A year delivering diverse projects, initiatives and events at the UIAA witnessed significant activity across the federation’s three pillars of safety, sport and sustainability, thanks to the endeavours of its eight commissions, Management Committee, Executive Board and Office based in Bern. Highlights include a new high-altitude medical paper, the publication of a 24th Safety Standard, the continued evolution of the Mountain Protection and Rock Climbing Festival Awards, the new audience introduced to the UIAA’s activities through the livestream platform of competition ice climbing and creation of a new declaration paper, the UIAA Code of Ethics. Perhaps the most significant moment of the year was the 2018 UIAA General Assembly, one many delegates required expedition-levels of commitment to overcome travel delays in reaching Mongolia, but an occasion which provided a platform for exchange, networking and developing ideas for a future, better UIAA. While a new strategy is developed throughout 2019, the UIAA will continue to deliver tangible benefits to its members, and act on the valuable feedback received from delegates during the GA.
Group shot of delegates, 2018 UIAA General Assembly. Photo: MNCF
JANUARY: TIME TO BREAK THE ICE The first official UIAA Ice Climbing competition of the year began in Malbun, Liechtenstein with the staging of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Youth Championships. After a series of new European Cup events this marked the official start of the World Tour, five World Cup events held in as many countries from January to March.
During the UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup in Saas-Fee, the Swiss Cancer Research Foundation were presented with a donation of £25,000 from Climbers Against Cancer (CAC), a charity founded by the late John Ellison, which has gone on to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars from climbers and mountaineers. CAC is supported by the UIAA. At the UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup in Rabenstein, Italy, history was made with a first gold medal won by an Iranian athlete. Mohammadreza Safdarian claimed the men’s lead competition.
Led by Safety Commission President Amit Chowdhury and Safety Label Administrator Stephanie Stettbacher, the UIAA attended ISPO Beijing, the leading multi-sports exhibition in Asia, delivering a presentation on mountain safety and introducing the UIAA Safety Label to manufacturers in a rapidly developing market. Ahead of ISPO Beijing, the UIAA delegation met with representatives of OTC Jiangsu Zhongheng Testing Co, one of two officially accredited UIAA laboratories in China. Their presence will support the availability of certified and safe climbing equipment in Asia.
The month ended on a sad note with news that the renowned journalist and chronicler of Himalaya expeditions, Elizabeth Hawley passed away at the age of 94.
FEBRUARY: ALPINE SKILLS GOES DIGITAL The UIAA continued to provide essential advice for climbers detailing a number of safety concerns for adventurers and tourists in one of India’s most popular trekking destinations, the Chadar Trek.
Chadar Trek
The UIAA/Petzl Foundation Alpine Skills Summer guide first published in 2015 celebrated its digital launch. To promote this initiative, the UIAA launched a series promoting key extracts from the book. Content which will assist climbers in developing both their core skills and knowledge of the mountain environment. The Series is still underway, the entire library is available on the UIAA website, and sales of the digital handbook continue to grow. At the UIAA General Assembly in October, further details were communicated about the impressive collaboration between the Petzl Foundation and a number of UIAA member federations in delivering more foreign language translations of the handbook.
February also witnessed the promotion of The Ogre a two-part book which documents the remarkable tale of Doug Scott, former UIAA Management Committee member, and Chris Bonington’s dramatic first ascent and fight for survival on the Ogre in Pakistan’s Karakoram in 1977. The UIAA profiled the burgeoning Malta Climbing Club (MCC), confirmed as full member of the UIAA at the 2017 UIAA General Assembly.
MARCH: FAMILY, FRIENDS AND THE MOUNTAINS To mark International Women’s Day on 8 March, the UIAA dedicated the latest instalment of its Passion for the Mountains series to exploring how, and when, a lifetime relationship with the mountain environment commenced for a number of women with close ties to the UIAA.
