About us
We have been volunteering to help people for 80 years.
Mountain Rescue Service
The Slovenian Mountain Rescue Service (GRSS) was founded in 1912 in Kranjska Gora as part of the Slovenian Mountaineering Association (SPD). Its mission was to provide voluntary assistance in the event of accidents in the mountains and in hard-to-reach areas. Before World War II, “rescue expeditions” included climbers from various regions who prepared themselves with necessary equipment, such as ropes, climbing shoes, and rescue poles. After World War II, the GRS underwent organizational changes, with its headquarters initially in Jesenice and later in Ljubljana following the tragedy on Špik in 1953. In 2006, it reorganized into an independent association, adapted to social and economic changes.
The Kranj Mountain Rescue Service is one of eighteen societies that make up the Slovenian Mountain Rescue Association. It operates in the municipalities of Kranj, Cerklje na Gorenjskem, Preddvor, Šenčur, and Naklo, and through volunteer work provides assistance during accidents in the mountains and other hard-to-reach areas. The beginnings of organized mountain rescue in Kranj date back to 1946, when one of the first rescue bases was established as part of the then-founded Mountain Rescue Service of Slovenia.
Operations of the GRZS
The Mountain Rescue Association of Slovenia (GRZS) operates throughout the entire territory of the Republic of Slovenia. For more than a decade, the Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief has been using digitized boundaries of the areas of jurisdiction of individual GRZS stations or societies to determine jurisdiction during rescue operations. These boundaries were established by the stations gradually, based on estimated optimal response times in specific areas and the traditional affiliation of these areas with the locations where the GRS stations or associations are headquartered. When an accident occurs near the boundary between two areas of jurisdiction, both potentially responsible stations are often notified.
Statistics on accidents and interventions by year can be found on the website:
Our mission and primary activity is to provide voluntary assistance to people involved in accidents in the mountains and in hard-to-reach areas.
Response area
The Kranj Mountain Rescue Service operates in the Gorenjska region.
Click a cardinal direction for details
Click on sky direction for details.
Always ready
Mountain rescuers undergo regular education and training to maintain a high level of expertise in rescue techniques. Every year, we conduct drills, demonstrations, and numerous training sessions in mountain rescue techniques. During the winter season, we pay special attention to rescue drills from the gondola lift, where we hone our skills in challenging winter conditions, ensuring we are prepared for any potential emergency interventions. Through our commitment to training, we remain qualified to act quickly and effectively in the mountain environment.
We collaborate and assist
Mountain rescuers recognize that collaboration and mutual assistance are essential when rescuing people in the mountains. We frequently collaborate with firefighters and medical responders, and for helicopter rescues, we rely on pilots from the Slovenian Armed Forces and the police — experts with exceptional knowledge and experience in conducting rescue operations in challenging mountain and weather conditions. This highly trained team enables fast and safe rescues and provides comprehensive support to mountain rescuers. Through carefully coordinated cooperation, we achieve the highest possible level of safety and efficiency in rescuing people in the mountains.
We compete
As mountain rescuers, we actively participate in various competitions, events, and demonstrations, where we showcase our expertise and dedication to mountain safety. These events are not only an opportunity to test our skills, but also to exchange experiences with other organizations and to present our work to the public. Every year, we also participate in the Brajnik Memorial — the most demanding two-day sports competition among all units of the Slovenian national safety system. The competition is held in memory of its founder, Mitja Brajnik, a police officer, mountain rescuer, and mountaineer who lost his life in a tragic accident during mountain rescuer training on Okrešlje on June 10, 1997.
Station
President: Klemen Jelić (info@grskranj.org, 040 509 131)
Vice President: Matija Klanjšek
Vice President: Petr Novotny
Board of Directors: Klemen Jelić, Matija Klanjšek, Petr Novotny, Borut Čadež, Gregor Piskar, Matevž Vučer, Robert Eling, Jakob Kovač, Gregor Šifrer, Gregor Ziherl, Tomaž Strupi, Anton Štern
Supervisory Board: Matej Kranjc, Andrej Kecman, Borut fajfar
Disciplinary Committee: Franc Markič, Janez Velikanje, Peter Markič