With a mountain rescue service in your pocket or a free Slovak application
Do you have nine lives like a cat or does the Tatra chamois appear in your dream as your protective totem animal? Do you live in the fact that nothing can happen to you? Then you don't need this article at all. However, if you like to enjoy a vacation full of adventure with shrewdness and the elimination of risks, then right now you will learn about the services of one of the most valuable Slovak applications.Have your mind in a fist and your smartphone
Downloading is free, takes seconds, and could save your life. The clever application of the Mountain Rescue Service (HZS) maps up to eleven mountain areas in Slovakia. On a hike, it perfectly navigates you to the nearest mountain hut or infirmary, or HZS rescue station. It will also show you places where an AED defibrillator is located - there are up to seventeen of them. Notifications from a wide network of high-mountain meteorological stations will help you better plan your desired hiking experience. If you still get into trouble in difficult terrain or under the threat of a sudden change in weather, the rescuers will track you down thanks to the application even in places where there is no signal. In such a situation, you simply send an SMS via the application, and at the same time, you will be connected to the HZS dispatch.
It will be without any unnecessary questions and ASAP
The installation of the HZS application will take place very quickly. After the very basic data, you also fill in the contact of a close person who can be a good contact for the rescuer in the event of your accident. You can also arrange travel/tourist insurance immediately through it and don't forget to enable location services and notifications. It is these "gadgets" that elegantly guard you and warn you against avalanches, for example. Rescuers use the application to locate a lost person with an accuracy of 20-30 meters. Using the chat in the application, the rescuers can communicate with you even if you cannot speak and they can use pictograms to chat. Do not slight the insurance, because the medical intervention is covered by your health insurance company, but without special insurance, you would have to pay for the technical part yourself.
Example: you don't have an accident, but you got lost in mountains and do not know how you can go back (which happens quite often, especially at night or in the fog). This entire rescue operation would be defined as a technical intervention. Your bank will offer you travel/tourist insurance for your payment card and it will cost you an average of €30 for the whole year. You can also find a comprehensive list of insurance on the website of the Mountain Rescue Service.
Your footprint - your salvation
If your phone dies on the way to experience and you are in a pinch, the Book of Walks and Tours is a very good link between you and HZS. Did you know that it is also your duty by law? You can fill it in at your accommodation facility and the responsible employee of your facility can announce after a certain period that you have not returned from your hiking, skiing, cross-country skiing, cycling, or climbing. In the virtual world, you can find such a book directly in the HZS application. If the tourist does not report, the rescuers start the search after about six hours.Clever in planning and preparing gear
The absolute necessities for hiking in the Slovak mountains include shoes with Vibram soles and 1.5 liters of water per person. In the 21st century, a charged mobile phone with the downloaded application of the Mountain Rescue Service is added to these proven tips. Respect the good habit of a seasoned tourist and start your hike early in the morning so that you can go down the hill in the valley by 2-3 pm. You will enjoy not only the magic of the sunrise, but it will be much easier to go upwards than when the hot sun is high. Rescuers warn that, especially in summer, there are many days when the weather can change sharply in the mountains already at lunchtime. On a beautiful sunny day, you can easily find yourself under a cloud raging with lightning within a few minutes. And you really don't want that.
If you don't dare to conquer the Tatra mountains by yourself, you can use the services of certified mountain guides. Many of them are also rescuers of the Mountain Rescue Service.
Monitored mountain areas of the Mountain Rescue Service in Slovakia:
High Tatras
Low TatrasWest Tatras
Small Fatra
Great Fatra
Slovak Paradise
Kremnica – Skalka
Kysuce – Oščadnica
Lučanská Small Fatra
Middle Beskydy
Poloniny
The Slovak mountains are beautiful and will give you a fantastic detox from the hustle and bustle of the city. Be prudent and enjoy them safely. You can download the HZS application from the App Store a Google Play