2018 UIAA Mountain Protection Award winner, Mount Everest Biogas Project (USA), l-r. Frits Vrijlandt, UIAA President; Dr Carolina Adler, UIAA Mountain Protection Commission President; Garry Porter, Mount Everest Biogas Project; Gloria Scarano, UIAA Mountain Sustainability Coordinator
Kathmandu, Nepal hosted the UIAA Executive Board and Management Committee meetings, an opportunity for UIAA delegates from around the world to exchange ideas, advance on strategic discussions and share updates on progress following October’s UIAA General Assembly held in Shiraz, Iran. The event closed with a press conference to mark the opening of the 2018 UIAA Mountain Protection Award and to reward 2017 winner Mount Everest Biogas Project, whose work is initially centred on Nepal and the world’s highest mountain.
A thrilling 2018 UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour concluded in Kirov, Russia. Close to three million viewers followed the season on UIAA and partner channels. The overall standings saw South Korea’s Woonseon Shin confirmed as the winner of the women’s lead and Ekaterina Koshcheeva of Russia claiming the speed competition. In the men’s disciplines, Maxim Tomilov took the lead title and Nikolai Kuzovlev the speed.
APRIL: A COMMUNITY UNITES A productive meeting between EUMA (European Union of Mountaineering Associations) and the UIAA took place to discuss future collaboration between the two organisations.
Delegates from UIAA member Japan Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Association (JMSCA) visited areas of Nepal affected by April 2015’s devastating earthquake to assess the recovery in person. Together with several other mountaineering and outdoor organisations in Japan, the JMSCA has helped raise significant funds in the aftermath of the disaster.
The UIAA were one of 20 international federations to participate in a workshop in Gland, Switzerland dedicated to biodiversity conservation organised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN). Guidelines were presented designed to help the sports industry understand its potential impact on nature.
A chapter in the UIAA Alpine Skills Summer Handbook focused on the potential risks and complications of frostbite, whilst the UIAA and the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) jointly raised awareness about the potential perils of buying climbing equipment online. The month ended with the UIAA Mountaineering Commission holding its latest meeting in Lisbon, Portugal with training standards and mountain safety the key topics for discussion.
MAY: A GLOBAL COMMITMENT At the annual UIAA SafeCom meet in Porto, Portugal, representatives from global climbing equipment manufacturers and testing laboratories as well as national delegates from UIAA member associations met to discuss the current challenges facing the climbing world and to present progress on innovations and developments. During the meeting, Jean-Franck Charlet was recognised for his outstanding thirty-five years of commitment to the UIAA. Charlet joined the federation in 1983, served as Safety Commission Vice President under Pit Schubert for seven years and then became Commission President from 2002 to 2009.
The annual meeting of the UIAA Mountain Protection Commission (MPC) took place in the idyllic setting of the Lake District, United Kingdom, and among the commitments made were a decision to review and update the current UIAA Environmental Guidelines of (2002), to bring them in line with current state-of-the-art knowledge and recommendations for sustainable practices in the mountain space.
The Dawn Wall wins the UIAA prize at the Trento Film Festival
A new article was published in the UIAA series exploring the UIAA MedCom’s high-altitude advice, this time with a specific focus on women going to altitude. The Dawn Wall, a film which portrays Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson’s epic attempt to scale the 3000-ft rock face of the same name in January 2015, was named as the winner of the UIAA prize at the 66th Trento Film Festival.
JUNE: STANDARD FOR AVALANCHE RESCUE SHOVELS PUBLISHED The UIAA announced the publication of its 24th international safety standard for climbing and mountaineering equipment. The Standard is dedicated to avalanche rescue shovels. A new Standard for probes is expected in spring 2019.
Meanwhile, as part of its commitment to raising awareness about the importance of preserving natural rock and to reducing indiscriminate bolting (see the 2014 paper), the UIAA shared an article from Norwegian climber Robert Caspersen concerning an expedition made in late 2017 with three friends to climb the high east face of Gessnertind (3020m) in Antarctica.
