First Bioland-certified Alpine Club hut - organic at the highest level
“We simply live our attitude to life up here,” explains Julia Kiechle. She and her partner Andy Kiechle have been leasing the Reintalangerhütte since 2020, and eight employees support them.
The young tenant previously worked in the organic industry for 15 years. The couple's lifestyle is sustainable and they both want to convey this to their guests. “We live here for six months and eat the same as the guests, we didn’t want to have two tracks,” says Julia Kiechle.
Organic cottage cuisine
Converting a kitchen for guests to organic posed challenges. The location of the Reintalangerhütte increases the level of difficulty. The problem is not the height of 1,366 m, but the remoteness of the hut. It is located in a nature reserve and can therefore only be accessed by helicopter on four days per season. In June it is completely forbidden because of the eagle breeding season. On permitted flight days, there is a transshipment point halfway between Garmisch-Partenkirchen; selected suppliers can operate with permission until then. You all have to be there exactly on the day and at the agreed time. The helicopter needs visibility, if the weather doesn't cooperate then they all have to pack up and come back the next day. Finding partners with this challenge was not easy. The wholesaler Ökoring dared the adventure and replied: "Yes, well, we have no experience, but we'll try it out." During the first delivery, the truck driver took a wrong turn on one of the forest roads and got stuck, it didn't work anymore back and a large fire brigade operation was the result. The route was then driven together once and there have been no incidents since then.
This year the Reintalangerhütte became a Gold Partner of Bioland. There is a small menu. Deliveries do not allow for fresh food every day and the warehouse only has space for a maximum of ten dishes. The Reintalangerhütte offers predominantly vegan and vegetarian food, including traditional hut food such as homemade cheese spaetzle or Maultaschen and chickpea dal. They bake their own bread and cakes. Growing their own food or keeping chickens doesn't work because of the height and the number of guests. In the peak season with up to 100 guests per day, they need 300 eggs per week. They haven't raised the prices much, they are comparable to those in the valley.
Active for the environment
The Reintalangerhütte has its own sewage treatment plant and its own hydroelectric power station, and the Partnach provides them with electricity. The couple only orders large containers because waste prevention is a big issue. Everything has to be brought up and down by helicopter. Despite the helicopter, the CO2 balance is good because emissions are saved by bundling trips and using fewer vehicles. Regional products and little meat further reduce the CO2 balance. Their well-thought-out concept is generating interest; the first hut operators interested in making the switch have already asked whether they could receive advice.
Further information and all features can be found here .
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