The youth of the German Alpine Club is calling for an outdoor outfitter to spend the night outdoors.
In the Alpine region, but also internally, the action causes stomach ache - and is immediately pulped again.
Munich
- The mountaineering youth is looking for adventure. Under the slogan "# SchlafDraußen", the youth organization of the German Alpine Club (JDAV) wanted to start a hands-on campaign at the weekend in which they called for an overnight stay in the open air. "No matter whether with or without a tent, whether on the mountain, by the lake or on the balcony at home, alone or with friends: sleeping outside is not difficult and promises unforgettable experiences in nature," it said. The participants should upload photos of their natural adventures online, an outdoor outfitter praised bivouac equipment for the best pictures.
But the timing for the call is tricky. Since the Corona-related travel restrictions, many regions in the Alps have been complaining more than ever about the growing pressure to go on excursions, unruly wild campers and the stresses and strains of inexperienced hikers in nature.
There are enough examples. The Schrecksee in the Allgäu, for example, where the police and nature conservation guards regularly drive wild campers out of the nature reserve. In the Berchtesgaden National Park, too, the rangers have their hands full with wild campers and bivouackers. "The violations are increasing steadily, especially now because of the nice weather," says National Park spokeswoman Carolin Scheiter. Last summer, the rangers unfortunately had to report many campers and bivouackers. “It's no fun, not for both sides.” She urges you to stick to the rules - especially now that many animals are raising their offspring.
The JDAV explicitly advised to behave in such a way that nature does not suffer from it. "That means, for example, not to leave any rubbish behind and to avoid sensitive areas of nature," said Andrea Scheu from JDAV at the start of the Germany-wide campaign. This should "only take place in the place where it is allowed".
In the Bavarian Alps, such places to stay outside of the campsites are rare. In sensitive regions such as national parks, nature reserves, biotopes or wildlife sanctuaries, sleeping in tents or sleeping bags is not permitted. In landscape protection areas, a permit from the district administration is usually required. And otherwise, the consent of the property owner must always be obtained before the overnight stay, according to the Ministry of the Environment. Setting off spontaneously for a hike and spending the night in the “1000-star hotel” in the wilderness is hardly possible in the Bavarian Alps.
Rudi Erlacher from the Association for the Protection of the Mountains and former Vice President of the DAV thinks the action is unfortunate. “The fascination for nature is absolutely understandable.” But he urgently advises against spending the night in the mountains. There are too many neglected negative effects on nature. The Association for the Protection of the Mountains and the umbrella organization CIPRA are already discussing whether they should not even encourage people to turn the insider tips of untouched mountain nature into hotspots with ever new, visually stunning awareness campaigns. “We have to deal with this educational paradox,” says Erlacher. The JDAV campaign is an example of how a well-intentioned suggestion and explanation could be wrong.
Then yesterday evening, one day after the announcement for the participation campaign, the initiators pulled the rip cord after a very controversial response, also within the association, and stopped the campaign. The reason, according to Alpine Club spokesman Thomas Bucher: "In the current mood, which is characterized by discussions about overtourism in the Alps, the actual content of the campaign is neglected - namely to encourage considerate behavior in nature." So the adventure has to wait.
