The first Alpine Club, founded in London in 1857, was once described as:

a club of English gentlemen devoted to mountaineering, first of all in the Alps, members of which have successfully addressed themselves to attempts of the kind on loftier mountains. (The Nuttall Encyclopaedia 1907)

Today, Alpine clubs stage climbing competitions, operate alpine huts and paths, and are active in protecting the Alpine environment. The oldest is the UK Alpine Club, originally founded as a gentlemen's club (see List of London's gentlemen's clubs). With around 1,000,000 members the German Alpine Club is the largest Alpine club in the world.