In memory of Klemen Volontar, (1962–2022)

Klemen, farewell to you

Death is not what separates us
and life is not what brings us together.
The ties are stronger,
distance, place and time are meaningless to them.

I stand, look and admire the glowing colours of the sunrise, so amazing that it takes your breath away… And when I want to take a picture, I see a message…
You are gone… I just don’t understand. I know it was bad, but still…
Shock – you only turned sixty a week before, you left much, much too soon…

In the middle of November, we were together at the general assembly of the International Association of Mountain Guides UIMLA and we planned what in our association of mountain guides of Slovenia needs to be done in December and January so that next year we can start a new generation and a new school for international mountain guides. You didn’t embellish things. We had a real talk about your illness. And about the need to put the school in such a framework, to relieve you and how you will help us with preparations, schedules, training… But your farewell made a deep impression on us.

Klemen, tebi v slovo

“Ni smrt tisto, kar nas loči
in življenje ni, kar druži nas.
So vezi močnejše,
brez pomena zanje so razdalje, kraj in čas.”

Stojim, gledam in občudujem žareče barve sončnega vzhoda, tako presenetljivega, da ti vzame sapo … In ko želim narediti sliko, zagledam sporočilo …
Ni te več … Enostavno ne dojamem. Vem, da je bilo hudo, a kljub temu …
Šok – teden pred tem si dopolnil šele šestdeset let, odšel si mnogo, mnogo prezgodaj …

Še sredi novembra sva bila skupaj na generalni skupščini Mednarodnega združenja planinskih vodnikov UIMLA in sva načrtovala, kaj je v našem združenju planinskih vodnikov Slovenije za narediti decembra pa januarja, da v naslednjem letu začnemo z novo generacijo in novo šolo za mednarodne planinske vodnike. Nisi olepševal stvari. Realno sva se pogovarjala o tvoji bolezni. In o tem, da je treba postaviti šolo v take okvirje, da te razbremenimo in kako nam boš v pomoč pri pripravah, urnikih, usposabljanju … A tvoje slovo se je globoko zarezalo v nas.

Enthusiastic, idealist, volunteer. All-around active mountaineer, climber, alpinist, rescue dog guide, PZS guide, alpinism and mountain rescue instructor, lecturer, an expert in snow and avalanches, avalanche rescuer, UIMLA international mountain guide and president of the Association of Mountain Guides of Slovenia.

Zanesenjak, idealist, volonter. Vsestransko aktiven gornik, plezalec, alpinist, vodnik reševalnega psa, vodnik PZS, inštruktor alpinizma in gorskega reševanja, predavatelj, strokovnjak za sneg in plazove, miner snežnih plazov, mednarodni planinski vodnik UIMLA in predsednik Združenja planinskih vodnikov Slovenije.

You were a man of action, a man of action and extraordinary energy.
How many times have you shown by your example that you just have to DO things, not just talk about them?
When others were just planning, discussing and filing, you jumped into action and DID it.
When others were just learning about new techniques, and new gadgets, you already had, mastered and used the new equipment.

Bil si mož akcije, človek dejanj in izjemne energije.
Koliko krat si s svojim zgledom pokazal, da je treba enostavno stvari NAREDITI, ne samo o njih govoriti.
Ko so drugi šele planirali, razpravljali in pilili, si ti skočil v akcijo in NAREDIL.
Ko so drugi šele izvedeli za nove tehnike, nove pripomočke, si ti novo opremo že imel, jo obvladal in uporabljal.

Climbing has drawn you like one big magnet since 1977, when you first visited Paklenica. In 1980, you participated in one of the first expeditions to the Lofoten Islands, in 1983 you visited the Hogar mountain range in the Algerian desert, in 1984 got to know the sand towers in eastern Germany and the Czech Republic, crossed the Central Alps, led an expedition to Aconcagua (1995), and after 2000 visited Nepal almost every year – and often several times to different destinations with views of the world’s highest peaks. You spoke enthusiastically about the beauty and the children there, the different pace of life.

And how proud you were of your children.

And how lovingly you spoke of Marjeta, your love for her was reflected in your eyes and on your cheeks.