Two major international gatherings for the outdoor community took place in June 2018 with the UIAA represented, and leading discussions, at both events. First, the biennial Sustainable Summits Conference took place in Chamonix, France from 12-14 June where the three-day discussions focused on the future for the world’s high mountains. A week after the Sustainable Summits conference, the UIAA was represented at OutDoor, the world’s leading trade fair in the industry held in Friedrichshafen, Germany from 17-20 June.
The third annual Climb the Hill event began in Washington D.C. Co-hosted by The American Alpine Club and the Access Fund, the event, which began in 2016, brought together more than 60 professional climbers, industry leaders and partner organizations to advocate for public lands and a robust outdoor recreation economy.
JULY: SOUTH AMERICA IN THE SPOTLIGHT Festivals from Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil were named as the candidates for the fourth UIAA Rock Climbing Festival Award. The Award recognises festivals which inspire the development of climbing in their region, present a robust sustainability programme, promote safe climbing and foster a sense of community among climbers and the local population.
An article summarising the UIAA MedCom’s position on the advantages and disadvantages of using hiking sticks – became one of the most viewed articles on the UIAA website in 2018. Meanwhile, French authorities issued a decree restricting access to the summit of Mont Blanc owing to overcrowding and ‘safety and public order’ risks. The 2018 UIAA Respect the Mountains Series commences with two clean-up events in Italy.
AUGUST: FREE ACCESS IN NEPAL Following a meeting in Geneva, the UIAA received assurances from the Government of Nepal that access to climbers would not be restricted and that climbers and mountaineers would continue to be welcome in the country. This is in alignment with the UIAA’s belief that climbers should have unrestricted access to mountain areas provided they conduct themselves in a respectful and responsible manner.
The Ladevant brothers
The latest instalment of the UIAA’s passion for the mountain series centred on the Ladevant brothers who have quickly become an integral presence on the ice climbing circuit and are using their experience in competition to prepare for a future as mountain guides.
The UIAA Access Commission travelled to Canmore, Canada for its 31st annual meeting which was hosted by the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC). Among the topics were the ongoing access issues in Argentina and Chile.
The UIAA was saddened to hear about the death of Youth Commission Honorary Member Alexander Zaidler.
SEPTEMBER: AN EMERGING FORCE A global calendar for international ice climbing competition and rock and ice festivals was launched by the UIAA. The platform provides an opportunity for festivals to promote themselves through the UIAA’s network and for climber and mountaineers to access events. Similar calendars will be set up for youth and clean-up events in 2019.
Applications were evaluated and received for the 2018 UIAA Mountain Protection Award. The nominees captured a range of causes tackling sensitive issues like waste management at remote high-altitude locations, natural disaster recovery programmes, pollution, overcrowding, the preservation of flora, fauna, threatened species and climate change. For the 2018 Award, the MPA Assessment Team placed a greater emphasis on projects demonstrating an ability to engage and mobilise the climbing and mountaineering community within their initiative, something reflected in all of this year’s Award candidates. In all, 18 projects were recognised.
The UIAA profiled the emergence of Iran, a new force in competition ice climbing while UIAA Unit Member, the International Skyrunning Federation held its World Championships in Scotland.
OCTOBER: UNITING THE MOUNTAINEERING WORLD The 2018 UIAA General Assembly was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on Saturday 6 October, welcoming more than 100 delegates representing 34 different countries. The event was superbly hosted by the Mongolian National Climbing Federation (MNCF). The Federacion Costarricense de Deportes de Montaña (FECODEM), Costa Rica, the Union of International Mountain Leader Associations (UIMLA) and the International Slackline Association (ISA) all became observer members.
Peter Muir (ACC), was elected to the UIAA Executive Board. Muir joins existing Board members – Frits Vrijlandt, Hélène Denis, Thomas Kähr and Wang Yongfeng. Vrijlandt, UIAA President, paid tribute to the outstanding contributions of two outgoing Board members. Peter Farkas, a long servant of the UIAA and EB member for twelve years, as well as Marc Beverly, who finished a four-year term, were recognised for their efforts.
