"When your hand fits into a crack in the foundation, there is need for action," said Georg Unterberger, who is in charge of mountain refuges and trails at the Austrian Alpine club. The trails up ...

Pictures by Kerstin Joensson. Video by Celine Jankowiak and Kerstin Joensson The historic Zittel hut on top of a snow-capped mountain high in the Austrian Alps has weathered many a storm.

with experts saying 272 out of 429 mountain refuges, as well as 50,000 kilometres (31,000 miles) of trails, are in dire need of repair. In a petition earlier this year, the cash-strapped Alpine ...