Plezanje te je povleklo kot en velik magnet vse od leta 1977, ko si prvič obiskal Paklenico. Leta 1980 si sodeloval v eni od prvih odprav na Lofotsko otočje, leta 1983 obiskal pogorje Hogar v alžirski puščavi, leta 1984 spoznal peščene stolpe v vzhodni Nemčiji in na Češkem, prekrižaril Centralne Alpe, vodil odpravo na Aconcaguo (1995), po letu 2000 pa si skoraj vsako leto obiskal Nepal – in pogosto večkrat v različne konce s pogledi na najvišje vrhove sveta. O lepotah in tamkajšnjih otrocih, drugačnemu tempu življenja si pripovedoval navdušeno.

In kako ponosen si bil na svoja otroka.

In kako ljubeče si govoril o Marjeti, tvoja ljubezen do nje se je zrcalila v tvojih očeh in na licih.

You have been a role model and a motivator for many in their many activities in the mountains. You were an instructor to hundreds of participants and a guide to countless others on their routes, including many generations of mountaineers in the 100 women campaign on Triglav.

Bil si vzor in motivator mnogim za njihove številne dejavnosti v gorah.
Več stotim udeležencem si bil inštruktor in preštevilnim vodnik na njihovih poteh, tudi mnogim generacijam planink v akciji 100 žensk na Triglav.

Punctuality, neatness, care for equipment, and people. Virtues. And yes, there is nothing without knowledge, you have said many times. And you yourself were living proof of how training, education and upgrading of knowledge never ends in life. With knowledge, you can reduce risk to a minimum. You honed your knowledge down to the last atom, and tested it in practice, supplemented and used it, worked and educated, and passed on your knowledge to all those who were willing.

You never hid your knowledge or kept it to yourself. You gave yourself away to everyone and everywhere.
You participated in the media, wrote articles, professional materials, photographed procedures, and recorded videos so that people would read, learn and understand that only with knowledge and gradual accumulation of experience is it worth being in the mountains and that only in this way can we always return home safely.

Točnost, urejenost, skrb za opremo, ljudi. Vrline. In ja, brez znanja ni nič, si velikokrat dejal. In sam si bil živ dokaz, kako se usposabljanje, izobraževanje in nadgrajevanje znanja v življenju nikoli ne konča. Z znanjem lahko zmanjšaš marikatero tveganje na minimum. Svoje znanje si pilil do zadnjega atoma, in ga preizkušal v praksi, dopolnjeval in uporabljal, deloval in izobraževal, prenašal svoje znanje vsem željnim naprej.

Svojega znanja nisi nikoli skrival ali hranil le zase. Razdajal si se vsem in povsod.
Sodeloval si v medijih, pisal si članke, strokovna gradiva, fotografiral postopke, snemal videe, da bi ljudje brali, spoznali in razumeli, da le z znanjem in s postopnimi nabiranjem izkušenj velja biti v gorah in da se le tako vedno znova varno vračamo domov.

Your expertise was at a level we won’t be able to reach even to the ankles for a long time. And as an expert, you have been noticed on a global scale – in various international associations for rescue, mountain safety, management and also in many companies.

Tvoja strokovnost je bila na nivoju, ki ji še dolgo ne bomo mogli seči niti do gležnjev. In kot strokovnjaka so te opazili na svetovnem merilu – v raznih mednarodnih združenjih za reševanje, varnost v gorah, vodenje in tudi v številnih podjetjih.

You have led or participated in countless courses, including initial winter alpinist courses, courses for alpinist instructors, glacier courses, courses and advanced training for guides of the Mountaineering Association of Slovenia of various categories, rope technique courses for rescue dog guides of the Kennel Association of Slovenia, initial and advanced school for rescue from high buildings (in Croatia, France), courses for rescue dog handlers at the Mountain Rescue Association of Slovenia, courses for avalanche dog handlers (Austria, Italy, Slovakia), Avalanche Protection Days, Safer Walking Days in Land Conditions , Special courses on avalanches and prevention, Special courses on rescue from avalanches and last but not least at our courses of the Association of Mountain Guides of Slovenia, when you uncompromisingly followed your mission.

