Amountain hut is a building located at high elevation, in mountainous terrain, generally accessible only by foot, intended to provide food and shelter tomountaineers,climbers andhikers. Mountain huts are usually operated by anAlpine Club or some organization dedicated to hiking or mountain recreation. They are known by many names, includingalpine hut,mountain shelter,mountain refuge,mountain lodge, andmountain hostel. It may also be called arefuge hut, although these occur in lowland areas (e.g. lowland forests) too.
Mountain huts can provide a range of services, starting with shelter and simple sleeping berths. Some, particularly in remote areas, are not staffed, but others have staff which prepare meals and drinks and can provide other services, including providing lectures and selling clothing and small items. Mountain huts usually allow anybody to access their facilities, although some require reservations.
While shelters have long existed in mountains, modern hut systems date back to the mid-19th century. TheSwiss Alpine Club has built huts since 1863.[1] In the United States, theAppalachian Mountain Club built its first hut at Madison Spring inNew Hampshire in 1889.[2]
The construction of refuges and shelters in theAlps date back toancient times, whenRoman roads led across the mountain passes. In theHigh Middle Ages,hospitales were erected along the trade routes; cottages and sheds on the high mountain pastures served forAlpine transhumance. The long history of mountaineering from the 19th century onwards has led to a large number ofAlpine club huts as well as private huts along the mountaineering paths. These huts are categorised according to their location and facilities. They may have beds or a mattress room (Matratzenlager) for overnight stays.
Just as theMargherita Hut in the Valais Alps is the highest alpine refuge at 4,554 m, theRifugio Mario Premuda inTrieste is the lowest refuge in the Alps at 82 m (both are owned by theItalian Alpine Club).
In theUnited Kingdom the tradition is of unwardened "climbing huts" providing fairly rudimentary accommodation (but superior to that of abothy) close to a climbing ground; the huts are usually conversions (e.g. of former quarrymen's cottages, or of disused mine buildings), and are not open to passers-by except in emergency. Many climbing clubs in the UK have such huts inSnowdonia or in theLake District. A well-known example is theCharles Inglis Clark Memorial Hut (the 'CIC Hut') - a purpose-built hut below the northern crags ofBen Nevis inScotland.[3]In the past, some shelters in Scotland were built in exposed locations at high elevation, often as part of military training exercises. However, and particularly following the 1971Cairngorm Plateau Disaster, these were deliberately demolished because they were thought to pose dangers exceeding their benefits.[4]
TheNorwegian Trekking Association operates about 460 cabins mostly in the mountains and in forested areas, of which about 400 have lodgings.[5] Many cabins are unstaffed and open all year, while the staffed cabins often are just open during summer and the skiing season.[6]
InPoland most mountain shelters and huts are run by thePolish Tourist and Sightseeing Society, with some being privately owned. In thePolish mountains, there are about 100 shelters. Most mountain shelters offer multi-person rooms and refreshments. Polish mountain huts are obliged by their own regulations to allow overnight anyone who is not able to find any other place before sunset, but conditions may be spartan (e.g. amattress in a hall or warm basement).[7]
InSlovakia there is a dense network of mountain huts ("chata") in most mountain and forest regions, serving a culture of hiking. In the past they were managed by the official tourist union, but now are mostly in private hands. Official mountain huts are similar to guest houses and are run by full-time managers. In winter, some refuges are closed.
There are many huts in theUnited States, for example in theRocky Mountains,[8] theAppalachian Mountains and other ranges. TheHigh Huts of the White Mountains[9] inNew Hampshire are generally "full service" (cooks serve food) through summer and early fall, while some are open the rest of the year as self-service huts, at which hikers bring and prepare their own food.
The Alpine Club of Canada operates what it calls the "largest network of backcountry huts in North America."[10]
The New Zealand Department of Conservation "manages a network of over 950 huts of all shapes and sizes."[11]
The mountains of Asia do not have a well-developed system of public mountain huts, although hiking, trekking and mountain climbing are common. In 2015, a competition was launched to design huts that could be located along trekking trails of Nepal.[12]
Many places in Africa have hiking huts but they are usually privately owned and require payment and reservations. At least one hut is open for public use on Table Mountain in South Africa, part ofTable Mountain National Park.[13]
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