<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Mountain Safety: Separate Mountain Hut, Bivouac Shelter and Alpine Farmstead POI Categories]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto">Hello,<br />
I would like to suggest separating three different mountain POI categories that are currently often grouped together.<br />
I live in Alps and I am a member of Mountain Rescue, so I think this is also a safety issue, not only a naming issue.<br />
At the moment, there is only the possibility to define an alpine structure as "Shelter", but this definition is too simple.<br />
In Alps there are:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Mountain hut (in italian <em>Rifugio</em>)</strong>: normally managed, with staff, food, accommodation and the possibility of receiving active assistance.</li>
<li><strong>Bivouac shelter (in italian <em>Bivacco</em>)</strong>: unmanned but normally always accessible, specifically intended as shelter and for overnight stays, including in bad weather or emergencies.</li>
<li><strong>Alpine farmstead (in italian <em>Malga</em>)</strong>: a seasonal pastoral facility. A herder may be present, but may also be away with the livestock, and the building should not be considered a reliable emergency shelter or staffed refuge.<br />
For someone unfamiliar with the area, this distinction can be very important.<br />
In an emergency or during a storm, a user needs to know whether a place is a staffed refuge, an always-accessible unmanned shelter, or simply an alpine farming facility where nobody may be present.<br />
It is also important when planning multi-day hikes: mistaking a bivouac for a staffed mountain hut could mean arriving without enough food or other necessary equipment.<br />
The same mountain hut may also function as an unmanned winter shelter when the managed part is closed, so displaying the actual function and seasonal status would be particularly useful.<br />
Even <em>Bivouac shelter</em> would be more appropriate than the generic <em>shelter</em>, because a bivouac shelter is a small enclosed building intended for overnight stays and emergency refuge, usually with beds or bunks and a table, rather than a simple outdoor or open-sided shelter such as a lean-to.</li>
</ul>
<p dir="auto">So I suggest adding separate categories for <strong>Mountain hut</strong> (italian: <strong>Rifugio</strong>), <strong>Bivouac shelter</strong> (italian: <strong>Bivacco</strong> or <strong>Bivacco alpino</strong>) and <strong>Alpine farmstead</strong> (italian: <strong>Malga</strong>) instead of grouping them under a generic refuge/cabin category.</p>
<p dir="auto">Thank you for considering this improvement.</p>
<p dir="auto">Andrea</p>
]]></description><link>https://community.mapy.com/topic/2286/mountain-safety-separate-mountain-hut-bivouac-shelter-and-alpine-farmstead-poi-categories</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:42:01 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://community.mapy.com/topic/2286.rss" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2026 10:41:15 GMT</pubDate><ttl>60</ttl></channel></rss>