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Hut Fund (Hut Fund)

Hut Fund

What is the Hut Fund?


The renovated Kellerjochhütte overlooking the Inn valley – Georg Unterbergerzoom
The renovated Kellerjochhütte overlooking the Inn valley – Georg Unterberger

The network of mountain huts in the Alps, providing food, shelter and overnight accommodation, often at high altitude, is an essential component of the Alpine infrastructure. The ÖAV (Austrian Alpine Association) Mountain Huts belong to individual sections.

Despite many man-hours of work by volunteers and thousands of Euros from central ÖAV funds and Austrian federal and provincial government grants, the sections themselves must find large sums for hut maintenance and modernisation, and to meet health and safety and environmental requirements. The difficult access and high altitude of many of the huts adds to the cost of the work.

Based so far from the Alps, ÖAV Sektion Britannia/AAC(UK) does not own any huts, nor does it have a ‘work area’ with responsibility for waymarking and path maintenance. Instead, we have a Hut Fund, to which members have contributed generously over the years, and we hope you will continue the tradition. Most sections are fully committed to their huts but the financial burden of meeting modern standards in isolated spots at high altitude can be considerable, particularly for small sections with a few hundred members. The AAC(UK) Hut Fund is needed more than ever, so please contribute generously. Contributions can be made when you join or renew your membership; or you can send a cheque payable to “Austrian Alpine Club (UK) Limited” to the AAC(UK) Office; or pay using debit/credit card details via the online shop.

Past Donations from the AAC(UK) Hut Fund


The new extension at the Salmhüttezoom
The new extension at the Salmhütte

Sektion Britannia/AAC(UK) has been contributing to the huts from its earliest days in the late 1940s and 1950s, when members took blankets out to the huts.

The Hut Fund itself was founded in the late 1960s. In 1967 the first donation of £125, was made to Sektion Landeck, for a tin crushing machine at the Steinseehütte. In 1973 a second donation of £350 was made to Akademic Sektion Graz for the Kaunergrathütte. Then there is a gap in our records until 1983/4 when, according to a plaque in the Steinseehütte, Sektion England contributed to a major renovation of the hut.

During the 1970s the Hut Fund received support from botanist Dr Philip Tallantire who wrote the guide book series called ‘Felix Austria’. By himself he physically renovated the Hugo-Gerbers-Hütte in the Kreuzeck Gruppe. A grant of €3000 was made to this hut in 2017 to refurbish the chimneys.

From 1986 – 2000 grants were made to 7 huts totalling Austrian Schillings 1,450,000. From 2005 – 2021 26 huts were supported with grants totalling €475,000. Further grants are being considered for 2022.

Many huts put up plaques thanking donors. Please, keep an eye open when visiting alpine huts for any plaque or notice thanking Sektion England (the Club’s Austrian name until the mid-1980s) or Sektion Britannia. A photo attached to an e-mail to the Office would be much appreciated: head your e-mail ‘Hut Fund Donation to xxxxxxx Hut in 19xx or 20xx’.

Many thanks to all those members who have contributed to our Hut Fund over so many years.


In reverse order the following grants have been made:

2021


  • € 20,000 to Sektion Klagenfurt towards a new Materialseilbahn up to the Fragranter Schutzhaus, 1810m, Goldbergruppe.
  • € 15,000 to Sektion Lungau towards a battery for storing any off peak electricity generated by the small hydroelectric turbine, and replacing the kitchen floor at the Franz-Fischer-Hütte, 2020m, Radstädter Tauern .

2019


  • € 30,000 to Sektion Saalfelden towards major renovation and extension at the Peter-Wiechenthaler-Hütte (Berchtesgadener Alpen).

2018


  • € 10,000 to Sektion Rauris towards the Zittelhaus’s share of the cost of a new Materialseilbahn up to the Hoher Sonnblick, 3106m (Goldberggruppe).
  • € 13,000 to Sektion Bad Ischl for kitchen and solar energy at the Ischler Hütte (Totes Gebirge).
  • € 10,000 to Sektion Öblarn towards restoration of the Berghaus i.d.Walchen, nearly destroyed by severe floods in August 2017 (Rottenmanner und Wölzer Tauern).

2017


  • € 3,000 to ÖGV for refurbishment of the chimneys at the Hugo-Gerbers-Hütte (Kreuzeckgruppe).
  • € 5,000 to Sektion Steinnelke to extend the photovoltaic system at the Salzkofelhütte (Kreuzeckgruppe).
  • € 15,000 to Sektion Reichenberg to extend the photovoltaic system at the Neue Reichenberger Hütte (Venedigergruppe).
  • € 40,000 to Sektion Wien towards a free-standing extension for the Salmhütte (Glocknergruppe).

