The Public Institution Triglav National Park (JZ TNP) informed canyoneering operators at an informational meeting in Log pod Mangartom that this year’s canyoneering season in the Fratarica and Predelica gorges in Log pod Mangartom, as well as Jerečica in Bohinj, does not bring any major changes for the operators. Both for private visits and for conducting canyoneering as a business activity, it is still necessary to obtain prior approval from JZ TNP. Just like last year, the use of the registration application will be mandatory. Both decrees from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning regarding the restriction of visits in Fratarica and Predelica remain in effect. A fee of three euros per person will still be required for canyoneering in the Fratarica and Predelica gorges, the same amount as last season.
Submission of the application for the issuance of approval through the registration application
This year, the application for the issuance of approval for conducting activities in watercourses can be submitted and supplemented through the registration application, which will be available from mid-March 2025 at the website address https://soteskanje.tnp.si.
The application for the issuance of approval for private visits to the gorges must include information about the designated person in charge and the names of the other canyoneers in the group, and a receipt for the payment of the administrative fee must be attached.
For conducting business activities (guiding guests), the application for the issuance of approval from JZ TNP must include copies of the wild water rescue certificates (program C) showing their validity, as well as a receipt for the payment of the administrative fee. The business entity or sole proprietor must be registered for conducting canyoneering activities (SKD code 93.190 Other sporting activities) and must also have an active Slovenian tax number. Foreign companies based in the EU must also attach copies of valid A1 certificates for guides or rescuers assigned to work in Slovenia.
Before the expiration of the rescuer's certificate, the registration application will automatically notify the designated contact person. If the certificate expires and a copy of the new certificate is not submitted, the application will automatically remove the rescuer, who will no longer be allowed to perform the activity. After submitting the certificate of the completed requalification test, the rescuer will be reactivated in the registration application. Similarly, the application will notify about an inactive tax number of the company.
We urge all canyoneering operators to submit their applications for approval as soon as possible. JZ TNP, in accordance with the legislation, has one month from the receipt of a complete application to issue the approval. Of course, we will make every effort to process the received applications as quickly as possible.
The restrictions from the decrees also apply in this year's season
The restrictions introduced by the aforementioned decrees last season are defined for specific time periods during the canyoneering season. They relate to the entry times into the gorges, group sizes, and the maximum allowed number of canyoneers per day in the Fratarica and Predelica gorges, with the latter being divided into the upper and lower sections:
Each organizer of canyoneering activities can register a maximum of one slot per day in the 1st period, a maximum of two slots per day in the 2nd period, and a maximum of four slots per day in the 3rd and 4th periods, with a maximum of 18 canyoneers allowed to enter within two hours. In the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th periods, the customer can register half of the available slots for a given day at any time, and the other half up to 24 hours before the selected time for that day.
For private canyoneering (not as a business activity), it is allowed to have one slot per day, four slots per week, and ten slots per season, with a maximum of five people per group, the same as last year.
This year's novelty – registration in the application at least 30 minutes before arrival at the parking lot
Each group of canyoneers must be registered in the registration application at least 30 minutes before arriving at the parking lot designated for the specific gorge, which is a new requirement this year. If a group arrives without registration, they are not allowed to engage in canyoneering during that time slot. For easier monitoring, operators must place the name of their agency in a visible location in the vehicle.
The most common violations or irregularities related to canyoneering last year were as follows: the group of canyoneers was not registered, had too few registered canyoneers, too few registered vehicles, the wrong gorge was registered, the canyoneering group (business activity) had no or an insufficient number of trained wild water rescuers listed in the JZ TNP approval, canyoneers accessed or entered the gorge at an unauthorized location, they had incomplete equipment, and some did not use the available infrastructure (toilets, changing rooms).
Consequences of potential violations
For each violation, the nature conservation inspector of Triglav National Park will issue a warning or fine in accordance with the Triglav National Park Act. Violations are primarily addressed by the nature conservation inspector, who is assisted by informants in the field. The fine for a legal entity ranges from 7,000 to 70,000 euros, for a sole proprietor from 7,000 to 50,000 euros, for the designated person in charge from 1,000 to 4,000 euros, and for an individual from 500 to 3,000 euros.
In the case that a canyoneering group (business activity) does not have a trained wild water rescuer, as listed in the approval, or lacks the required number of rescuers during canyoneering, this is considered a serious violation. Such an operator will be penalized, and a procedure will be initiated to revoke the approval for conducting canyoneering for the current year. Additionally, the JZ TNP will reject the operator's application for the issuance of a canyoneering approval for the following year. All other violations (e.g., the canyoneering group is not registered, too few registered canyoneers, too few registered vehicles, the wrong gorge is registered, entry to the gorge at an unauthorized location, and similar violations) are considered minor. If the operator receives two warnings and/or fines, JZ TNP will reject the operator's application for the issuance of a canyoneering approval for the following year.
Renovation of anchor points and marking of locations with numbers for faster rescue in case of accidents
In the Fratarica gorge and the upper part of Predelica, the Canyoneering Association of Slovenia has carried out the renovation of anchor points before this season. Verified and certified materials were used, but each guide must still check the safety of the anchor points before use. In Fratarica, 11 anchor points were renovated and four new ones were added, while Predelica has five renovated anchor points in the upper section. The renovation of the anchor points in the lower part of Predelica will continue until the end of 2025, when the marking of anchor points with numbers placed on the rocks will also be completed. These markings will assist in reporting the location of any potential accidents.
Also, in the Canyoneering Association of Slovenia, just like in JZ TNP, canyoneers are urged to follow the rules in Triglav National Park and to respect the local residents and guests, other guides, and nature. It is also very important that they have the necessary knowledge, continue to educate themselves, and use appropriate equipment, ensuring that their guests have it as well.
Participants of the informational meeting, before the start of this season, got to know the town of Log pod Mangartom more closely, accompanied by the president of the Log pod Mangartom Tourist Association, Peter Mlekuž. This way, they will be able to recommend to their guests which attractions to visit in the town, where to taste and purchase local products, and similar suggestions.