BLOQUEANDO, 2018
At the 2018 UIAA General Assembly, a new UIAA Code Of Ethics was approved. Two of the three South American festivals recognised as part of the annual UIAA Rock Climbing Festival Award held their 2018 editions. The UIAA profiled a hugely successful edition of BLOQUEando, the festival awarded the 2018 UIAA Rock Climbing Festival Development Award. The overall winner of the 2018 Award was the Festival de Boulder de Mar del Plata, Argentina.
Outdoor Research was named as successor to The North Face Korea as the official UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour title sponsor, signing a five year deal.
The UIAA pays tribute to an influential member of the sports community, GAISF President Patrick Baumann, who passed away suddenly.
NOVEMBER: THE DAWN WALL COMES TO SWITZERLAND In partnership with Pathé Cinemas, Red Bull, Adventure Film Tours and the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC), the UIAA co-hosted the Swiss premiere of the film The Dawn Wall.
On 30 October 2018, Board-level representatives from the IFSC (International Federation of Sport Climbing) and the UIAA (International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation) met in Paris to discuss matters of mutual interest. A follow-on meeting is planned for spring 2019.
The UIAA Medical Commission hosted its annual meeting in Kathmandu, Nepal in mid November, an occasion which coincided with the biennial XII World Congress on Mountain Medicine, attended by 420 clinicians from all around the world, run by the International Society for Mountain Medicine and organised by the Mountain Medicine Society of Nepal. One of the core achievements of the Commission this year was the publication of its high-altitude paper on diabetes.
Bern, the capital city of Switzerland, hosted the start of the 2018-2019 UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour on 24 November with a European Cup event.
DECEMBER: #MOUNTAINSMATTER FOR YOUTH UIAA celebrated the annual International Mountain Day and the theme #mountainsmatter by profiling a number of this year’s nominated MPA initiatives and how they are ensuring that their work puts youth communities and development front and centre. Despite the beautiful and wild landscapes, life in the mountains can be tough, particularly for rural youth. Abandoning their villages in search of employment elsewhere has led to an absence of young people and an increasing labour shortage. Migration from mountains leads to an increase in abandoned agricultural and land degradation. At community level, cultural values and ancient traditions are lost.
Ice wall in Moscow. Photo: UIAA/Eugenia Aleekseva
The first ever UIAA Ice Climbing World Combined Championships began in Moscow in December, a competition designed to showcase the very best ice climbers in both the lead and speed disciplines. Russia’s Maria Tolokonina and Nikolai Kuzovlev claim the prizes. The six-event World Cup Series begins in January 2019.
The UIAA Mountain Protection Commission confirms its desire to focus on a new direction for the Respect the Mountains Series.
The third annual UIAA Respect the Mountains (RTM) Series drew to a close in early November following eight clean-up events held during the European summer and autumn. Events took place in Italy, the UK, Austria, France, Spain, Malta and Romania. RTM meets fuse clean-up, outdoor and educational activities. The 2018 Series drew over 500 participants (aged from 3-82) who collected some two tonnes of mountain waste.
Since 2016, the UIAA, in collaboration with its member federations, sustainability branches of local tourism offices as well as local charitable partnerships, has organized 26 RTM events, where nearly 2,000 volunteers have covered over 10,000 kilometres (a return trip from Alaska to Patagonia!) in collecting almost ten tonnes of waste. At the close of this year’s Series, the 1,000th garbage bag was filled.
As well as UIAA-organised events, a number of similar initiatives were put in place by UIAA member federations throughout 2018 including the Austrian, Canadian, German and Swiss Alpine Clubs, as well as the Mongolian National Climbing Federation who marked their hosting of the 2018 UIAA General Assembly in October with a dedicated ‘one mountaineer, one (garbage) bag’ day.
Looking forward to the evolution of RTM, the UIAA will develop a global calendar of local and national clean-up events organized and hosted by members, similar in concept to the rock and ice climbing festival calendar launched earlier in 2018. Visiting climbers and mountaineers will also have the opportunity to refer to the calendar and join events.
