Increase in Damage to Mountain Shelters in the Alps
Alpine Hut Vandalism Increases, Causing Financial Strain and Inconvenience for German Alpine Club
MUNICH — The winter season is underway in the Alps, but some mountain huts are experiencing a disturbing trend: increased vandalism. According to the German Alpine Club (DAV), it's becoming more common for huts to be found in a state of disarray, with furniture damaged, windows smashed, and trash littered around.
Easily accessible huts that are normally closed in ice and snow are particularly affected, as they are often used as party locations by certain individuals. This is a concern for the DAV, as these huts are intended to provide a safe shelter for mountain sports enthusiasts on challenging winter ascents.
This season, the Munich High Country section of the DAV has filed a complaint against unknown vandals, due to the complete devastation of the emergency room at the Knorr hut in the Wetterstein. "The state of the hut was truly terrible, a last straw," describes press spokesman Markus Block. "There was an abundance of trash, beer bottles, four tents, sleeping bags, and human waste scattered around – it was shocking! What's worse, someone even ripped out the stove and placed it in front of the hut."
In addition to the Knorr hut, cash boxes for overnight fees have been broken into regularly in winter rooms, while stickers have been affixed to summit crosses and signposts. Although seemingly harmless, these actions can pose a genuine risk for the lost or fatigued, which is why volunteers from the DAV must frequently clean the signs.
Vandalism in the mountains often requires a significant amount of effort and resources to address, which are typically shouldered by the DAV community. For example, a broken door must be flown in by helicopter for replacement, and if a window is shattered and snow enters the hut, water damage may result.
The DAV faces financial strain due to these recurring incidents, as well as the burden of repairing and maintaining affected facilities. The club could benefit from enhanced surveillance and security, visitor education, community involvement, rapid repair and maintenance, and collaboration with local authorities to combat this issue.
- The vandalism in the Alpine huts, including the Knorr hut in the Wetterstein, has extended beyond mere disarray, with environmental-science issues such as littering, damaged furniture, and human waste, which can pose risks for outdoor-living enthusiasts.
- Aside from the Knorr hut, the sports community faces challenges with broken cash boxes and defaced signposts in winter rooms, which might impede home-and-garden activities like hiking or skiing for the lost or fatigued.
- To alleviate the financial strain and address the recurring vandalism, the German Alpine Club (DAV) advocates for increased surveillance and security, visitor education, community involvement, rapid repair, and maintenance, and collaboration with local authorities in the realm of science, lifestyle, and environmental-science.
