She has been a part of the team working in the Aljaž Lodge in the Vrata valley, visited by a great number of mountaineers during warmer months, where they rest and have refreshment before continuing their ascent to Triglav and other summits in the neighbourhood.
The lodge is open from the end of April to the end of October, every day, regardless of the weather. In high season, in July and August, six people work in the lodge: a chambermaid, a receptor, two people the kitchen, and two in the bar. "Outside high season the cook and I can manage alone," the head of the bar explained. "There are just two of us from the end of April through May, and most of June, and then again in September and October. We work in the kitchen, wait on guests, take care of the cleaning…" she explained.
Saturdays and Sundays in high season are terribly busy, there is more people than the tables can seat. We visited the lodge before closing for winter; this season 3,500 guests slept there, but a lot of day visitors should be added to that number.
The number of tourists from Bulgaria is increasing
What is the structure of guests? "They are mainly day visitors. If the weather is nice in September and in October, there are still a lot of foreigners going to Triglav, Kriški podi, Škrlatica, mostly from Austria, Germany, the Check Republic, Slovakia, Hungary. For the last two or three years there is an unbelievable number of Bulgarians, they come by busloads. Their destination is Triglav, and they are extremely well equipped, and very well informed - much better than e.g. visitors from the Check Republic," Janežič said.
Especially mountaineers from the Check Republic and Slovakia have been known for their lack of appropriate equipment for climbing the mountains, but she has noticed an improvement. The Checks are very good guests, however, she claims.
Mostly foreign guests stay overnight at the Aljaž Lodge. The Slovenian mountaineers choose the Aljaž Lodge mainly when going to Škrlatica - in such cases they come in the evening, sleep in the lodge, and leave for the mountains at five in the morning. "It takes all day, and the bivouac there is barely adequate - only the framework still stands, inside there is nothing left," Janežič explained.