Following the conclusion of this year’s Series, the UIAA Mountain Protection Commission will also conduct a root and branch review of the project with the aim of a future RTM Series or programme having a more strategic and educational vision, with the support of a wider number of partners and sponsors, including UIAA members, and focusing efforts in developing countries which don’t have the means to conduct their own clean-ups.
“The RTM Series has proven successful at bringing people together in their appreciation for the mountain environment and on a local scale the events have had a significant impact in raising awareness about mountain waste and climate change. However, for the Series to make a more meaningful, sustainable impact, it needs to develop from the localized, event-led model, into a more global platform for change. Here we hope to highlight and draw on the experiences and expertise of those member federations who have successful clean-up campaigns in place, and from whom we can learn from to support other federations,” explains UIAA Mountain Protection Commission President Dr Carolina Adler.
The UIAA thanks all partners, local organisers and volunteers who have organized or taken part in the events since 2016. The UIAA will communicate its future plans for the Respect the Mountains project following the MP Commission meeting in spring 2019. In the meantime the UIAA will provide details on members’ clean-up events in the form of a new calendar launched during the first quarter of 2019.
2016-2018 UIAA RESPECT THE MOUNTAINS SERIES IN NUMBERS
Number of events: 26 Total number of participants: 1,942 Cumulative distance covered: 10,940km Number of garbage bags collected: 1,000 Total amount of waste collected: 9.2 tonnes
Russia’s Maria Tolokonina and Nikolai Kuzovlev became the first ever UIAA Ice Climbing World Combined Champions on 16 December winning the inaugural edition of the competition which ranks athletes based on their performances in both the speed and lead disciplines. The event – held from 14-16 December – attracted 27 athletes from ten countries and was held adjacent to the impressive Luzhniki Stadium, home to this year’s FIFA World Cup Final. The 2018-2019 UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour is partnered by Outdoor Research.
Saturday’s action was confined to speed and lead qualifications. In speed the top eight qualified for Sunday’s final. Setting the fastest times were the rapid Valeriia Bogdan in 08.28 seconds and Nikita Glazyrin in a blink of an eye 06.04. The lead qualification defined the order athletes would attack Sunday’s Finals. Tolokonina was best performing female with Kuzovlev, Mohammadreza Safdarian and Anton Nemov all topping the men’s route.
On Sunday, an intense day of competition in freezing temperatures, awaited the athletes. Bogdan again proved she was queen of the speed wall bettering her qualification best nearly half a second (07.66). Tolokonina finished second (08.71) and Maryam Filippova third (10.44). The three Russian athletes would battle it out for the overall crown in the afternoon’s lead competition. Here Tolokonina proved the standout performer winning a close contest with Bogdan with Iran’s Shabnam Asadi finishing third.
Tolokonina, a multi-World Cup and World Championship winner, was deserving recipient of the first World Combined Championship crown. Bogdan and Filippova also made the podium with France’s Marion Thomas and Asadi finishing in the top five.
Like Tolokonina, Nikolai Kuzovlev is a skilled, experienced and world-class ice climber who has the medals to prove it. He is the defending World Tour champion in speed. After a second place in the speed finals behind Glazyrin who bettered his already lightning qualification time recording a fastest climb of 05.51, Kuzovlev again topped the lead route – the only athlete to do so to take the title.
Glazyrin, the event’s youngest competitor at 17 took silver – a real statement of his potential, and Safdarian of Iran claimed bronze. Anton Nemov, Russia, and Mohsen Rad Beheshti, also of Iran, made the top five.
Russia also took the team title ahead of Iran and an excellent performance from Finland who took bronze thanks to the efforts of Enni Bertling and Pauli Salminen.
“It was a great event. We would like to thank all of the organisers including the sport department of the city of Moscow; Outdoor Research as Title Sponsor for all their support across the entire UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour; and the local organising committee and their entire team,” explained UIAA Executive Board Member and Head of Competition Sports Thomas Kähr during the final prizegiving.
