Climbing Mountaineering Belgium
Belgium's largest mountaineering association, founded in 1883 and known since its rebranding as Climbing Mountaineering Belgium (CMBEL).
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Climbing Mountaineering Belgium (CMBEL), historically and still widely known as the Club alpin belge (CAB) or Belgische Alpenclub (BAC), is the largest mountaineering association in Belgium. It is responsible for all matters concerning mountaineering, hiking, ski mountaineering and ice climbing in the country. The organisation is a founding member of the Union internationale des associations d'alpinisme (UIAA), headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, and a member of the Comité international de ski-alpinisme de compétition. Through CMBEL, the Club alpin belge is also a member of the European Union of Mountaineering Associations (EUMA), the International Federation for Sport Climbing (IFSC), the International Federation for Ski Mountaineering (IFSM), and the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee (COIB), among others. Founded on 18 February 1883 at the Brussels Stock Exchange palace, the club began with around one hundred members drawn from the legal, academic, political, medical, military and literary professions. Before its creation, Belgian alpinists enrolled in French or Swiss alpine clubs. Initially, members' activities took place mainly in the Alps and occasionally on expeditions outside Europe. In 1928, the Club alpin belge amended its statutes to become a non-profit association (ASBL) with legal personality. The club has a long tradition of building and managing mountain refuges. In 1927 it decided to finance a refuge in the Tour glacier region; the Albert I refuge was inaugurated on 29–30 August 1930 in the presence of King Albert I of the Belgians, himself an alpinist and club member. The refuge was enlarged and re-inaugurated in July 1935. Other refuges, including Adèle Planchard (1927), de la Selle (1938) in the Écrins massif, and Leschaux in the Mont-Blanc massif (1968), were built and financed by the club or its members. From 1926, the Club alpin belge promoted rock climbing on Belgian crags. Between 1928 and 1931, exploration of Belgian rock formations began, with early objectives including the rochers de Champalle at Yvoir, the Chandelle de Chaleux, and the rocher Bayard at Dinant. At Freÿr, home to Belgium's highest walls (up to 120 metres), Xavier de Grunne, the club's secretary-general, opened the first route, the Grunne fissure, in June 1930. It was also at de Grunne's initiative that regional sections of the CAB were created from the 1930s onwards. The club has organised expeditions on other continents. In the interwar period, the first expedition took place in the Rwenzori on the Congo-Uganda border in 1932, climbing Marguerite Peak (5,109 m), Albert Peak (5,100 m) in homage to King Albert I, and several other summits. From the 1950s, expeditions by the club or its members multiplied across all continents. In 1951, a Franco-Belgian expedition in the Andes' Cordillera Blanca in Peru climbed Alpamayo (5,947 m). Other expeditions went to the Hoggar, Tibesti, Greenland, the Canadian Far North and the Himalayas. Claudio Barbier and Jean Bourgeois were notable club figures through their high-difficulty ascents. In 1982, Lut Vivijs, within a Belgian team, became the first woman to reach the summit of Dhaulagiri, the first 8,000 m peak conquered by Belgian alpinists. On 10 May 1990, Rudy Van Snick became the first Belgian to climb Everest. In 1997, Brigitte Muir became the first Belgian to climb the Seven Summits. In 2011, Olivier and Nicolas Favresse received the Piolet d'Or for their Greenland expedition, where they climbed a series of big walls. Sébastien Berthe and Siebe Vanhee have also distinguished themselves in this specialty. The Club alpin belge has long leased and managed major climbing sites in Belgium, including Freÿr (from 1934), Dave (rochers du Néviaux), Marche-les-Dames and the aiguilles de Chaleux. It also owns the Duchesne refuge, built in 1959 at the top of the Freÿr rocks. In 2020, thirty-five cliff climbing sites were recorded, all located in Wallonia.
