International Mountain Rescue Exercise | Alpe Adria 2025

By 7 AM, local rescuers are already gathering in the parking lot in Kranjska Gora. We’re waiting for colleagues from Villach and Tarvisio to arrive, along with a unit from the financial police specialized in mountain rescue. In total, there are 65 of us—plus a few four-legged team members.

I watch in surprise as some rescuers step out of their vehicles already fully geared up, harnesses on and equipment dangling from their belts. Well, Villach isn’t far from Kranjska Gora, so maybe they can tolerate the ride in full kit. Or perhaps that’s just their standard procedure when leaving base?

We hook up trailers loaded with snowmobiles and a tracked ATV—new additions to some mountain rescue teams, making it easier to transport gear and personnel up to the top of the pass.

At the Gozd mountain hut, we hold a briefing. Nik takes on the challenging task of organizing the teams. The plan is to form three groups, mostly composed of members from the same organization, but with a few rescuers from different countries in each. This way, internal communication can flow in a language most members understand, while the international observers get direct insight into the rescue techniques each team will demonstrate.

At the top of the pass, we’re met with classic rescue-mission weather—wind, fog, and light rain, much like the real operations we’ve experienced (and would rather forget). A small Civil Protection tent has been set up to serve as a command post for coordination, logistics, and other support tasks. Even during well-planned exercises, adaptations are necessary.

Before heading out to the field, each team must sign in on a paper form, just like in major rescue operations or avalanche incidents. Today, we quickly discover that a ballpoint pen isn’t the best tool for the job—it refuses to write on damp paper. That old anecdote about Russian cosmonauts using a regular pencil comes to mind…

We’re waiting for a call from the regional emergency center (112) to officially deploy our team. Earlier this morning, I was warned that due to an operator strike, we might not get their full support. As the lead for the Slovenian team, I anxiously wait for the call, trying to explain to our international colleagues why we haven’t set off yet. But despite the strike, ReCO Kranj comes through—the phone rings.

The first piece of information I receive is shocking: 20 dead and dozens missing! Luckily, my sarcasm detector is working, and I just smile. After establishing a conference call with our “injured person,” we get useful details: approximate location, condition of the casualty, and weather conditions. The caller’s exact GPS coordinates are sent as a screenshot. Teamwork kicks in—one person reads from the image, another manually enters the coordinates into their phone.

Of course, the GPS format isn’t compatible with our app settings, requiring a quick adjustment before LocusMap will work properly. Not ideal, but necessary.

Finally, the team can deploy. The most eager rescuers set off first to provide medical care, while the rest of us follow at a slower pace, carrying the Tiral stretcher and ropes for the descent.

We ski up towards Šitna Glava, continuously checking our GPS coordinates. The thick fog makes navigation difficult—we have to follow the correct ski track. Most rescuers now rely on smartphones for navigation, but in this weather, that’s far from ideal. Raindrops on the screen make unlocking and handling apps frustrating. A Garmin GPSmap with physical buttons would be much more practical.

We reach the Austrian team, who are already treating the casualty. Our task is to move higher up. After about 20 minutes of ski touring, I arrive at the scene. Our team is already providing medical care, and two anchor points for the descent have been set up. We quickly assess the situation and the terrain for the stretcher relay. Due to the steep slope, even the team setting up the next two anchors (C and D) will need to descend on ropes.

A doctor from Villach volunteers to accompany the casualty in the stretcher, wanting to stay close throughout the evacuation. She inserts an ear-worn monitor, which transmits real-time vitals via Bluetooth to her mobile phone. However, Bluetooth only works over short distances, meaning a less technical descent around the gully would disconnect the data feed. Since last year, we’ve also been using the Cosinuss° device in Slovenian mountain rescue.

Joining her are Austrian rescuer Lena, photographer Aljaž, and Žan and I.

For the “T” anchor, the only snow available is in the middle of the narrow gully—but we need to leave that space clear for the stretcher transport. Žan decides to build the anchor in the rock instead.

The first descent begins, and the stretcher approaches anchors C and D. From above, we hear that the rope is running out, yet the stretcher hasn’t passed the upper anchor… We’re using 50-meter ropes, which are great for training since they force us to set up more anchors—but this time, we miscalculated the distance. No choice but to adapt. I tell Žan to dismantle his anchor while I start digging new holes for another one. We use every available ice axe for anchoring. Even the “cameraman” steps in to help speed up the process. The issue is resolved, and the descent continues.

Nik radios in: the next set of anchors must be placed well before the end of the already short 50-meter rope. Below us lies a steep rock step where we can’t establish a solid anchor.

Fortunately, there’s some dense shrubbery above it, which proves to be an excellent alternative—especially since all our ice axes are still buried in the snow as active anchors. Once again, our team takes charge of setting up the next pair of anchors, as the rest of the rescuers are still further down. Improvisation, but in this case, the best solution.

The remaining descents are on easier terrain, and soon we reach the road, marking the end of the “rescue.”

Now, it’s time to pack up the gear and take a group photo.

The exercise debrief is held back at the Gozd hut. Our international colleagues praise the organization and format of the exercise. Everyone agrees that such joint trainings are both necessary and beneficial—not just for knowledge exchange, but also for maintaining strong ties with fellow rescue services across borders.

From my perspective, a big shout-out to the Slovenian team for the well-organized drill. The last-minute decision to move the exercise site to Šitna Glava proved to be a great choice—easy access and a variety of terrain challenges made it ideal for the training.