Pavel Shabalin, UIAA Ice Climbing Commission and an integral part of the event organisation, echoed Kähr’s comments: “This competition would not have been possible without the support of the Ministry of Sport, department of sport of the city of Moscow, perfect work of the organising committee, volunteers, judges, routesetters….and a huge thanks to the athletes. You came to Moscow and gave us a great competition!”
Full details on the event in Moscow can be found here. The next stop on the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour is the first round of the World Cup Series in Cheongsong, South Korea on 11-13 January.
The 2019 BMC International Summer Climbing Meet will be located at Ynys Ettws, the Climber’s Club Hut in Llanberis Pass, North Wales. It will be held from 12-19 May.
Your federation is invited to nominate two (one female and one male) experienced traditional climbers from your country. Preference will be given to climbers who have not attended a BMC International Meet before.
Please note that if the meet is oversubscribed, places will be reduced to one per country.
Please complete the online application form by Friday 1 February. Form
Becky McGovern, BMC, will email all applying federations by 11 February to inform them of the outcome. Please do not make any bookings (flights, trains etc) until you have had confirmation from the BMC.
The BMC International Meets are truly memorable events and we hope your federation will be able to take part.
Connect with international friends, climb with like-minded people, go wild over Welsh trad: the BMC International Meet 2019 is returning to North Wales.
BMC International Meets are week-long gatherings of climbers from all over the world. The aim is to showcase the uniqueness of British climbing and connect climbers from across the globe.
During the week, approximately 25 international climbers from all over the world will be teamed up with UK climbers to experience the delights of Welsh trad climbing. Past meets have attracted climbers from Europe, Japan, South Africa, India, Pakistan, China, Canada, America, Israel, New Zealand and Iran.
Programme
Each day an international guest will be paired with a host climber to go out climbing.
Partnerships will change every few days so that you get to climb with different people.
There will be several evening presentations throughout the week by the UK & international climbers.
On Saturday 18 May there will be a final party with DJ to celebrate the week.
Moscow will provide an exciting showcase for the first ever UIAA Ice Climbing World Combined Championships, a competition designed to showcase the very best ice climbers across lead and speed disciplines. The event will take place on 15-16 December within the Luzhniki stadium area, the home of the opening and closing matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Following three rounds of the UIAA Ice Climbing European Tour, this event marks the start of the World Championship and World Cup season. The 2018-2019 season is partnered by Outdoor Research.
You can follow all of the action of what is sure to be an unmissable event across all the UIAA social media channels, You Tube, Facebook and Twitter, as well as on partner channels EXTREME, EPIC TV and The Olympic Channel. Livestreaming will be available from the competition finals, speed (11:00-13:00 local time), lead (14:00-20:00 local time).
The full programme can be downloaded here.
Starting lists and live results will be available here.
According to the latest registration list, athletes will represent 13 different countries. On home territory, it will be the Russian team, comprising numerous World Champions and World Cup winners who look to shine. The 2018 men’s UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour speed winner, Nikolai Kuzovlev will be among the favourites to claim victory having also posted an excellent fourth place finish in the overall lead standings. Proof of his guile in the two disciplines. Compatriot Anton Nemov (third in the 2018 speed rankings) will be another also looking to feature prominently.
In the women’s event, Finland’s Mira Alhonsuo, Enni Bertling and France’s Marion Thomas are among those who have been in action on the European Tour. The USA will be represented by Kendra Stritch, who in 2015 became the first American to win a stage of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour in Montana. Stritch also holds the distinction of being one of the athletes’ representative on the UIAA Ice Climbing Committee. In the female competition the host nation who look to feature strongly with Valeriia Bogdan, Maryam Filippova and multiple World Champion and World Tour winner Maria Tolokonina in action.
52-year old Sergey Tarasov is the oldest listed competitor, while at the other end of the spectrum, emerging star Nikita Glazyrin, at 17, the youngest. Glazyrin already demonstrated his potential taking gold in the Speed World Cup at Kirov in March.
Qualification takes place on Saturday 15 December, with both finals taking place on Sunday 16.
