Sixty-nine hikers took part in the fifteenth barefoot hike to Šenturška Gora, ending at Turizem in gostinstvo Pavlin. The weather was kind to them, and the foot (sole) massage was a success.
Šenturška Gora – On Saturday, 13 June, the Škrjančki (Skylarks) hiking section of the Komenda Mountaineering Society very successfully organised the fifteenth barefoot hike to Šenturška Gora. This time the hikers set off for Šenturška Gora from Jurčkova Dobrava. Franc Drolec, who made 342 ascents last year and is a promoter of a healthy lifestyle, and above all of walking without shoes, welcomed all the barefoot walkers at the start in Jurčkova Dobrava. He was very pleased with the turnout. The hike, with an elevation gain of 320 metres, was attended by sixty-nine hikers from the municipalities of Cerklje, Komenda, Kamnik and Šenčur.
Because of the epidemic, the decision to organise the hike was taken within just a few days. We heard that the Škrjančki cannot catch coronavirus, because the skylark keeps on singing its song. Three barefoot walkers – Peter Lončar from Glinje, Majda Drolec from Komenda and Ivica Lončar from Zalog pri Cerkljah – have taken part in all fifteen hikes so far. The route, a good six kilometres long, was completed without difficulty by the youngest hiker, five-year-old Patrik Janežič from Podboršt, and by the oldest woman, 72-year-old Ivica Lončar from Zalog pri Cerkljah, while the oldest man was 77-year-old Rudi Ocepek from Komendska Dobrava. The largest groups were the Stegnar family from Komendska Dobrava and the Lončar family from Zalog pri Cerkljah, with four participants each.
On the way to Šenturška Gora, the hikers Dani Misja and Majda Drolec also picked two fine ceps. We also heard it remarked that this time the hikers were more likely, or rather quicker, to pick up ticks in the forest than to find mushrooms! The hikers praised the organisation of the hike. This year was Franc Koželj from Spodnji Brnik’s second time on the hike. He was delighted with the ideal walking conditions. “This year the ground was soft and wet and pleasant to walk on. It was the best sole massage,” said Ciril Globočnik from Pšata, who was taking part in the hike for the thirteenth time. Janko Žagar from Moste pri Komendi, who was on the hike for the first time, was also delighted with it. Before setting off on the ascent, all the hikers received commemorative T-shirts, and at the end there was a social gathering at the Planinski dom Milana Šinkovca mountain hut in Podboršt pri Komendi, where the participants received commemorative medals from Zoran Sodnik, president of the Komenda Mountaineering Society, and Franc Drolec, leader of the Škrjančki hiking section. The hikers are convinced that people could get rid of many health problems by walking barefoot.
Text and photo: Janez Kuhar
Cerklje, 15 June 2020
