The Croatian Mountaineering Association covers both mountaineering and a broad range of related activities. Unlike the majority of the international mountaineering associations, the Association's remit extends to speleology

Speleology

Speleology is the scientific study of caves and other karst features, their make-up, structure, physical properties, history, life forms, and the processes by which they form and change over time...

, climbing, orienteering

Orienteering

Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they...

 and mountain rescue.

The Association is responsible for the maintenance of mountain huts and paths in Croatia

Croatia

Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...

, and is the publisher of the magazine Hrvatski planinar (The Croatian Mountaineer) and of other promotional materials. Through schools and courses it provides relevant professional education and training. It is a comprehensive source of information of all kinds relating to Croatian mountains and mountaineering.

The operations of the Croatian Mountaineering Association are managed by its Executive Committee and its professional work is carried out through the commissions for:

• Mountain Rescue;
• Guiding;
• Caving;
• Alpinism;
• Competition Climbing;
• Orienteering;
• Promotion & Publications;
• Mountain Paths;
• Environment;
• Awards;
• Husbandry;
• Legal matters;
• History of Mountaineering.

Members of the Association and members of the UIAA have a 50% discount on the cost of a night's accommodation in all huts in Croatia. Currently the Association numbers some 20,000 registered members from over 200 clubs and regional associations.

The Croatian Climbing Society was founded in 1874, which puts the Croats among the first seven nations in the world with a climbing organization. Organised climbing activity in Croatia was directed in its early days towards scientific research into the natural features of the mountains, rather than towards the conquest of peaks as an end in itself. This focus was one reason for the extent to which leading university professors and scientists were represented in the membership of the Society in the 20th century.