While some flee the heat into air conditioning, others climb the mountain. The "Osogovo" hiking and sports club from Kocani is organizing the traditional St. Peter's Day hiking march - the nineteenth edition of an event that every year gathers hikers and nature lovers from the country and abroad. This time the route leads from Ponikva to Ratkova Skala.

Nineteen years of tradition don't happen by themselves. Behind every edition like this stands a club that works on a volunteer basis, plans the route, provides lunch and souvenirs for the participants, and cares for both the youngest and the oldest hikers. At a time when everything is being commercialized, a free hiking march lasting nearly two decades is quiet proof that a community can still create something beautiful without a sponsor at every step.

The organizers point out something important - every participant is responsible for their own health and physical condition and should provide suitable gear for the weather conditions. That's not a formality but common sense: the mountain, however gentle, demands preparation. Especially in summer, when the weather can turn from sun to storm within an hour.

Events like this are more than a walk. They preserve people's connection to nature, bring generations together and give small places like Kocani an event to be proud of. Osogovo isn't the Alps, nor is Ratkova Skala a famous world destination - but that's exactly the point. The finest traditions aren't born of fame, but of the persistence of people who want to share the place they've come to love.