Club alpin français
The Club alpin français, usually referred to as the CAF, is a federation of club promoting mountain sports. It offers multiple training and courses to help people understand mountains.
Created in 1874, the Club alpin français has greatly evolved and grown since. It has become a sport federation, with 241 affiliated associations, which brings together some tens of thousand of people in a same group. Almost 90,000 people are licensed through it to date. Regional and departmental committees relay the actions of the federation on a local level. It was renamed Fédération Française des clubs alpins et de montagne (FFCAM) during its 5th congress, on January 30, 2005 in Chambéry.
The Club alpin français also manages the 142 mountain huts, mostly in the Alps and the Pyrénées. The FFCAM is one of the founding members of the UIAA.