This year 59 mountain huts competed for the title of the best mountain hut in the first round, out of 178 mountain huts, shelters and bivouacs either certified as environmentally and/or family friendly huts, or with an installed wastewater treatment plant, all of them known for their hospitable keepers, tasty food, and nice view.

The votes – almost 45,000 were cast in both rounds – gave the final answer to this year's undisputed winner.

Joy at Kum
"We are very surprised, honoured, and pleased. The keeper of the hut and the mountaineers do our best to keep the hut which has been standing for 60 years in good shape, and friendly to mountaineers. We never expected to get this title; we were competing against mountain huts at prime locations in the Slovenian Alps, and the victory of Kum came as a big surprise. But we will try very hard to keep the good reputation in future as well," Marjeta Bricl, the president of the Kum Trbovlje Mountaineering Society said immediately after being informed of the victory.

"The title 'the best mountain hut' means a lot to me. All my efforts, and the efforts of my family and the Mountaineering Society have been thus repaid. But I think we will have to do even better in future," Roman Ledinek, the keeper of the mountain hut of the Kum Mountaineering Society added.

What convinced the visitors to give their vote to them? "I guess the visitors chose us because they felt good here. Most of them promise to come again."

T. H.; translated by G. K.