Alpenverein

If you spend a lot of time in the mountains, you should already be a member of some section of the Alpine Club. Ideally, of course, it should be where you live, because Alpine Club membership not only insures you against accidents on the mountain, but also has other benefits.

The market for outdoor clothing is booming. This is understandable, as our equipment accompanies us on many mountain adventures. However, this is precisely why it is worth taking a sober look at the origin of the materials, how they are produced and what impact they have. Issues such as animal welfare, resource conservation and climate protection should not be "fun brakes", but are part of a responsible approach to our environment. Sustainability does not mean doing without, but making conscious choices. If you are out and about in the mountains, you can also make sustainable choices when buying. And no, this is not about doing without and pointing fingers, this is about buying and using wisely!

Outdoor and mountain sports fans know that the right equipment can make or break the success and safety of a tour. But do you really have to buy every piece of equipment needed for a particular adventure? We posed this question to the Alpine Club a few months ago. Today we present Eddy's Adventure, who have a clear answer: No! Because with its rental model, the company offers a sustainable and cost-effective alternative for anyone who enjoys being out in nature.

Whether for mountaineering, camping or winter sports - the right equipment is crucial for a safe and enjoyable experience in the great outdoors. However, high-quality outdoor equipment can be expensive and if you only use it occasionally, you should ask yourself the question: Buy or rent? The Alpine Club offers a wide range of equipment for rent, from climbing and ski touring guides to equipment and three-day public transport tickets (Innsbruck section).

The early winter flood of ski videos is slowly ebbing away and we are once again taking a look at the youtube channels of the Alpine clubs. There is no skiing brilliance to be found, but all kinds of interesting facts about the mountains. The hierarchy and reach of the Alpine clubs remains relatively unchanged and we honor all their efforts for sustainability and best practices.

We elegantly bridge the barren heat period between the years with the annual scouting of the Alpine clubs' YouTube channels. These show a lot about how they see themselves. Some are in their infancy, neglected and antiquated, and some are packed with fancy content that our modern society so desperately needs.

Combining being out and about with sustainability? Especially when it comes to leisure activities, it is up to us to leave as small an ecological footprint as possible. We have collected a few suggestions for you so that your trip to the mountains has as many positive impacts on the climate, nature and people as possible:

Welcome to this year's review of the channels of our Alpine clubs! More online seminars are hardly what we need, but I would like to establish this sub-category. Of course, all channels have gained subscribers, but the balance of power has hardly shifted. In my opinion, the ÖAV stands out with its educational and humorous videos about safety on the mountain. Just like back then, we are growing from small to big. Language courses included!

"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.

Hikers, mountaineers and ski tourers - all genders are addressed equally with these terms - are actually considered nature-loving and ecologically oriented contemporaries: they seek freedom, exercise and nature away from large tourist centers. However, their travel behavior is neither nature-loving nor ecological, as most of them travel to the mountains by car.

What we don't have to thank our alpine clubs for: huts with mountaineers' meals and tea, dormitories with scratchy woollen blankets, winter rooms and bivouacs! Magazines, equipment hire and courses! Environmental protection and policy! Anything else? Sure: the Alpine clubs of all Alpine countries have long been represented on youtube and deliver: Educational material, small adventures and big expeditions, as well as top-level Olympic sport. So let's take a look - in order from small to big!

In times of climate crisis and flight shame, vacations in the mountains are also being tested on one moral or climate-friendly measure or another. Well-considered concepts and approaches, such as those implemented in the mountaineering villages of the Alpine associations, not only focus on the fun factor for environmentally conscious guests, but also on nature conservation and the quality of life of the local population.