Take your waste home with you

Leave no trace in the mountains

When visiting Erjavčeva koča mountain hut, Vršič Pass, the Julian Alps and Triglav National Park, please follow one of the most important mountain rules: take your waste back to the valley.

A good visit to the mountains should leave behind no rubbish, no food packaging, no cigarette butts, no tissues, no wet wipes, no plastic bottles, no cans and no other waste. Return from your trip with fresh energy, beautiful memories, photographs and your own rubbish.

Would the remains and packaging of your snack look good next to the natural beauty of Vršič Pass, Triglav National Park and the Julian Alps? Not really. Please take them with you and dispose of them properly in the valley, preferably in bins for separate waste collection.

Why taking waste back to the valley matters

In Slovenia, responsible hikers and mountaineers traditionally carry their waste back down from the mountains. This is a simple but very important habit. It protects nature, keeps trails cleaner, reduces pressure on mountain huts and helps preserve the mountain environment for future visitors.

Erjavčeva koča is located high above the valley at Vršič Pass. Waste management here is much more difficult and expensive than in towns or villages. Everything that is brought to the hut or left near the hut eventually has to be collected, separated, stored and transported back down from the mountain.

Because Vršič Pass is a remote mountain location, waste collection and transport cost more than in the valley. In winter, snow, ice or difficult road conditions can also make it harder to take waste away exactly when bins are full.

Use waste bins responsibly

If you need to dispose of waste near Erjavčeva koča, please use only the appropriate bins and separate waste correctly. Mixed waste, dirty recycling and wrongly sorted rubbish create additional work and higher costs.

There is a large waste bin near the parking area below Erjavčeva koča mountain hut. You may leave your waste there if needed, but please use it responsibly and never leave rubbish next to the bin, in the parking area, around the hut, on the trails or in nature.

Whenever possible, the best option is still to take your waste back to the valley, where it can be disposed of in proper separate waste collection systems.

Do not leave waste in toilets, rooms or shared areas

Please do not leave personal rubbish in toilets, rooms, corridors, the restaurant, the garden, the parking area or around the hut. Toilet bins are not meant for hiking waste, food packaging, bottles, cans or picnic rubbish.

If you are not sure where to put something, please ask the hut staff. It is always better to ask than to leave waste in the wrong place.

Respect the peace and quiet of nature

Responsible behaviour in the mountains is not only about waste. Please make sure your visit is not disturbing or noisy. Enjoy the privilege of peace, silence, clean air and open mountain space.

Triglav National Park is a protected natural area. Wildlife, livestock, plants, other visitors and local people all benefit when guests behave quietly, respectfully and responsibly.

Small waste is still waste

Cigarette butts, chewing gum, tissues, wet wipes, fruit peels, bottle caps, plastic wrappers and small packaging are often treated as “small” waste, but they still damage the environment and make the area look neglected.

Please do not throw anything into nature. If you carried it up, carry it back down.

Help us keep Vršič Pass clean

Erjavčeva koča is a mountain hut, not a city facility with unlimited waste infrastructure. By taking your waste back to the valley, separating rubbish correctly and avoiding unnecessary packaging, you help us keep Vršič Pass cleaner and more beautiful.

Clean mountains are not an accident. They stay clean because visitors make responsible choices.