DAV Summit Club

DAV Summit Club GmbH is a German mountaineering school and specialist tour operator headquartered in Munich. It is the commercial, wholly owned subsidiary of the Deutscher Alpenverein e.V. (German Alpine Club), which remains its sole shareholder. The company traces its origins to 1957, when the German Alpine Club's general meeting in Füssen approved the creation of a 'Bergfahrtendienst' (mountain travel service) proposed by Hans Thoma, the club's officer for training and mountain-guide affairs. Over the following decades it evolved from a club-run course and tour programme into a market-oriented travel business, renamed DAV Berg- und Skischule GmbH in 1977 and finally DAV Summit Club GmbH in 1984. Today the DAV Summit Club describes itself as Europe's largest mountaineering school and an internationally active specialist tour operator for hiking, trekking, mountaineering and mountain biking. Its portfolio spans alpine training courses in summer and winter as well as guided mountain and cultural journeys worldwide, including expeditions, high-altitude tours, ski tours, ski traverses, freeriding, deep-snow courses, ice climbing, snowshoe tours, avalanche courses, mountain-rescue courses, sport climbing, alpine climbing, via ferrata, Alpine crossings, trekking trips, cultural round trips, island hikes, bike trips (mountain bike, trekking bike, road bike), family trips, women's trips and trips for young adults aged 18 to 35. According to the company, it offers more than 600 trips in 61 countries. The company operates from a modern office location in Parkstadt Schwabing in Munich and runs a travel agency inside the Globetrotter store at the Isartor. Its guides — Summit mountain guides, Summit tour leaders and Summit bike guides — are trained specialists who are also passionate outdoor athletes. The DAV Summit Club positions itself around experience, quality and competence, and states that it sets industry standards in ecological and socially responsible conduct. It reports roughly 12,000 participants per year, making it one of the largest mountain-travel companies in the German-speaking region. Ownership has remained stable: the German Alpine Club is still the sole owner and 100% shareholder. Since summer 2025 the portfolio has been strengthened through a brand merger with the expedition travel provider AMICAL ALPIN. Sustainability is a central theme: the company says it has pursued a sustainability approach since its founding, limits offerings in heavily frequented regions, caps participant numbers, promotes climate-friendly rail travel and digital carpooling, and since 2019 has offset 100% of the CO2 emissions of all its flight trips in cooperation with the organisation atmosfair.

The DAV Summit Club GmbH developed out of the 'Bergfahrtendienst' (mountain travel service) of the German Alpine Club, founded in 1957. On 21 September 1957, at the German Alpine Club's general meeting in the Stadtsaal of Füssen (Allgäu), delegates from 229 sections approved by a large majority the motion put forward by Hans Thoma, the club's officer for training and mountain-guide affairs on the DAV administrative committee. From 1958 the DAV-Fahrtendienst organised, under Hans Thoma's direction, training courses, tour weeks, selected hikes in remote and particularly beautiful mountain areas, and high-mountain traverses. Leadership was from the outset in the hands of 'authorised mountain guides specially selected and trained for the events of the travel service', among them Otto Eidenschink and Anderl Heckmair, known as the first ascensionist of the Eiger north face. In 1969 the DAV appointed the state-certified mountain and ski guide Günter Sturm, a representative of a new generation, as head of the travel service, which was simultaneously renamed DAV Berg- und Skischule (DAV Mountain and Ski School). The school was intended to preserve the Alpine Club's own alpine competence, which was seen as threatened when 120 state-certified mountain guides founded an independent professional association, the Verband Deutscher Berg- und Skiführer (VDBS). Rising revenues and profits required new structures, because the commercial activity endangered the German Alpine Club's charitable status. Thus in 1977 an independent corporation was founded, the DAV Berg- und Skischule GmbH. Seven years later, in 1984, it was renamed DAV Summit Club GmbH — Bergsteigerschule des Deutschen Alpenvereins. The Sturm era was shaped by the idea of forming a marketable company, i.e. a development department for modern alpinism whose measures and products could be measured by commercial success. From 1969 Günter Sturm developed the idea of the 'repeatable foreign mountain trip'. An essential prerequisite was the construction of a worldwide network of local trekking agencies — a partnership concept that is still applied today and was adopted by mountain travel operators that emerged later. From the outset the DAV Summit Club pursued the goal of 'training for independent mountaineering' and organised expeditions for top alpinists from the very first hour. The company's expedition record includes several firsts: in 1969 the first commercial expedition to Aconcagua (6,959 m) under the leadership of Hermann Wolf; in 1971 the first expedition to Nepal to Parchamo (6,273 m) in the Rolwaling Himal; in 1975 Denali (6,190 m), the highest peak in North America, was first included in the programme; in 1976 the first commercial seven-thousander expedition to Trishul (7,120 m) under the leadership of Erich Reismüller; in 1981 the DAV Summit Club became the first operator to offer trekking tours in Tibet; in 1982 the first commercial eight-thousander expedition to Shishapangma (8,013 m); in 1990 a successful expedition to Cho Oyu (8,201 m) under expedition leader Günther Härter and Sigi Hupfauer; in 1992 the first crossing on foot of the Takla Makan desert in China, under the leadership of Reinhold Messner and Bruno Baumann; and in 2007 the German first ascent of Koskulak Tagh (7,064 m) under the leadership of Matthias Robl. With around 12,000 participants per year, DAV Summit Club GmbH is one of the largest mountain travel companies in the German-speaking region. The German Alpine Club remains the sole owner and thus 100% shareholder of DAV Summit Club GmbH. Since summer 2025 the portfolio has been strengthened by a brand merger with the expedition travel provider AMICAL ALPIN. The company states that it has pursued a sustainability approach since its founding in 1957, covering ecological, social and economic aspects, based on the guiding principle of responsible tourism in line with the principles of sustainable development. In the ecological sphere it limits offerings in heavily frequented regions and adapts trip duration to the destination; participant numbers are capped; climate-friendly travel options are promoted through rail journeys and digital carpooling; and since 2019 the DAV Summit Club says it has offset 100% of the CO2 emissions of all flight trips in cooperation with the organisation atmosfair. It also pursues measures to avoid waste, reduce paper consumption and design its corporate infrastructure in a resource-saving way. In the social sphere it works with regional partners, family-run businesses and local agencies in various destination countries.

