Swiss Alpine Club

It was founded in 1863 in Olten and it is now composed of 110 sections with 174,726 members (2023).

[1] These include the Association of British Members of the Swiss Alpine Club.

One of the founders and the first president of the Club was Dr. Melchior Ulrich; other members were Gottlieb Samuel Studer and Dr. Simler.

[2] With the increasing number of climbers, steps had to be taken to make the approach to the mountains a little less complicated and exhausting.

Until mountain huts were built, there had been no choice for the climbers other than sleeping in the highest chalets or in a Bivouac shelter under some overhanging rocks and, in both cases, firewood had to be carried up.