From hut to hut - 150 years of the German Alpine Club

One of the DAV's 321 huts is the Münchner Haus on Germany's highest peak, the 2962-meter-high (9,718 ft) Zugspitze. The hut with 36 beds was opened in 1897 and the meteorological station with its prominent tower was inaugurated three years later.

Even older is the Olpererhütte in the Zillertal Alps, built in 1881. Originally, it had only 16 simple bunks in the loft. The mountaineers had to bring firewood and food. It was rebuilt and expanded several times and torn down in 2006.

The new Olpererhütte was opened in 2007 and now offers 60 beds. Catering is provided by a restaurant, but the hikers have to take the garbage back with them. A summit tour to the 3476-meter-high (11,404 ft) Olperer takes about four hours.

Most DAV huts are located in the Austrian Alps. Among them, the Brandenburger Haus at 3277 meters (10,751 ft) is the highest refuge. Whoever wants to go here should be experienced in high alpine regions. Situated on a rocky island, you can only reach your destination safely with the appropriate equipment and by crossing glaciers rich in crevasses.

The German Alpine Association consists of many regional associations, which independently take care of their own huts and paths. The Hindelanger Klettersteig, a famous medium-heavy climbing route that is often overcrowded in summer, was created by the Allgäu Immenstadt section in the 1970s. It was last renovated in 2003.

The maintenance of hiking trails and climbing routes is one of the most important tasks of the DAV. Like here at the Herzogstand, one of Munich's local mountains between Kochelsee and Walchensee lakes, staff members regularly visit the routes to repair erosion damage and replace safety devices.

Since nature conservation has been part of the DAV charter since 1994, no further huts have been built in the Alps for years. The Waltenberger Haus, which was largely built of wood, replaced a 130-year-old stone house in 2017. It is situated at an altitude of 2084 meters (6,837 ft) and is a station on the Heilbronner Weg, one of the oldest and best-known rock climbs in the northern Alps.

At the Riedberger Horn, too, the DAV has taken the same side as environmentalists. After prolonged protests, the Bavarian state government stopped its plans to lift protection for the area and make it more attractive for winter sports with a ski arena.

The German Alpine Association has also been offering climbing activities in the lowlands for a long time. The DAV operates numerous climbing gyms and gardens throughout Germany. Since 1990, the DAV Duisburg section has provided a climbing garden on the site of a decommissioned iron works in Meiderich. Here there are over 500 routes for climbing and bouldering at all levels of difficulty.

If you are interested in the 150-year-old history of the DAV, you can visit the association's own museum on the Praterinsel in Munich for an overview. There you will find a new anniversary exhibition and a look ahead. The year 2019 for the Alpine Clubs in Germany, Austria and Italy stands under the motto: The Alps are beautiful. Still. Something worth fighting for.