• 2025

  Brand merger with expedition travel provider AMICAL ALPIN strengthens the portfolio.

• 2019

  Begins offsetting 100% of CO2 emissions of all flight trips with atmosfair.

• 2007

  German first ascent of Koskulak Tagh (7,064 m) under Matthias Robl.

• 1992

  First crossing on foot of the Takla Makan desert in China, led by Reinhold Messner and Bruno Baumann.

• 1990

  Successful expedition to Cho Oyu (8,201 m) under Günther Härter and Sigi Hupfauer.

• 1984

  Renamed DAV Summit Club GmbH — Bergsteigerschule des Deutschen Alpenvereins.

• 1982

  First commercial eight-thousander expedition to Shishapangma (8,013 m).

• 1981

  First operator to offer trekking tours in Tibet.

• 1977

  Independent corporation DAV Berg- und Skischule GmbH founded to protect the Alpine Club's charitable status.

• 1976

  First commercial seven-thousander expedition to Trishul (7,120 m) under Erich Reismüller.

• 1975

  Denali (6,190 m), North America's highest peak, first included in the programme.

• 1971

  First expedition to Nepal to Parchamo (6,273 m), Rolwaling Himal.

• 1969

  Günter Sturm appointed head; renamed DAV Berg- und Skischule. First commercial expedition to Aconcagua (6,959 m) under Hermann Wolf.

• 1958

  DAV-Fahrtendienst begins organising training courses, tour weeks and high-mountain traverses under Hans Thoma.

• 1957

  German Alpine Club general meeting in Füssen approves the 'Bergfahrtendienst' (mountain travel service) proposed by Hans Thoma.

Europe's largest mountaineering school and a specialist operator for active mountain and cultural travel, combining alpine training with worldwide guided journeys and a strong sustainability and social-responsibility profile.

• Alpine training courses

  Summer and winter courses in all alpine disciplines, from the Alpine Club's mountaineering school.

• Expeditions

  Commercial expeditions to seven- and eight-thousanders and other major peaks.

• Trekking trips

  Guided trekking journeys worldwide, e.g. the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal.

• Bike trips

  Mountain bike, trekking bike and road bike journeys, e.g. Trans-Kilimanjaro MTB.

• Cultural round trips

  Mountain and cultural journeys combining nature experiences with cultural discovery.

• Special-interest trips

  Family trips, women's trips and trips for young adults aged 18–35.

1. 1Wanderreisen, Trekking und Bergsteigen - Reisen weltweit | DAV Summit Clubdav-summit-club.de
2. 2Karriere | DAV Summit Clubdav-summit-club.de
3. 3Nachhaltigkeit | DAV Summit Clubdav-summit-club.de
4. 4Der DAV Summit Clubdav-summit-club.de
5. 5DAV Summit Club (Wikidata)wikidata.org
6. 6DAV Summit Club (Wikipedia, German)de.wikipedia.org