2016


  • € 10,000 to Sektion Schwaz for refurbishment at the Kellerjochhütte (Tuxer Alpen).
  • € 10,000 to Alpenverein (Zweig) Innsbruck towards major renovation of the Bettelwurfhütte (Karwendel).
  • € 25,000 to Alpenverein Gebirgsverein (ÖGV) towards environmentally friendly energy provision at the recently rebuilt Annabergerhaus, including the installation of a rape-seed oil generator and new lithium batteries (Türnitzer Alpen).

2015


  • € 20,000 to Sektion Voisthaler for renovation of the Voisthalerhütte goods lift (Hochschwab).
  • € 20,000 to Sektion Steinnelke towards the new kitchen at the Salzkofelhütte, the sewage system at the Feldnerhütte, and hydro-electric generator parts for both huts (Kreuzeckgruppe).

2014


  • € 10,000 to Sektion Reichenberg towards the installation of showers at the Neue Reichenberger Hütte (Venedigergruppe).
  • € 20,000 to Sektion Sillian towards the repair and avalanche protection of the photovoltaic array, repairs to the winter room, and Health and Safety improvements at the Sillianer Hütte (Karnischer Hauptkamm).

2013


  • € 80,000 to Sektion Lungau towards the re-building of the Franz-Fischer-Hütte (Radstädter Tauern). A significant part of this very large donation was funded from a £50,000 bequest from AAC(UK) member John Murdock, who died in 2011.

2012


  • € 10,000 to Sektion Hall-in-Tirol for refurbishment of the Glungezerhütte and its goods lift (Tuxer Alpen).

2011


  • € 10,000 to Sektion Austria for the refurbishment of the Guttenberghaus’s goods lift (Dachstein).

2009


  • € 10,000 to Sektion Lienz for the renovation of the main Gaststube of the Hochsteinhütte (Villgratner Berge).

2008


  • € 19.000 to Sektion Fieberbrunn towards a major renovation and extension of the Wildseeloderhaus (Kitzbühler Alpen).

2007


  • € 10.000 to Sektion Landeck to help install solar heating and two warm showers at the Steinsee Hütte (Lechtaler Alpen).
  • € 10,000 to Sektion Admont for renovation of the kitchen and larder, to meet Health and Safety Regulations, at the Admonter Haus (Ennstaler Alpen).

2005 and 2006:


  • € 20,000 to Sektion Imst-Oberland to help major remedial work at the Muttekopf Hütte (Lechtaler Alpen).

2000:


  • ATS 100,000 to Sektion Austria to help renovation work at the Oberwalder Hütte (Glocknergruppe).

1998:


  • ATS 800,000 to refurbish the Innsbrucker Hütte (Sektion Touristenklub Innsbruck) and the Franz-Senn-Hütte (Zweig Innsbruck) and to restore two footpaths, (Stubaier Alpen). A significant part of this donation was funded from a large bequest from AAC(UK) member Harry Parkes.

1995:


  • ATS 100,000 to Sektion Lienz to help pay for environmentally friendly waste disposal improvements at the Lienzer Hütte (Schobergruppe).

1993:


  • ATS 100,000 to Sektion St Pölten towards renovation work at the St Pöltener Hütte (Granatzspitzgruppe).

1990:


  • ATS 100,000 to to Sektion Steinnelke to help furnish the Feldnerhütte (Kreuzeckgruppe), rebuilt after being destroyed by fire.

1986:


  • ATS 250,000 to Sektion Wiener Lehrer to help with the costs of rebuilding the Hochschober Hütte (Schobergruppe), burnt down in 1983.

1983:


  • Sektion Landeck for major renovation at the Steinsee Hütte (Lechtaler Alpen).

1973:


  • £ 350 toAkademische Sektion Graz for the Kaunergrathütte (Ötztaler Alpen).

1967:


  • £ 125 to Sektion Landeck for the purchase of a tin crushing machine for the Steinseehütte (Lechtaler Alpen).
Excavating a new cellar at the Peter-Wiechenthaler-Hütte in 2019 – Josef Straifzoom
Excavating a new cellar at the Peter-Wiechenthaler-Hütte in 2019 – Josef Straif
Salzkofelhütte 1987m Kreuzeckgruppezoom
Salzkofelhütte 1987m Kreuzeckgruppe
The new Annabergerhaus – Georg Unterbergerzoom
The new Annabergerhaus – Georg Unterberger
 
 
 
 

 

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