The climate change vulnerability of mountain huts in the French-Swiss Alps

Climate change is having a significant impact on alpine huts. Based on an analysis of 45 huts located in the French-Swiss Alps (Écrins, Mont Blanc and Pennine Alps), this study identifies five types of negative impact: deterioration in road access, degradation of hiking routes, damage to buildings, depletion of water resources and deteriorating conditions for activities around the huts. Almost all the huts (n = 41) are experiencing at least one of these impacts, and the majority (n = 35) are affected by at least two types. While all huts are vulnerable to climate change, those at higher altitudes are particularly exposed. More broadly, the unpredictability of these impacts, because of their their spatial and temporal variability, undermines the business model on which hut wardens and owners depend and raises questions about the capacity for resilience of the stakeholders involved in hut operation.