SWISS ALPINE CLUB


The Swiss Alpine club was founded in 1863 and is the national climbing club of Switzerland. It operates approximately 300 huts and bivouac shelters strategically placed throughout the Swiss Alps and offers other facilities to members, as well as being a lobby in Switzerland on behalf of climbers and for protection of the alpine environment. The club is organised in 97 sections, which are based on towns or regions in Switzerland. These are co-ordinated by a Central Committee. Total membership is now in the region of 105,000.

Membership of the Club, which is open to men and women over the age of 18, is gained by joining one of the sections. Members enjoy the following privileges:
Swiss Alpine Club Huts
SAC members pay a reduced overnight rate compared with that charged to non-members. Members receive priority over members of other Alpine Clubs and clubs affiliated to other Alpine Clubs at any SAC hut.
Reciprocal Rights
SAC members are entitled to corresponding priority rights and reduced charges in huts belonging to other Alpine Clubs affiliated to the U.I.A.A.
Publications
Members receive the SAC publication “Les Alpes/Die Alpen”, which appears both monthly as a Club Bulletin and quarterly as a high quality journal. Additionally members receive their own section bulletin.

An illustrated guide giving details of the SAC huts is published by the SAC as are comprehensive guide books to the Swiss Alps, which are in French or German. These are available to members at reduced rates from the SAC Publications office: Auslieferungsstelle SAC Verlag, Postfach 134, 7004 Chur, Switzerland

Applicants for membership through the ABMSAC may, in principle, join any local Section but, in practice, for administrative convenience, the ABMSAC normally deals with one of four Sections: Diablerets (Lausanne); Grindelwald; Monte Rosa (Martigny/Sion/Brig); Zermatt.

The web site for the Swiss Alpine Club is http://www.sac-cas.ch