When the ice disappears

The Alps are undergoing change: glaciers are disappearing, permafrost is thawing, watercourses are changing and entire landscapes are shifting. These developments are not only shaping the high mountains themselves, but are also presenting the SAC huts with fundamental challenges.

What happens when access routes become unsafe, natural hazards need to be reassessed, or classic hiking destinations disappear? How can huts adapt to new climatic conditions – in terms of technology, energy and operations? And how does this, in turn, change people’s experience of the mountains?

Drawing on the study ‘SAC Huts 2050’ compiled by the SAC, this talk provides an insight into the current and future impacts of climate change on the SAC’s alpine infrastructure. It addresses not only structural issues, but also the future of mountaineering, the use of huts and the changing nature of our relationship with the Alpine landscape.

Speaker: Ulrich Delang (Swiss Alpine Club SAC, Head of Hut Construction)

This event is taking place as part of the ‘Berge lesen Festival’.