German Alpine Club water crisis leads to helicopter water drops at huts

The German Alpine Club (DAV) reports severe water shortages at almost all of its roughly 320 mountain huts in the German and Austrian Alps. Drought and reduced meltwater from glaciers, following two snow‑poor winters, have left sources dry, prompting DAV spokesperson Julian Rohn to describe the situation as a “new dimension.”

To keep kitchens operating, water is now being flown in by helicopter, with costs of about €31 per minute of flight and €600 per approach. Guests are charged €4 per litre of bottled water, and washrooms have been closed or replaced with dry toilets. Gabi Schieder‑Moderegger, chair of the DAV’s Berchtesgaden section, said this is the first year the springs have stopped flowing and that an emergency plan had to be activated.

Similar water‑scarcity problems are reported at Alpine huts in South Tyrol (Italy). The AVS warns hikers to conserve water, has limited washroom access, and is planning dry‑toilet installations. Both organisations cite climate change as the underlying driver of the dwindling water supplies.