Vodil ali sodeloval si na brezštevilnih tečajih, med njimi so bili začetni zimski alpinistični tečaji, tečaji za alpinistične inštruktorje, ledeniški tečaji, tečaji in izpopolnjevanja za vodnike Planinske zveze Slovenije raznih kategorij, tečaji vrvne tehnike za vodnike reševalnih psov Kinološke zveze Slovenije, začetna in nadaljevalna šola za reševanje z visokih objektov (na Hrvaškem, v Franciji), tečaji za vodnike reševalnih psov pri Gorski reševalni zvezi Slovenije, tečaji za vodnike lavinskih psov (Avstrija, Italija, Slovaška), Dnevi varstva pred snežnimi plazovi, Dnevi varnejše hoje v kopnih razmerah, Specialni tečaji o snežnih plazovih in preventivi, Specialni tečaji o reševanju iz snežnih plazov in ne nazadnje na naših tečajih Združenja planinskih vodnikov Slovenije, ko si brezkompromisno sledil svojemu poslanstvu.

Since there was no UIMLA international mountain guide course in Slovenia yet, you attended the course at the Association of Mountain Guides of Croatia (SGVH) and in 2014 became the first Slovenian to obtain the title of International Mountain Leader license. And you decided to bring this license to Slovenia as well.

So for the last six months, you devoted almost all of your time mainly to working in the Association of Mountain Guides of Slovenia, which was huge. At your initiative, we founded the association at this time in December 2017, became aspirants in the global UIMLA association and started training the first generation and then the next ones, got official confirmation of our training programs in summer and winter conditions, and were accepted as full members of UIMLA. You were proud, and so were we, that you succeeded in another of your life projects.

Ker v Sloveniji še ni bilo tečaja za mednarodne planinske vodnike UIMLA, si se tečaja udeležil v Zvezi gorskih vodnikov Hrvaške (SGVH) in leta 2014 kot prvi Slovenec pridobil naziv oz. licenco Mednarodni planinski vodnik. In odločil si se to licenco pripeljati tudi v Slovenijo.

Tako si zadnjih šest skoraj ves svoj čas namenil predvsem delu v Združenju planinskih vodnikov Slovenije, ki ga je bilo ogromno. Na tvojo pobudo smo v tem času decembra 2017 ustanovili združenje, v svetovnem združenju UIMLA postali apsiranti in začeli s šolanjem prve generacije in nato naslednjih, dobili uradne potrditve naših programov šolanja v letnih in zimskih razmerah, ter bili sprejeti med polnopravne članice UIMLA. Ponosen si bil in prav tako mi, da ti je uspel še en tvoj življenjski projekt.

You were wholeheartedly committed to your work and goals.
Hold on, the bonds are stronger – that bind us. Your work will live on and tell about your great contribution to the world of mountaineering, alpinism and guiding, to the world of training, education and prevention.

Thank you, Klemen, for being, living and walking towards your goals. That you connected us, that you selflessly shared your rich knowledge, experience and practice, helped to the maximum and inspired you to visit the mountains more safely and to continuously gain experience and knowledge from generations and generations of mountaineers, guides in various fields and instructors.

We know it will never be the same again, but we promise you that we will try to continue your vision and path, which we know will be very challenging.

Your friends from the Association of Mountain Guides of Slovenia express our sincere condolences to your loved ones and all the other mourners.

Klemen, you will stay with us forever,
rest in peace.

Svojemu delu in ciljem si bil predan z vsem srcem.
Drži, so vezi močnejše – ki nas povezujejo. Tvoje delo bo živelo in pripovedovalo naprej o tvojem velikem doprinosu v svet gorništva, alpinizma in vodništva, v svet usposabljanj, izobraževanj in preventive.

Hvala, Klemen, da si bil, živel in hôdil svojim ciljem naproti. Da si nas povezoval, da si nesebično delil svoje bogato znanje, izkušnje in prakso, pomagal maksimalno in navduševal za varnejše obiskovanje gora in k neprenehnim pridobivanjem izkušenj in znanja generacije in generacije planincev, vodnikov različnih področij in inštruktorjev.

Vemo, da nikoli več ne bo, kot je bilo, a obljubljamo ti, da se bomo trudili nadaljevati tvojo vizijo in pot, za katero se zavedamo, da bo zelo zahtevna.

Tvojim najdražjim in vsem ostalim žalujočim izrekamo tvoji prijatelji iz Združenja planinskih vodnikov Slovenije iskreno sožalje.

Klemen, z nami boš ostal za vedno,
počivaj v miru.

Zdenka Mihelič

Zdenka Mihelič