Section (Alpine club)
Encyclopedia
The section of an Alpine club
(or that of any such Alpine society or association) is an independent club or society that, together with the other sections, forms the main organisation ("Alpine club"). Membership of an Alpine club is normally only possible through membership of a section. The task of an Alpine club section is the maintenance of tradition and culture, the Alpine training of its members, the planning and implementation of mountain tours and expeditions, and also the maintenance of huts and trails in the mountains. Many sections own Alpine club hut
s. After the initial task of the Alpine clubs - i.e. the development of the Alps for tourism and Alpinism, was considered as largely completed in Central Europe today, the work of the sections moved increasingly into the service sector, including the organization of Alpine courses and tours as well as sponsoring climbing gyms.
Not all Alpine clubs have this section structure. For example, the British Alpine Club
has a central organisation with no subordinate sections.
Alpine Club
The first Alpine Club, founded in London in 1857, was once described as:Today, Alpine clubs stage climbing competitions, operate alpine huts and paths, and are active in protecting the Alpine environment...
(or that of any such Alpine society or association) is an independent club or society that, together with the other sections, forms the main organisation ("Alpine club"). Membership of an Alpine club is normally only possible through membership of a section. The task of an Alpine club section is the maintenance of tradition and culture, the Alpine training of its members, the planning and implementation of mountain tours and expeditions, and also the maintenance of huts and trails in the mountains. Many sections own Alpine club hut
Alpine club hut
Alpine club huts or simply club huts form the majority of the over 1,300 mountain huts in the Alps and are maintained by branches, or sections, of the various alpine clubs.- Purpose and facilities :...
s. After the initial task of the Alpine clubs - i.e. the development of the Alps for tourism and Alpinism, was considered as largely completed in Central Europe today, the work of the sections moved increasingly into the service sector, including the organization of Alpine courses and tours as well as sponsoring climbing gyms.
- The German Alpine ClubGerman Alpine ClubThe German Alpine Club or DAV is the largest climbing association in the world and the eighth largest sports union in Germany. It is organised into 354 legally independent branches with a total of around 815,000 members...
consists of 354 legally independent sections with a total of ca. 815,000 members (as at January 2009). These are distributed all over Germany, the number and geographical density of the sections increasing markedly from north to south: for example, whilst there us only one section (RostockRostockRostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...
) in post code region 17 (Neubrandenburg), there are over 20 sections in MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. The membership numbers of Alpine club sections varies from under one hundred to several tens of thousands; the two largest German Alpine Club sections, Munich and Oberland, both resident in Munich, form a cooperative partnership (with free membership of the other section) and have together over 110,000 members. This places them just behind FC Bayern MunichFC Bayern MunichFC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
as the sports club with the greatest membership in Germany. - The Austrian Alpine Club has 196 sections with a total of 320,000 members, including a UK section (Sektion Britannia)
- The South Tyrol Alpine Club has 32 sections with a total of 42,800 members.
- The Italian Alpine Club has 487 sections and 312 sub-sections with a total of 304,000 members.
- The Swiss Alpine ClubSwiss Alpine ClubThe Swiss Alpine Club is the largest mountaineering club in Switzerland. It was founded in 1863 in Olten and it is now composed of 111 sections with 110,000 members...
has 111 sections with a total of 111,000 members including an Association of British Members. - The French Alpine Club has 193 sections with a total of 90,000 members.
Not all Alpine clubs have this section structure. For example, the British Alpine Club
Alpine Club
The first Alpine Club, founded in London in 1857, was once described as:Today, Alpine clubs stage climbing competitions, operate alpine huts and paths, and are active in protecting the Alpine environment...
has a central organisation with no subordinate sections.