Читать книгу Trekking in the Silvretta and Rätikon Alps. Tour of the Silvretta, the Prattigauer Hohenweg and the Ratikon Hohenweg plus 12 day routes онлайн

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Accommodation on each of the treks described relies largely on mountain huts (hütten), most of which are owned by individual sections of the Swiss, Austrian, German or Liechtenstein Alpine Clubs – a small minority are privately owned but open to all. Details of these, and others in the Silvretta and Rätikon Alps, are given in Appendix B.

Although their size and construction may vary, huts are usually managed by a warden (hüttenwirt) and his team, who allocate bed space and provide meals, snacks and drinks. Facilities on offer follow a similar pattern right across the Alpine chain, with sleeping arrangements being in communal dormitories (matratzenlager) or, where available, in smaller family-size rooms. Most huts will have a boot room (schuraum) or porch in which to leave outdoor footwear, trekking poles and so on; and a simple washroom – perhaps with warm showers (but don’t rely on it) – and some form of drying facility for wet clothes. Unless you are a member of another European Alpine Club, membership of the UK branch (Sektion Britannia) of the Austrian Alpine Club is highly recommended (www.aacuk.org.uk). Not only do members gain a sense of ‘belonging’ when using an Alpine Club hut, they also receive worthwhile discounts on overnight fees, and free worldwide mountain rescue insurance.