Are helicopters essential for supplying Swiss mountain huts?
![cow being flown by helicopter](https://www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/07/424325548_highres.jpg)
Many helicopters fly in the mountains, especially during summer. Environmentally friendly alternatives are scarce.
Clooney the cat is unhappy, sitting in his transport box and meowing pitifully. His owner’s comforting words don’t help. Usually, it’s food, drinks and other necessities that get flown in. But at the start of the season, Clooney also flies up to the mountain hut by helicopter.
![can transporter next to a box with red plants](https://www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/07/c5254e.webp)
For huts that are well-frequented by visitors and tourists, supply flights are necessary weekly. At the Geltenhütte near Gstaad in canton Bern, hut warden Susanne Brand organises supplies to be flown in fortnightly. The logistical effort is immense. “Sometimes I wake up at night wondering if I’ve thought of everything,” says Brand.
Extensive planning needed
About 800 kilograms can be carried by helicopter in a transport bag, with suppliers noting the exact weight on parcels. While packing, Brand reflects, “Sometimes less would be more,” but she needs to offer her guests a variety of options to make a living.
![two white sacks on a green frield with a red and white helicopter in the background](https://www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/07/746757.webp)
Reducing flights for costs and ecology
By using flavoured syrups instead of individual soft drinks, Brand has reduced the number of plastic bottles. Now, helicopters fly every fortnight instead of more frequently, not just for ecological reasons but also because flights are expensive, costing several hundred francs each.
Despite efforts, helicopters remain indispensable for many huts. According to the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC), 90% to 95% of the 120 serviced huts rely on helicopters, sometimes weekly. This reliance has been controversial since helicopters first appeared in the mountains 70 years ago.
![Only just under a dozen huts do not need to be supplied by helicopter (blue). All others (red) need to be supplied by air. This is shown by data from the SAC.](https://www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/07/6c450b.webp)
Seeking alternatives
Environmental awareness has grown, notes Philippe Wäger, responsible for huts and environmental issues at the SAC. An SAC study found a third of CO2 emissions from huts come from helicopter flights. Alternatives like drones are inefficient, and building cable cars is costly and often ecologically unfriendly.
![The Geltenhütte is located at around 2000 metres above sea level and requires a supply flight every fortnight or so.](https://www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/07/b8ae3de.webp)
Some huts are increasingly using muscle power, with groups carrying goods up the mountain. At the Gspaltenhornhütte in the Bernese Oberland, this method can save a helicopter flight. Hut manager Thomas Jentsch asserts, “It’s worth it: every kilo counts!”
![Well-stocked larder in the Geltenhütte: But after a good week, most of the food and drink has been eaten and drunk.](https://www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/07/37dde2.webp)
At the Geltenhütte, the helicopter has unloaded potatoes, sugar, and vegetables. Clooney the cat, now clean and content, is on the hut terrace.
Adapted from German with DeepL/amva
![JTI Certified](https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/wp-content/themes/swissinfo-theme/assets/jti-certification.png)
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.