Mountain Club of South Africa

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The Mountain Club of South Africa (MCSA) is the largest and oldest mountaineering club in South Africa. It facilitates and organises various mountaineering activities including rock climbing and hiking). The MCSA is involved in mountain search and rescue, training, conservation of mountain areas, procurement of access for mountaineering.

[edit] History

The MCSA was founded in 1891 and hence is one of the oldest mountaineering clubs in the world. The MCSA is one of only two mountain clubs in Africa which are affiliated to the world mountaineering body, the UIAA. Members of the MCSA have climbed and hiked on all the major mountain ranges throughout the world. Since its inception, the MCSA has published an annual journal. The MCSA Journal is one of the oldest mountain club journals still being published on an annual basis.

The Club consists of 14 sections spread over South Africa and Namibia and with more than 3500 members.

Amajuba
Cape Town
Eastern Province
Free State
Hottentots Holland
Johannesburg
KwaZulu-Natal
Magaliesberg
Namibia
Paarl/Wellington
South Cape
Stellenbosch
Tygerberg
Worcester

The objectives of the Mountain Club of South Africa are to further the interests of mountaineering in South Africa and elsewhere, and in doing so inter alia to:

Organise and facilitate mountaineering

Procure and protect real rights in and access to mountains and mountain areas

Initiate and support actions towards protecting the natural beauty and wilderness character of mountains and to promote their effective conservation management

Promote the safety and training of mountaineers

Organise search and rescue parties

Promote the study of mountains and their environments, the preservation of historical and archaeological sites on them and the dissemination of information on mountains and mountaineering.