What the Austrian Alpine Club (ÖAV) has set up this summer together with the Dutch Climbing and Mountaineering Association (NKBV) is a great win-win for both sides: For one week each, Dutch volunteers worked side by side with Austriann Alpine Club sections worked on the maintenance of alpine trails and experienced first-hand how much effort lies behind the supposedly self-evident nature of a marked hiking trail.
The project was a win-win situation: volunteers from the Netherlands learned about trail maintenance, gained valuable experience, and spent a wonderful and enriching time in Austria. At the same time, the Alpine Club welcomes every helping hand.
Marco Gabl
An act of solidarity
The collaboration took place in the Graz, Obergailtal-Lesachtal, Steyr, Lungau, and Hall in Tirol sections. The effort was organized by the Austrian Alpine Club (NKBV), which not only wanted to provide practical assistance but also set an example. "We know that maintaining trails is becoming increasingly difficult. That's why we wanted to get involved in trail maintenance and support the Austrian Alpine Club," reports Tim van der Linden, one of the NKBV volunteers.
The five teams from the Netherlands, each working with the Alpine Club's chapters for a week, were surprised by the effort that goes into maintaining the Alpine hiking trails. "We were astonished by how much work goes into the trails and how much effort is actually required to maintain them. We often take this for granted," said van der Linden.
How climate change affects the routes
In addition to the shortage of volunteer trail wardens, the Alpine Association sees climate change as its greatest challenge. Increasingly, storms, landslides, and thawing permafrost are leading to paths no longer just being repaired, but completely relocated. This requires not only specialist knowledge but also physical effort.
Help with a signal effect
While the Dutch commitment doesn't replace a permanent solution to the decline in volunteer work in Austria, the Alpine Club sees it as an important stimulus and hopes that more people will participate in the Wegwarte volunteer work in the future. The Austrian Alpine Club's chapters are especially pleased about a successful project and are looking forward to continuing it next year.
Extreme weather and thawing permafrost are increasingly damaging alpine trails in Austria. Volunteers from the Dutch Climbing and Mountaineering Association (NKBV) traveled to Austria this summer to support the rehabilitation of these trails.
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Credits: Cover photo: Vere Maagdenberg