History
The Club alpin belge was founded on 18 February 1883 at the Brussels Stock Exchange palace, with around one hundred founding members including lawyers, professors, politicians, doctors, officers and men of letters. Before this date, Belgian alpinists registered with alpine clubs in France or Switzerland. Initially, members' activities took place mainly in the Alps and sometimes on expeditions outside Europe. In 1928, the club amended its statutes to become a non-profit association (ASBL) with legal personality. In 1927, the Club alpin belge decided to finance the construction of a refuge in the Tour glacier region. The Albert I refuge was inaugurated on 29–30 August 1930 in the presence of King Albert I of the Belgians, himself an alpinist and club member. Thanks to the club's generosity, the refuge was enlarged and modified, and in July 1935 it was inaugurated a second time. Similarly, the Adèle Planchard refuge (1927), de la Selle (1938) in the Écrins massif, and Leschaux in the Mont-Blanc massif (inaugurated in 1968) were built and financed by the Club alpin belge or some of its members. From 1926, the Club alpin belge launched the discovery of rock climbing on Belgian rocks. Between 1928 and 1931, the situation evolved gradually and these years saw the beginning of the exploration of Belgian rock formations: the rochers de Champalle at Yvoir, the Chandelle de Chaleux, and the rocher Bayard at Dinant were the first objectives of generations of young Belgian alpinists. The interest was to train first on Belgian rocks before measuring themselves against summits in alpine massifs. At Freÿr, where Belgium's highest walls are found (up to 120 metres), Xavier de Grunne, secretary-general of the Club alpin belge, opened the first route, the Grunne fissure, in June 1930. It was also at Xavier de Grunne's initiative that regional sections of the CAB were created from the 1930s. The Club alpin belge organised expeditions on other continents. In the interwar period, the first expedition took place in the Rwenzori on the Congo-Uganda border in 1932 and saw the ascent of Marguerite Peak (5,109 m), Albert Peak (5,100 m) in homage to King Albert I, and a few other summits of the Rwenzori massif. From the 1950s, expeditions by the Club alpin belge or its members multiplied on all continents. In 1951, a Franco-Belgian expedition in the Andes' Cordillera Blanca in Peru climbed the summit of Alpamayo (5,947 m). Other expeditions took place in the Hoggar, Tibesti, Greenland, the Canadian Far North and the Himalayas. During these years, Claudio Barbier and Jean Bourgeois were notable personalities of the club through their high-difficulty ascents. In 1982, Lut Vivijs, within a Belgian team, was the first woman to reach the summit of Dhaulagiri, the first 8,000 m peak conquered by Belgian alpinists. On 10 May 1990, Rudy Van Snick was the first Belgian to climb Everest. In 1997, Brigitte Muir was the first Belgian to have climbed the seven summits, the highest of each continent. In 2011, Olivier and Nicolas Favresse obtained the Piolet d'Or for their expedition in Greenland where they climbed a series of big walls. Sébastien Berthe and Siebe Vanhee also distinguished themselves in this specialty. The Club alpin belge has leased and managed major climbing sites in Belgium for many years, such as Freÿr (from 1934), Dave (rochers du Néviaux), Marche-les-Dames and the aiguilles de Chaleux. It is also the owner of the Duchesne refuge built in 1959 at the top of the Freÿr rocks. In 2020, thirty-five cliff climbing sites were recorded, all located in Wallonia. Since 1978, with the split of the Club alpin belge, the rocks have been leased to various Flemish, francophone and even Dutch federations. In January 1978, the Belgian government imposed the split of governmental management of physical education and sports into two federated entities as part of the federalisation policy of Belgian institutions: Sport Vlaanderen for Dutch-speakers and ADEPS for French-speakers. To continue receiving subsidies from these two federated organisations, the Club alpin belge split into two wings on 13 June 1978: Club alpin belge-Ligue francophone (CAB), dependent on ADEPS, and Belgische Alpenclub-Nederlandse vleugel (BAC), dependent on Sport Vlaanderen. From 1978, for the purposes of Belgian national representation vis-à-vis the Union internationale des associations d'alpinisme (UIAA), both wings were overseen by CAB-BAC. The CAB francophone federation, headquartered in Namur, comprised 27 affiliated clubs as ASBLs in 2023. It is recognised by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, subsidised by the Sports administration (ADEPS), and managed by a board of directors.
- 2023
CAB francophone federation comprises 27 affiliated clubs as ASBLs.
- 2020
Thirty-five cliff climbing sites recorded, all in Wallonia.
- 2011
Olivier and Nicolas Favresse receive the Piolet d'Or for their Greenland expedition.
- 1997
Brigitte Muir becomes the first Belgian to climb the Seven Summits.
- 1990
On 10 May, Rudy Van Snick becomes the first Belgian to climb Everest.
- 1982
Lut Vivijs becomes the first woman to summit Dhaulagiri, the first 8,000 m peak conquered by Belgian alpinists.
- 1978
On 13 June, the club splits into CAB (francophone, ADEPS) and BAC (Dutch-speaking, Sport Vlaanderen), overseen by CAB-BAC for UIAA representation.
- 1968
Leschaux refuge in the Mont-Blanc massif inaugurated.
- 1959
Duchesne refuge built at the top of the Freÿr rocks.
- 1951
Franco-Belgian expedition climbs Alpamayo (5,947 m) in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru.
Products and positioning
Belgium's largest and oldest mountaineering association, a founding member of the UIAA, combining federation, advocacy, refuge management and climbing site stewardship.
Albert I refuge
Mountain refuge in the Tour glacier region, financed by the club, inaugurated 1930 and enlarged 1935.
Duchesne refuge
Refuge built in 1959 at the top of the Freÿr rocks, owned by the club.
Adèle Planchard refuge
Refuge built in 1927 with club support.
De la Selle refuge
Refuge in the Écrins massif, built in 1938.
Leschaux refuge
Refuge in the Mont-Blanc massif, inaugurated in 1968.
Freÿr climbing site
Major Belgian climbing site with walls up to 120 m, leased and managed by the club from 1934.
Marche-les-Dames climbing site
Climbing site leased and managed by the club.
Dave (rochers du Néviaux) climbing site
Climbing site leased and managed by the club.
Aiguilles de Chaleux climbing site
Climbing site leased and managed by the club.
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