Club Alpino Italiano

The Club Alpino Italiano ( CAI) is the national alpine club in Italy. Its headquarters are in Milan.

The Italian Alpine Club was founded at the initiative of Quintino Sella on 23 October 1863 in Turin. First president of the association was Ferdinando Perrone di San Martino, vice president Bartolomeo Gastaldi. A high point in scientific and mountaineering history was the first ascent of K2 in 1954 by a guided expedition by the CAI.

He had in December 2011 319.467 members in nearly 500 sections and 308 sub-groupings in 21 regional groups, two of which ( Trentino and Alto Adige ( South Tyrol = ) ) ' raggruppamenti provinciali '.

The CAI has (as of about 2011) about 763 ' Rifugi alpini ' ( shelters and bivouacs ) with approximately 23,500 beds across the Alps and the Apennines.

Since 1909, there is the 'Club Alpino Italiano Accademico ' in the CAI.

In 1954, the Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Mountain Rescue Alpino e Speleologico emerged as a sub-organization of the CAI.

In addition to the CAI in Italy there is also the German and Ladin-speaking South Tyrol Alpine Club (AVS ), as well as a section of the Slovenian Alpine Association ( PZS ) in Trieste.