Alpine Club Vorarlberg

The infrastructure in the mountains is “crumbling”

The Fraßen Hut in the Lechquellengebirge. Without the excellent alpine infrastructure, far fewer people would probably go on vacation in Vorarlberg.(Bild: Alpenverein Vorarlberg / Marc Obrist)

It is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain huts and trails in the mountains. The Vorarlberg section of the Alpine Club will need around four million euros for this over the next few years.

"Save huts and trails together" is the urgent appeal of the Austrian Alpine Association (Österreichischer Alpenverein, Naturfreunde Österreich and Österreichischer Touristenklub), which is coupled with a petition. "In the run-up to the current campaign, there was a needs assessment in which each section of the Alpine Association drew up a five-year plan," explains Michael Mathis, Managing Director of the Vorarlberg section. Specifically, the aim was to obtain an overview of how much the maintenance of the paths and huts managed by the Alpine Club is estimated to cost in the coming years.