Since the dawn of mountain sports, mountain guides employed for climbing, trekking and skiing excursions, have been seen as doing much more than teaching. They have played a key role in developing people’s love for the mesmerising beauty of the mountains, mixed with its indomitable danger.

 

Given the inspirational, but psychologically delicate and physically risky, activity guides undertake daily, a group of Zermatt lovers, to express their gratitude and admiration, decided to set up a Club whose primary goal was to provide an economic contribution to guides’ families in case of mountain accidents and thereafter to offer further assistance.

 

With the support of many more members, since 1990, the club has grown and evolved into a large group of like-minded Zermatt lovers who hold on to the founding common purpose: to enjoy Zermatt together, whilst supporting the community of guides in their work of turning people’s curiosity for the mountains into true passion.

 

The Yeti-Club Zermatt was established as a non-profit association on November 23rd 1990, in accordance with Article 60 of the Swiss Civil Code.

 

The scope of the Club was and still is a) to procure funding from: i) annual membership fees; ii) entry fees and iii) donations by members and third parties, for the support in favour of active mountain guides and aspirant mountain guides belonging to the Zermatt Mountain Guides Association as more precisely below and b) to foster friendship amongst the members and between the members and the Mountain Guides by organizing periodically sporting, mountain and / or social events.

 

As to the specific support in favour of active mountain guides and aspirant mountain guides belonging to the Zermatt Mountain Guides Association the Club:

 

1. underwrites an accident insurance policy covering disability and death;

2. contributes to the payment of a life insurance policy premium in favour of the mountain guides - for the purposes of      pension plan 3b;

3. underwrites a legal protection insurance policy, covering the costs (e.g. legal fees and expenses of a lawyer) incurred in case of an unforeseen legal matter connected or related to their activity;

4. contributes to the Zermatt Mountain Guides Association’s obligations in connection with securing the mountain trails.

 

ORGANIZATION OF THE CLUB

The sovereign power of the Club is the General Assembly of its members, which is held every year in December. The General Assembly elects a Committee of 3 to 7 persons, which is the executive body responsible for organizing and running the Club and also admitting new members. The members of the Committee must be members of the Club. The acting president of the Zermatt Mountain Guides Association and a non-member of the Club, appointed from time to time by the General Assembly, may be a member of the Committee with consulting vote. The term of office is four years. Re-election is possible.

The members of the Committee, all honorary, will elect amongst themselves their president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer (the same person may cover the last two functions).

The accounts are closed every year on October 31st, audited and submitted for approval to the General Assembly.

The Committee also manages the current business, the bookkeeping, the correct implementation of insurance policies, the organization of events and handles all financial matters.

 

MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS

Our club members are regular Zermatt guests.

Admission to the Club is granted to natural persons, 20 years or older, provided they submit the application and are recommended either by one mountain guide and one member, with a membership tenure of at least 3 years or more, or by two such members. The Committee decides the admission, and it can also refuse admission without any justification.

The annual dues for members are the following:

• 20-40 (junior)                   CHF 500,00;

• 40 + (elite)                        CHF 1000.00;

• 50+* (main member)       CHF 1.000,00

*members who join the Club when they are older than 50, pay an entry fee of CHF 2’000.00.

Spouses and companions pay half the fee.

 

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

The Club organizes every year a summer and a winter get together, on a weekend usually in the second half of August and the second half of February. The get together events usually include mountain excursions (summer) or skiing or heliskiing (winter), followed by a lunch or a dinner at a mountain restaurant in the surroundings of Zermatt. Each weekend starts with a Friday evening cocktail open to all members and mountain guides hosted by the Club.

In addition, following the annual General Assembly, the Club hosts a special year end evening aperitif, where members can congregate and meet each other in a Christmas and New Year spirit.

Further cultural events also out of Zermatt may be organized from time to time upon the initiative of single gmembers.

 

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

The Yeti-Club has grown in the past 30 years to become an important non-profit social organization in the Zermatt area. Today we have over 190 members, including junior, elite and spouses/ companions. These memberships generate an important yearly income to the Club, which is successfully applied towards the well-being and protection of our mountain guides via many benefits.

It is a worthy cause and we are proud of our success. It is our aim to continue to attract and welcome Zermatt lovers as new members, who are willing to enjoy a wonderful time in the beautiful village and its surroundings and at the same time provide necessary support and security to those who help us discover the hidden spots of the iconic mountains around the area.