Media Assets
Media are invited to access a selection of hi-res photos for editorial use from the UIAA Flickr Channel.
The UIAA will provide previews and reviews of all World Cup and World Championship events. To subscribe to our ice climbing mailing list click here.
The UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour has been organised by the UIAA since 2002. To discover more about the UIAA click here.
Registration is now open for the 7th edition of the Camp4 Bleau in the French Fontainebleau Forest.
Ever since 2012, the Camp4 Bleau Club of the Fédération Française des Clubs Alpins et de Montagne organises this important event for young climbers on the forest boulders annually.
Dates:
29 May – 1 June, 2019
Location:
In Buthiers, in the heart of the Fontainebleau Forest in Seine-et-Marne.
The camp will be based at the Ile de loisirs de Buthiers.
Young people from 8 to 25 years old, along with participants from neighbouring climbing federations. Participants younger than 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult climber/coach, who is able to look after them during this meet.
Equipment:
50 EUR per participant including all activities, camping and meals.
Activities:
The main goal of this youth climbing camp is to practice and participate in climbing on the boulders of the many and varied sites of the Fontainebleau Forest for both seasoned and beginner climbers. There will also be the opportunity to take part in a number of friendly games and contests as well as the opportunity to attend an evening dinner party, with competition for best video!
The camp also provides the opportunity to visit Paris before or after the event. Anyone who is interested can contact us and we will be delighted to organise accommodation.
Please download the full programme and registration details here.
About UIAA Global Youth Summit events:
These events are a great opportunity to meet a varied group of young climbers from home and abroad, and make new friends, as well as exchange climbing techniques.
The UIAA Medical Commission hosted its annual meeting in Kathmandu, Nepal in mid November, an occasion which coincided with the biennial XII World Congress on Mountain Medicine, attended by 420 clinicians from all around the world, run by the International Society for Mountain Medicine and organised by the Mountain Medicine Society of Nepal.
One of the core achievements of the Commission this year was the publication of its high-altitude paper on diabetes, more details are provided below.
During the meeting, the resignation of President George Rodway (AAC, United States) was confirmed. The UIAA thanks George for his efforts since becoming President in 2016. Vice-President, and former Commission President, David Hillebrandt (BMC, UK) will assume the role of acting President until a new long-term President is elected.
MedCom, represented by 16 of its members, dedicated most of the meeting to planning and preparing future advice papers. These may include a paper on telemedicine and an update to the paper on how to check the quality of a commercially organised trek or expedition. Close partner, ICAR MedCom, was able to join part of the meeting which focused on rescue and mountain medicine education on Kilimanjaro. The UIAA MedCom’s rich library of content includes an advice paper dedicated to Africa’s highest mountain.
UIAA MedCom publishes groundbreaking Diabetes paper
In August 2018, the UIAA Medical Commission produced its latest high-altitude medical advice paper titled Recommendations for Mountaineers, Hillwalkers, Trekkers and Rock and Ice Climbers with Diabetes. Written by David Hillebrandt, Anil Gurtoo, Thomas Kupper, Paul Richards, Volker Scho ̈ffl, Pankaj Shah, Rianne van der Spek, Nikki Wallis and Jim Milledge, the paper unites a consensus view of experts from different countries, cultures and health systems.
“The Diabetes publication is another in our series on individual diseases or groups of diseases following papers on cardiovascular conditions, neurological disorders and eye problems. These individual papers replaced our much earlier paper which discussed different pre-existing medical conditions,” explainsDavid Hillebrandt. “The Diabetes paper is an unusual medical publication since in one paper we are giving advice for the lay climber and also more technical information for medical professionals. It is also useful for guides or trip leaders taking diabetic clients in to the hills.”
As the paper’s intro states, more and more people are participating in mountain sports across the world. However, with the world’s life expectancy increasing, greater numbers of people are also suffering with pre-existing medical conditions, with diabetes among the fastest growing conditions worldwide. As such, those travelling to remote mountainous areas require advice and information on self care in order to be able to enjoy their activities in a safe manner.
