Mountain Huts - safeguarding guidance for following the Yellow Card
Mountain Huts - safeguarding guidance for following the Yellow Card
The Swiss Alps host over 200 mountain huts, including two operated by Kandersteg International Scout Centre (KISC), and five managed by KISC's external partners. These huts provide unique opportunities for adventure and cultural exchange, but they also present specific safeguarding challenges for TSA groups visiting with young people.
Mountain huts typically feature large dormitory-style rooms with shared platform beds. In Switzerland it is very common for these spaces to be shared by mountaineers and hikers from around the world, without any separation by age or gender. While this is standard practice locally, it makes it difficult for TSA groups visiting with young people to follow the Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults (Yellow Card). In particular, ensuring privacy and separate sleeping accommodation for young people and adults.
This guidance helps TSA groups follow the Yellow Card when planning and participating in mountain hut experiences.
TSA Policy, Organisation and Rules
TSA groups must follow Policy, Organisation and Rules (POR) wherever they travel in the world. The Yellow Card applies at all times and includes key requirements:
- Separate sleeping accommodation for young people, adults and Young Leaders working with a younger section.
- Respect children's and young people's right to personal privacy.
- Treat everyone with dignity and respect in line with Scout Values.
Sleeping arrangements must form part of the Nights Away Permit (NAP) holder's risk assessment. Mountain hut dormitories have platform beds with little or no room between sleeping spaces; this means careful planning of accommodation for young people and adults (as well as Young Leaders working with a younger section) and spaces that allow for privacy, dignity and respect.
Appropriate NAPs must be held. If a group splits and some stay at Kandersteg while others undertake a mountain hut experience, NAP holders must be present at both overnight locations.
Use of mountain huts
To follow the Yellow Card, TSA groups with under 18s may only stay at mountain huts if they have exclusive use of the dormitories/rooms required. This must be confirmed by KISC when planning the visit.
Groups must ensure that the dormitories/rooms required are booked for their exclusive use to allow for implementation of the Yellow Card. They can collaborate with other TSA groups and/or National Scout Organisation (NSO) groups to secure exclusivity.
If TSA groups are collaborating with other TSA groups and/or NSO groups, this must be planned and booked in advance. Safeguarding arrangements differ between NSOs. TSA groups must therefore ensure that the NSO group will follow the Yellow Card for sleeping arrangements.
TSA volunteers should liaise with KISC prior to their stay to support their understanding of the accommodation, so that sleeping arrangements can be planned in advance to ensure compliance with the Yellow Card.
Alternative accommodation can be found at Kandersteg International Scout Centre: accommodation.
KISC operates two huts: Gfellap Hut and Ueschinen Hut.
This hut has three open dormitories; 21 sleeping spaces, 16 sleeping spaces and 6 sleeping spaces.
Activities which include an overnight stay at this hut:
This hut has three open dormitories. One has 12 sleeping spaces. Two have 9 sleeping spaces and access to one requires passing through the other. Careful consideration and advance planning are required when using these dormitories to ensure the Yellow Card is followed.
Activities which include an overnight stay at this hut:
The huts that are externally operated, but that KISC has a partnership with, are:
Activities which include overnight stays at these huts include:
KISC can provide advice directly on adjustments which can be made to advertised activities and trails based around these huts for day trips.
Adult volunteers and Network members may stay at mountain huts without requiring rooms or dormitories to be booked for exclusive use.
Sleeping accommodation
It may be necessary to create separation within dormitories of young people, for example by gender, age group or to meet any identified support needs. You must also plan where and how young people can change safely and privately.
Practical ways to support this include:
• Talking with young people about what they are comfortable with
• Speaking with parents/carers to understand their preferences
• Positioning different genders on opposite sides of the room
• Use temporary partitions such as tarpaulin or indoor tents to create private spaces
• Moving mattresses to other suitable spaces within the accommodation
Consider the needs of adult volunteers too. They may require separate sleeping arrangements by gender or to meet any support needs, and they need safe and private spaces to change. Talk to KISC about arrangements if you need assistance. This might include borrowing tents from KISC for adults to sleep outside or adults sleeping in KISC staff accommodation.
Discuss your proposed sleeping arrangements for both young people and adults with young people and parents/carers in advance, ensuring everyone is comfortable and agrees with the plan.
In an emergency, mountain huts have a duty to provide shelter to anyone in need, even if fully booked for exclusive use. Hut wardens will usually do their best to make space so that anyone in danger from bad weather or unable to descend the mountain safely has shelter.
Even in emergency situations, volunteers must prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children and young people and follow the Yellow Card to keep them safe.
If you need further guidance about accommodation at mountain huts, please contact the Kandersteg Lead via the Support Centre.
Updated 29 January 2026