Emergency call from the Alps: 95 million euros for hiking trails and huts!

Emergency call from the Alps: 95 million euros for hiking trails and huts!

The Alpenhorns sound the alarm! The Alpine clubs in Austria are making a dramatic call for help in view of the increasing damage to hiking trails and mountain huts. According to a report by today.at More and more huts are in danger of decay, and the hiking trails show clear signs of decay. The associations are therefore demanding an emergency package of a whopping 95 million euros from the federal government to save the 272 refuges and around 50,000 kilometers of hiking trails. Gerald Dunkel-Schwarzenberger, President of the Association of Austrian Alpine Clubs, warns of an “acute emergency” and emphasizes that the challenges, particularly due to climate change, are constantly increasing.

The situation is alarming: the mountain huts are often centuries old, many more than 150 years old. They urgently need renovation work. Extreme weather events and the thaw of the permafrost place additional strain on the vaults and foundations. Wolfgang Schnabl, President of the Alpine Club, emphasizes that investment costs have doubled in the last ten years. An example of the devastating effects is the temporary closure of the Defreggerhaus on Großvenediger because the material cable car was built on thawing permafrost, as Michael Platzer, managing director of the Austrian Tourist Club, reports.

The pressure is growing

In recent years, the clubs have been able to survive with the existing funding and membership fees, but this is no longer enough to cover the financial burden. Dunkel-Schwarzenberger speaks of a challenge that cannot be overcome without public support. Currently, the funding of six million euros only covers around 18 percent of ongoing maintenance costs. The clubs are also working on climate-friendly solutions, but these are no longer sustainable on this scale.

There is hope for special financing in the future, which will be anchored in the next government program. In order to emphasize the demand, the information campaign “Emergency Call from the Alps” was launched kaernten.orf.at reported. The Alpine clubs are at a crucial turning point: without the urgently needed financial support, the loss of this valuable infrastructure in the Alps could become a reality.