FAQ Route Portal | Swiss Alpine Club SAC
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FAQ Route Portal Frequently asked questions

We collected the most frequent questions and answers concerning the Swiss Alpin Club route portal.

If you have questions regarding Swiss Alpine Club route portal, please check our FAQ first. Please contact us if you need additional information.

1. How can I find a destination (hut, summit, pass) or a route?

Search for a summit, a hut or routes on the overview map. Or choose via discipline-icons on the searchpage. After selecting the discipline use the filters to narrow your search.

2. Why can’t I see routes on the map?

Routes only appear on a map scale starting at 1:50‘000.

3. Which mountaineering disciplines can be found on the SAC Route Portal?

The following SAC mountaineering disciplines can be found on the portal: alpine hiking, alpinism, climbing, via ferrata, ski touring, snowshoe touring.

4. Are there instructions on how to use the functions on the maps?

The the maps functions, the symbols and routes (types and colors of lines and disciplines) can be found on the map reference page.

5. Why can’t I download GPS data?

The routes indicated on the route portal maps are approximate routes only. This applies especially to pathless terrain and for steep to very steep terrain. The best route is mainly determined by the actual conditions, especially in winter and on glaciers.

For the reasons mentioned above, the SAC cannot guarantee the accuracy and reliability of the routes shown on the map. Therefore, it is not possible to download whole routes directly as GPX. A drawing function for own tracks is integrated in the tour portal. You can draw your own route and then download it for your Smartphone or GPS device. This function is available to subscribers only.

6. Is it possible to print route descriptions?

Yes, descriptions can be printed  by clicking on the symbol "print" you find on top of each route page. The print function is accessible to everyone with a free SAC login.

7. Can I report mistakes in route descriptions?

All content on the SAC touring portal was carefully prepared by the authors. The SAC publishers and the authors are trying to keep the information updated.

Please use our feedback form to report important amendments or mistakes. This form can be found in all destinations and route description in the sidebar.

8. Can I report safety relevant matters to the SAC?

Yes, we appreciate your contributions  to further improve this platform in order to enable other nature lovers to have a safe and enjoyable mountain experience in Switzerland.

The SAC can publish safety-relevant information as a situation warning. Please inform us about (or changes to) current situation warnings using this feedback form,

9. As a non-member: how can I use the fee-based routes?

Yes, you can create a free SAC login and purchase a annual subscription. This will give you access to all route descriptions and functions of the sac route portal or the SAC App.

10. Why is the selected route description only available in German, French and Italian?

The fee-free routes are available in four languages. All other routes will be available in the original languages, as in printed guides. This process is ongoing.
Depending on the demand, the SAC will translate additional routes.

11. Why can’t I find a popular touring destination?

The SAC route portal contains approx. 7000 routes in six mountain sports disciplines. More touring destinations are continuously published and in the route archive you will find excerpts from the SAC guides, which contain (almost) every route to practically every peak in Switzerland.

13. How can I unsubscribe?

You can resign yourself, you have to proceed as follows:

  1. Log in
  2. Click on «Subscriptions» in your personal area
  3. Click on «Cancel subscription»
14. Are all routes allowed from a nature conservation point of view?

The SAC ensures that for the disciplines snowshoe hiking and ski touring within wildlife protection areas and Swiss game reserves, only routes that comply with the applicable protection rules appear. Some printed SAC ski touring guides (e.g. "Zentralschweizer Voralpen und Alpen", 2015) still contain routes that are no longer permitted today. In the map view for winter disciplines, the wildlife protection areas are shown by default.

For climbing, the SAC maintains a database with protection regulations that are visible on the tour portal. The SAC ensures that no routes are published in places where climbing is prohibited.

15. Are all routes accessible by public transport?

The SAC promotes eco-friendly travel: The majority of the routes are linked to a starting point that can be reached by train, bus or Alpine taxi. However, there are also remote routes without a nearby public transport connection. All public transport stops are shown on the map. Some of them are only served seasonally.

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