Mountain Club of South Africa 5211140 190868877 2008-02-12T10:02:25Z Alan Liefting 36352 /* External links */ 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 ethic|conservation]] of [[mountain]] areas, procurement of access for mountaineering. ==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 range]]s 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. ==External links== *[http://www.mcsa.org.za Mountain Club of South Africa] *[http://www.climbing.co.za ClimbZA] *[http://www.climbingbarn.co.za The Climbing Barn] [[Category:Mountaineering]] [[Category:Climbing organisations]] [[Category:Hiking organizations]] {{climbing-stub}}