News

A Speed record by Russia’s Pavel Batushev was the big story out of the 2013 UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour stop in Busteni, Romania.

Batushev’s blistering run up the 15 metre wall obliterated the previous record of 8.74 seconds held by his colleague Pavel Gulyaev.

Injeong Lee has been re-elected to a third term as the 19th president of the Korean Alpine Federation during the association’s 2013 General Assembly.

Rabenstein, the newest venue on the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour provided plenty of drama and memories for athletes and spectators.

It was the setting for the final climb of Markus Bendler of Austria, a perennial crowd favourite and former Lead champion who gave it his all to reach the final hold, but fell.

An attempt to make the first successful winter ascent of Broad Peak (8047 metres) led by well-known Polish climber Krzysztof Wielicki and organized by the Polish Mountaineering Association (PZA) is underway.

The expedition by the UIAA federation member is part of a series of Polish winter mountaineering expeditions called Polish Winter Himalayan Mountaineering 2010 – 2015 under the patronage of Mr. Bronislaw Komorowski, president of Poland.

Athletes participating in the 2013 UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour competition in Kirov are being warned by organizers to plan to get their Russian visas well in advance.

Alexey and Maxim Tomilov fell in love with the sport they dominate by chance.

Back in 1998, the two avid competitive indoor climbers watched the first Russian ice climbing championships in Kirov, their hometown, as spectators and were intrigued by what they saw.

This time they were tears of joy for Maria Tolokonina.

After an underperformance in the qualifying round that left her frustrated and a semi-final climb that placed her in the lead, Russia's Maria Tolokonina won the Women's Lead final in dramatic fashion in literally the final seconds.

Maxim Tomilov didn't make the final barrel to the dismay of the crowd but he still won the Men's Lead final in Saas Fee.

Dutch climber Dennis Van Hoek made history and got a huge cheer as he won the Speed finals in the Saas Fee phase of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour.

Van Hoek's unexpected win came after he beat out a team of Russian climbers who have been the dominant force in competitive speed ice climbing.

Each stage of the UIAA Ice climbing Tour has its own unique character and Saas Fee, one of Switzerland’s most famous ski resorts has "cool" written all over it.

The Swiss village of 1,600 people which can handle as many as 7,600 people during peak season has become one of the liveliest and interesting stops on the tour.