Club Alpin Suisse (CAS) - Section des Diablerets

What Club Alpin Suisse (CAS) - Section des Diablerets does

Club Alpin Suisse (CAS) - Section des Diablerets is a Lausanne-based non-profit alpine club section and one of the largest within the Swiss Alpine Club federation (CAS), serving over 4,500 members across four sub-sections in Château-d'Oex, Morges, Payerne, and Vallorbe. Founded in 1863 under the parent Club Alpin Suisse CAS (Faitière), the section organizes guided alpine activities (mountaineering, climbing, hiking, via ferrata, ski touring, off-piste skiing), certified course-leader formations, and youth programs, while operating an infrastructure footprint of 11 mountain cabins and chalets (5 guarded, 5 unguarded, plus the Glacier buvette) across the Swiss Alps. Its technology layer is modest: the go2top activity management portal (a third-party Swiss-hosted platform) handles online activity registration and member profile management, supplemented by the quarterly Passion Montagne journal (now in its 102nd year) and standard website/email communications.

Revenue derives from three streams: recurring membership dues administered centrally through CAS (sac-cas.ch) and redistributed to the section, transactional cabin fees and event pricing (e.g., CHF 45 per person for a broche event at Barraud cabin inclusive of overnight stay and breakfast), and ancillary income from meeting room rental (Location de salles) at section premises. Go-to-market is community-led: prospective members join through the CAS central portal, are onboarded into the section's activity programming, and engage through volunteer course leaders, cabin wardens, and committee members. Specialized member segments include Les Jeudistes (retired men), Les Mercredistes (Wednesday hikers), and photographers' group, with environmental advocacy managed by the Commission Environnement & Mobilité (founded 1998). No public revenue figures are disclosed, no funding rounds or M&A activity are indicated, and the organization operates as a private association under Swiss jurisdiction with approximately 25 secretariat staff and a broader volunteer base.

Name

Club Alpin Suisse (CAS) - Section des Diablerets

Legal name

Section des Diablerets du Club Alpin Suisse (CAS), Lausanne

Website

https://cas-diablerets.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Section des Diablerets is one of the largest sections of the Swiss Alpine Club, serving 4,500+ members across Lausanne and four sub-sections with guided mountaineering activities, certified course-leader formations, youth programs, and a network of 11 mountain cabins.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Recreation Club Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJABAA

Hiking, Trekking & Mountain Guiding

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Adventure & Outdoor Experiences (Hiking, Rafting, Zipline, Safaris)

SECONDARYTHAAADAC

Rock Climbing, Mountaineering & Via Ferrata Guides

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Outdoor Adventure Tour Operators (Hiking, Rafting, Climbing, Safari)

SECONDARYTHAAALAH

Climbing & Via Ferrata Guiding / Instruction

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Adventure & Ecotourism Equipment Rental & Guiding Services

SECONDARYTHAAALAF

Winter & Mountain Guides (Ski, Snowshoe, Avalanche, Ice Climbing)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Adventure & Ecotourism Equipment Rental & Guiding Services

SECONDARYTHAAAJAD

Guided Backcountry & Off-Piste Services (Ski Touring, Splitboarding, Heli/Cat Skiing)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Winter Adventure & Mountain Resorts (Ski, Snowboard, Snow Activities)

SECONDARYTHAAAHAE

Mountain & Wilderness Lodges

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Nature Lodges & Eco-Resorts

Keywords

• Alpine club services
• Mountaineering courses
• Mountain hut accommodation
• Ski touring training
• Outdoor recreation

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: Annual membership fees collected through CAS central. Members receive access to cabins, formations, courses, and the Passion Montagne journal.
2. Cabin fees and event pricing: Revenue from cabin overnight stays and special events. Example: CHF 45 for broche event including overnight and breakfast.
3. Room rental: Meeting room rental services available to members and external parties.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Section des Diablerets is a non-profit Swiss alpine club section that provides guided mountaineering activities, professional training courses (alpinism, climbing, ski touring, avalanche safety), and access to a network of 11 mountain cabins across the Swiss Alps to its 4,500+ members. The organization operates under the umbrella of the Club Alpin Suisse (CAS) national federation and delivers value through volunteer-led activity programs, certified course leader formations, and youth development programs.

Product overview

Club Alpin Suisse Section des Diablerets operates as a non-profit alpine sports club with over 4,500 members. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio of services including guided alpine activities and courses, a network of mountain huts (both guarded and unguarded), youth programs, specialized activity groups, and a section journal. The section maintains its own activity management portal (Go2Top) for member registrations and program scheduling. Activities span mountaineering, climbing, hiking, via ferrata, ski touring, and off-piste skiing, supported by professional training programs in mountain leadership and safety.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Passion Montagne: Club journal published by the section (102nd year as of 2026)

Products and services

• Activités Alpines

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• RandoLibreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRandoLibre organizes wellness weekends at the Barraud cabin in collaboration with the section. Didier Perretten, one of the organizers, is also an honorary course leader of CAS-Diablerets.
• CAS Central (Club Alpin Suisse)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe section operates under the CAS national federation. CAS central manages membership portal, billing, and provides Les Alpes magazine. The section collaborates closely with Monbijoustrasse 61, 3000 Berne 14.
• Mountain WildernessminorOthersEnvironmental initiative that inspired the section's '10 sorties sans voiture' brochures. CAS Diablerets environmental commission draws from Mountain Wilderness publications for sustainable mountain access advocacy.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Alpine Club (UK): Founded in 1857, the world's first national alpine club. Membership-based organization with a hut network and a strong mountaineering course/training program; directly comparable heritage-driven alpine club model.
• Club Alpin Français (CAF / FFCAM): The French national alpine club, the closest functional analogue to CAS: membership-based, operates a network of mountain refuges across the French Alps, and delivers courses in alpinism, climbing, and ski touring. Highly comparable member/club/hut model.
• American Alpine Club: US national alpine club with a hut system and comprehensive climbing/mountaineering programming. Comparable member-based alpine club structure, though with a more dispersed geographic footprint.
• Club Alpino Italiano (CAI): The Italian national alpine club, operating rifugi across the Alps and Apennines and delivering courses in mountaineering and climbing. Membership-based model with regional sections is closely analogous to the CAS structure.
• Deutscher Alpenverein (DAV): The German Alpine Club, the world's largest national alpine club with over 1.4 million members and a 320+ hut network. Same member-club-course-hut business model across the Alps, with stronger scale and similar federation structure.
• New Zealand Alpine Club (NZAC): Member-based alpine club operating bivouac huts and delivering courses across New Zealand's Southern Alps. Closely analogous member/hut/course business model to CAS Diablerets at a smaller scale.

Others

• Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme (UIAA): International federation of national alpine clubs, including CAS. Sets global standards for climbing and mountaineering and represents alpine clubs internationally; related ecosystem participant rather than a competing peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cas-diablerets

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Club Alpin Suisse (CAS) - Section des Diablerets