My name is Kaja Marie Brodtkorb and I am a new member of the SAC sustainability group. I grew up in Trondheim, Norway and spent my holidays in ‘Trollheimen’, a national park with many beautiful hiking opportunities. The most famous tour in the area is called “trekanten (the triangle) – a hike between three huts; Gjevilvasshytta, Trollheimshytta and Jøldalshytta. My family and I would hike in all weather conditions and my dad would lure me up the mountain hills with chocolate and Solo (Norwegian style of Fanta, but better). He would walk in front, always proclaiming “only 10 more minutes”. Even though we were not too happy in that moment, the mental strength that my sisters and I built up from the extra push is something we benefit from today.
Similar to the SAC, Norway has The Norwegian Trekking Association, short DNT. It was founded in 1868 by Thomas Heftye and is symbolized with a red T. DNT has 500 huts, 22 000 km of routes, 57 member associations and 300 000 members (6% of the population). I have often visited the DNT cabins, and when moving to Switzerland in 2018, I knew I wanted to become a SAC member - and it has not disappointed! My first experience was touring the ‘Haute Route’ from Chamonix to Zermatt. We had practiced the year before, doing the ‘Høgruta’ in Norway. This is a tour inspired by the Swiss ‘Haute Route’, and it is a beautiful five day tour in the ‘Jotunheimen’ national park. As most cabins in Norway are below 2000 masl, I am really awestruck by the volunteers managing these high alpine huts in Switzerland, often leaping off steep mountain walls. It is quite unique. I also really appreciate the proximity between the city and the grand Swiss landscape. Every chance I get, I go to the mountains, either with my hiking shoes or with my bike. There is something about nature, it gives me tranquillity and peace of mind.
Both SAC and DNT are enabling people to get out into the nature, and to nurture mental and physical health. The cabins are also sustainable destinations, compared to travelling abroad. Therefore, I wanted to support the SAC sustainability group in their initiatives, to ensure we continue to do our best to be a sustainable and preferred choice of destination. We especially see the effects of climate change around the SAC cabins, and as humble visitors of nature, we need to take care of it. Both DNT and SAC have recently published their sustainability and climate strategies, sharing their existing and planned contributions to a more sustainable future. DNT has divided its strategy into three main ambitions and 20 goals (see picture “Goals”).
Efforts to reach the goals DNT’s sustainability strategy applies from 2021 to 2030 and has accredited them the Eco-Lighthouse certification. They have defined metrics for each goal and report on the progress through their lighthouse reporting system. (Some of the interesting initiatives applied by DNT are shown on the picture “ideas”.)
What can we learn from this?
Outdoor associations across the world can leverage from each others’ experiences and ideas. When reading through DNT’s sustainability report I see multiple aspects that could potentially be integrated in SAC’s future offering:
You can read more about DNT’s sustainability strategy here and about SAC’s climate strategy here.
I hope to be sharing more English articles with you, and would love your input on further sustainable outdoor topics you would like us to bring to the table. Transparency and discussion is key, please share any suggestions you might have with umwelt@sac-uto.ch.
Best, Kaja Brodtkorb
Mehr News, Stories und Berichte vom SAC Uto.
