History
The Dovje-Mojstrana Alpine Club was founded in 1928 (8 January), when the “Triglav branch of the Dovje-Mojstrana AC” was established. Agile school administrator Jožef Serajnik was elected president, while the committeemen were Gregor Lah (guide), Tone Kovač, Josip Zupan, Anton Rebolj, Franc Potočnik, Janez Rabič, Franc Hafner and Franc Mandeljc, and Gregor Klančnik and Rudolf Abruč were elected account reviewers.
Before this organised part of the mountain enthusiasts, our ancestors have had a close contact with mountain nature since they had settled in this area. Difficult life drove them from the village to the hill. Mining, grazing, preparing fodder for livestock, woodworking-charcoal production and hunting were a necessity for survival. Besides that, local people were curious, full of enthusiasm and courage, and they had an unstoppable desire to reach the peaks of the surrounding mountains. Our locals were the first to reach most of the surrounding peaks in this part of the Julian Alps. Let us mention only two of them: in 1883 Gregor (Gregor Rabič) was the second one who climbed his own approach to Škrlatica, over the wall of Spodnji Rokav and from the top back he climbed a new descent (now, there is a secured path). The mountain guide Janez Košir Jr. documented the new route when he climbed over the Triglav wall (Long German direction) in 1908. With the arrival of mountaineers (they were called tourists), the locals became mountain guides in the demanding, pathless mountain world. Historical records show that the locals were already guides of the district governor Hohenart on the way through Krma to Velo polje – Tošc in 1799. Later, however, more and more tourists were led to Triglav and the surrounding peaks. Under the guidance of the enthusiastic mountaineer, the Dovje parish priest Jakob Aljaž, the first Slovenian huts on Kredarica and in the Vrata Valley were established, and then the tower on our highest peak. The locals carried out most of the work on the buildings and trails. Before the establishment of their own AC branch, the locals were members of the Central Club and the Radovljica branch of the AC, and after the establishment of the AC branch for the Carniolan mountain judicial district in 1903, they joined this branch. Already, when the Triglav branch of the AC Dovje-Mojstrana was founded, it had over a hundred members.
Let us list a few milestones in the history of the Society:
- Since the autumn of 1932, the branch was renting a hut for the winter season of the Economic Commission of the village of Zasip on Zasipska planina in Spodnja Krma.
- The branch supplied tourist routes in the municipality of Dovje, especially in Karavanke (Kepa, Rožca, Baba).
- Together with the Jesenice and Kranjska Gora branches of the AC, a rescue section was established.
- In 1938, they opened their own mountain hut near the saddle of Mlinca. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by the flames of war in 1943.
- In 1946, the club was revived and began to engage in the following activities: economy, trails and trail signs, mountain climbing, mountain rescue service, mountain youth, mountain culture and propaganda. The club took over the management of Stanič’s hut.
- In 1950, the club took over the management of a part of Aljaž’s legacy – Aljaž Lodge in the Vrata Valley, while Stanič’s hut was managed by the newly established Javornik-Koroška Bela Alpine Club.
- Intense economic activity followed: an outbuilding and a winter room were built, Šlajmer’s villa was purchased, Aljaž Lodge was renovated, emergency lighting was arranged.
- In 1953, a new forest road replaced the cart track into the Vrata Valley.
- In 1958, Aljaž Lodge was connected to the world by telephone.
In addition to other sections, a youth section was established – a school club of young mountaineers. The station of the Mountain Rescue Association started operating independently. - In 1978, an extensive renovation of Aljaž Lodge was carried out.
- In 1980, the first painting colony, “Vrata”, was organised.
- In 1984, the Club established the Triglav Museum Collection as the basis for the construction of the central mountaineering museum.
- In 1989, on the 100th anniversary of the arrival of Jakob Aljaž to Dovje, a mighty monument was erected to this patriot and mountain lover.
- In 1992, a climbing wall was made in the gym of the Elementary School of December 16 in Mojstrana.
- In 1998, the newly built Šlajmer Lodge was opened.
- In 1998, a completely renovated bivouac ‘Pod Luknjo’ was opened.
In 1999, the upgrade and modernization of the water supply system was carried out. - As a supplementary source of electricity, the solar cell system was activated.
- A new facility was built on the site of the burnt winter room for this purpose.
- In 2000, the terrace of Aljaž Lodge was renovated, and a climbing wall was built in Šlajmer Lodge.