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snow of tomorrow

Snow of tomorrow | Corona, camping and going to the loo on the mountain

Where it pinches.

by Benjamin Stern (ÖAV) 11/30/2020
"The summer was good, even better than in previous years." Petra Zwölfer from Hotel Lamm in the mountaineering village of St. Jodok, Schmirn- & Valsertal. She confirms a trend that was also noticeable in other regions: Corona has increased the population's need for fresh air and exercise. And rightly so, considering that the risk of infection is significantly higher indoors than outdoors.

In economic terms, the summer turned out better in many places than initially feared and more people have benefited from the positive health effects of outdoor sports this year. A good point in the midst of numerous negative reports.

#vanlife

However, there is also another side to this point: In some regions, the freedom to park your campervan anywhere, advertised under the hashtag "#vanlife", has led to a veritable onslaught by wild campers* - with sometimes negative effects on nature.

One of these hotspots was the Tyrolean district of Reutte. Although the legal situation in Tyrol is clear: camping outside of campsites is prohibited. The only exception is the alpine emergency bivouac (see: Camping in the mountains - what's allowed?)

"The nature-loving alpinist who occasionally spends the night on a lonely peak is not the big problem. The problem is the sheer mass of people that we are now confronted with in some areas," reports Albert Kerber from the Reutte mountain rescue service.

On the Säuling, over 40 people sometimes set up camp each night. Between Plansee and the Ammerwald border, over a distance of 10 kilometers, the mountain rescue service has counted up to 800 wild campers on summer weekends. Kerber estimates that around 3,000 offenses will be recorded in his district this year. In most cases, a warning is issued, but in the case of serious violations or non-compliance, those affected can expect fines of up to 1,000 euros.

Although many campers would describe themselves as nature-loving, Kerber's comments confirm that this does not apply to everyone: on the Säuling alone, the German army collects around 100 kg of garbage per year. The problem has increased in recent years and has become even worse since the coronavirus crisis.

The toilet issue

A farmer in Senderstal has no desire to play the inspector. He is particularly bothered by the special waste left behind by wild campers: "If eight people spend the night in my field, it also means that these eight people have to go to the loo at some point - where my cows graze," says the farmer.

As such reports are known from several regions, the Austrian Alpine Association has launched a campaign entitled "Alles Wurst?!" together with the Bergwelt Tirol - Miteinander Erleben program, the Tyrolean protected areas and the Tyrolean Chamber of Agriculture. The aim is to remove taboos from the topic of "going to the toilet in the mountains" and to help protect the sensitive high mountain area and avoid conflicts with other habitat partners through educational work.

Make things easier

The following recommendations should make things easier:

  • Where available, always use toilet infrastructure

  • Keep your distance from streams, lakes and ponds

  • Use toilet paper (decomposes much faster than paper tissues) or take used paper back with you

  • . Take used paper back with you

  • Scoop up any waste or hide it under stones/branches or dispose of it in the valley

  • Posts, hunting grounds and equipment are not toilets

  • This also applies to dogs

The campaign is part of the "Clean Mountains" campaign, with which the Alpine Association has been campaigning for waste prevention in the mountains for 50 years.

Winter calm

Although there are still many question marks hanging over the winter season due to the coronavirus, it can be assumed that the outdoor trend will continue in the coming months. In particular, further growth is expected in the already booming ski touring sector. "The avalanche is rolling" - this was the recent headline in Der Spiegel, alluding to the upcoming record ski touring winter and the expected increase in inexperienced people. In summer, this increase was significantly reflected in the accident statistics: compared to the average of the past ten years, there were 30 percent more alpine accidents. There is therefore an urgent appeal to take advantage of the training offered by alpine clubs and mountain guide offices.

As far as wild campers are concerned, Albert Kerber assumes that there will be fewer of them due to the temperature. However, given the still unclear near future of the accommodation providers, it is difficult to make an exact forecast. "We remain optimistic," says Petra Zwölfer, hoping that her hotel in Mountaineering Village St. Jodok, Schmirn- & Valsertal will open soon.

We are currently called upon to practice "considerate behavior" to contain Covid-19. For a winter that is as joyful as possible for everyone, it would be desirable to transfer this behavior to the mountain.

Winter is a particularly challenging time of year for wild animals, as they need to manage their energy reserves carefully. Disturbances caused by winter sports enthusiasts can sometimes be life-threatening for them. This topic will be covered in more detail in one of the next "Snow of Tomorrow" articles.

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This article has been automatically translated by DeepL with subsequent editing. If you notice any spelling or grammatical errors or if the translation has lost its meaning, please write an e-mail to the editors.

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