Republic of Slovenia from then-president Nataša Pirc Musar.

The Slovene Alpine Club (Slovensko planinsko društvo Trst, SPDT) was founded in Trieste on 4 June 1904 as the Trieste branch of the central Slovene Alpine Society in Ljubljana. The main initiator and first president was the teacher Miroslav Pretner, and the branch had around 90 members at its founding. Active members marked mountain paths across the Primorska region, organised excursions and social events, managed the Vilenica and Dimnice caves, and planned the construction of mountain huts on Čaven and Črna prst. In 1912 they published and issued a map of the Trieste district with Slovene place names. During the First World War the club did not operate. At a restoration general assembly on 20 April 1918, Miroslav Pretner was again elected president. In the months after the Italian occupation of Primorska, the club's activity was hampered; when the Narodni dom was set on fire, the club archive burned, and in October 1923 the fascist authorities dissolved the club. In March 1924 former members in Trieste founded an independent Slovene Alpine Society, which operated until August 1927, when the authorities dissolved it again and its work continued in illegality. Members of dissolved youth and educational organisations from Trieste and the surrounding area joined the club's excursions. In the 1930s two standing groups formed: the štempiharji, made up of excursionists and educational workers, and the magnamonte, made up of mountaineers and alpinists; in the years 1938–1941 a caving section was also active. After the Second World War, the club's activity was restored in 1946 under the new name Planinsko društvo Trst. The first president was Zorko Jelinčič, who presided until 1965. In 1954 the club took its present name, Slovensko planinsko društvo Trst. Various sections were active: alpinist, photographic, economic, excursion, caving, propaganda, publishing and skiing. The club organises excursions, bonfires, hikes, lectures and courses. In 1968 it became a permanent member of the Italian skiing federation, and in 1970 a member of the Association of Slovene Sports Societies in Italy. In autumn 1975 it laid out the Slovene Alpine Vertical (Slovenska planinska vertikala), which runs through places where Slovenes live in Italy, and in October 1983 it opened the Mangart home in Žabnice. On the club's eightieth anniversary in 1984, a chronicle of its history, edited and written by Dušan Jelinčič, was published. In 1985 the club organised an alpinist expedition to South Annapurna led by Lucijan Cergol, though the summit was not reached; a trek in the surroundings of Nepal was carried out at the same time. Dušan Jelinčič became the first alpinist in Friuli Venezia Giulia to climb an eight-thousander, the 8051-metre Broad Peak in the Karakoram, in 1986. That year the journalist Aleksander Sirk became the new president of SPDT. In 1988 the journalist Lojze Abram was elected president. In 1989 the club established the "Zlata krona" branch in Mačkolje with about 30 members. SPDT organised the international Himalayan expedition "Alpe Adria Sagarmatha 1990", under the patronage of Friuli Venezia Giulia, on the tenth anniversary of the Alpe-Adria working community. The expedition, led by Tomaž Jamnik from Kranj, included Slovene and Italian alpinists from Trieste, Carnia, Lombardy and Slovenia. It successfully reached the summit of Everest on 7 October 1990. At the same time SPDT organised a trek in Nepal to the base camp below Everest at the Khumbu glacier. Between 1985 and 1992, successful ascents were made by individual club alpinists on Aconcagua, in Turkey, Nepal, Kenya, Mexico, on Kilimanjaro, the Rwenzori, in the USA and Patagonia. The club's youth section was very active, organising research excursions and orienteering hikes for primary and secondary school pupils of Slovene schools in Trieste. Other activities were also successful, including the marking and caving sections, which participated in discoveries in the Škocjan Caves. In 1984 the SKGZ (Slovene Cultural and Economic Union) awarded SPDT the Plaque of Struggle and Work. In 2024, on its 120th anniversary, SPDT Trst received the Order of Merit of the Republic of Slovenia from then-president Nataša Pirc Musar.

• 2024

  On its 120th anniversary, received the Order of Merit of the Republic of Slovenia from president Nataša Pirc Musar.

• 2015

  The "drugače mladi" group for older members (over 70) began regular activity.

• 1990

  Organised the international Himalayan expedition "Alpe Adria Sagarmatha 1990", which reached the summit of Everest on 7 October.

• 1989

  Established the "Zlata krona" branch in Mačkolje with about 30 members.

• 1988

  Journalist Lojze Abram elected president.

• 1986

  Dušan Jelinčič became the first alpinist in Friuli Venezia Giulia to climb an eight-thousander, Broad Peak (8051 m); Aleksander Sirk became president.

• 1985

  Organised an alpinist expedition to South Annapurna led by Lucijan Cergol, which did not reach the summit.

• 1984

  Published a chronicle of the club's history edited by Dušan Jelinčič; awarded the Plaque of Struggle and Work by SKGZ.

• 1983

  Opened the Mangart home in Žabnice in October.

• 1975

  Laid out the Slovene Alpine Vertical (Slovenska planinska vertikala) in autumn.

• 1970

  Became a member of the Association of Slovene Sports Societies in Italy.

• 1968

  Became a permanent member of the Italian skiing federation.

• 1954

  Adopted the present name Slovensko planinsko društvo Trst.

• 1946

  Activity restored under the new name Planinsko društvo Trst; Zorko Jelinčič became first president.

• 1927

  Dissolved again in August; work continued in illegality.

• 1924

  Former members founded an independent Slovene Alpine Society in March.

• 1923

  Dissolved by fascist authorities in October; club archive burned in the Narodni dom fire.

• 1918

  Restoration general assembly on 20 April; Miroslav Pretner re-elected president.

• 1912

  Published and issued a map of the Trieste district with Slovene place names.

• 1904

  Founded on 4 June in Trieste as a branch of the central Slovene Alpine Society in Ljubljana, with Miroslav Pretner as first president and around 90 members.

A century-old voluntary Slovene mountaineering association in Trieste, combining sport, recreation and culture for the Slovene community in Italy.

• Hiking and mountaineering excursions

• Alpinism and sport climbing

• Ice climbing

• Alpine and cross-country skiing

• Caving

• Mountain biking

• Lectures and courses

• Maintenance of mountain paths

1. 1SPDT – SPDTspdt.org
2. 2Slovene Alpine Clubwikidata.org
3. 3Slovensko planinsko društvo Trstsl.wikipedia.org