The object of this advice paper, which took around four years to complete, is not only to give the diabetic mountaineer general guidance but also to inform his or her medical team of practical aspects of care that may not be standard for non-mountaineers. The guidelines are produced in seven sections. The first is an introduction to the guidelines, the second is an introduction to this medical problem and is designed to be read and understood by diabetic patients and their companions. The third section is for use in an emergency in mountains. The fourth is for rock, ice, and competition climbers operating in a less remote environment. These initial sections are deliberately written in simple, accessible language. The fifth and sixth sections are written for clinicians and those with skills to read more technical information, and the seventh looks at modern technology and its pros and cons in diabetes management in a remote area. Sections One and Two could be laminated and carried when in the mountains, giving practical advice.
The paper has been published in the internationally respected peer-reviewed mountain medicine journal “High Altitude Medicine and Biology” and is free to access and downloadable here.
The full paper – including links to appendices and footnotes – can be downloaded here.
This is the latest extract from a series profiling the UIAA’s renowned high-altitude medical papers. To discover more please click here.
The theme of this year’s United Nations’ International Mountain Day (IMD) is #mountainsmatter, a subject which provides institutions, communities and organisations with freedom to dedicate their IMD focus towards topics such as water, tourism, disaster risk reduction, food, indigenous peoples and biodiversity.
One of the UIAA’s principal activities in the field of mountain sustainability is its annual Mountain Protection Award, a scheme designed to showcase, support and promote projects which strive to unite tourist, or other, organisations engaged in protecting the mountain environment with mountain communities and mountaineers. These initiatives support local people, encourage economic growth, provide improvements to infrastructure, education and health services, promote the practice of sustainable climbing and mountaineering and have mountain protection at their core.
Image courtesy of Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. Source: http://www.fao.org/international-mountain-day/overview/en/
Profiling a number of this year’s nominated MPA initiatives, the UIAA reveals how a number of these projects are creating a lasting legacy by ensuring #mountainsmatter for youth, the focus of the UIAA’s commitment to IMD 2018.
Despite the beautiful and wild landscapes, life in the mountains can be tough, particularly for rural youth. Abandoning their villages in search of employment elsewhere has led to an absence of young people and an increasing labour shortage. Migration from mountains leads to an increase in abandoned agricultural and land degradation. At community level, cultural values and ancient traditions are lost. Here is how a number of UIAA Mountain Protection Award nominees are helping to combat that trend.
“Understanding and appreciating the underpinning values and aspirations that these young people have for their well-being, livelihoods and future security are paramount for creating meaningful incentives for them to remain and contribute to their community’s sustainable mountain development,” explains UIAA Mountain Protection Commission President Dr Carolina Adler. “Education and training options that respond to and offer opportunities to materialise these aspirations, and at the same time support mountain protection and sustainability objectives, are needed. Here is where the mountain environment and responsible mountain-based tourism and recreation, in collaboration with the broader mountaineering community, can make a contribution”.
#MOUNTAINSMATTER FOR YOUTH: EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Created in the summer of 2018, Mountain Wilderness International’s SWAT Project is dedicated to improving the knowledge and skills of local youth groups. Centred on Pakistan’s Swat Valley, the initiative encourages youngsters to actively contribute to a printed guide for visiting climbers profiling hiking trails and light ascents in the local mountains.
As part of this process, youngsters develop and exchange knowledge about the local area and receive training in how to promote environmentally-friendly mountaineering and trekking. The ultimate goal is to support youngsters in their mission to become trekking or mountain guides and to provide them with sustainable future employment. Proceeds from the sale of the guidebooks are also reinvested into the area to help bolster mountain protection and create more sustainable working opportunities for young people.
FACT: 24 youngsters are taking part in the inaugural SWAT scheme.
#MOUNTAINSMATTER FOR YOUTH: IMPROVING SCHOOLS
Winner of the 2018 UIAA Mountain Protection Award, Community Action Nepal (CAN), places youth legacy at the core of its work in reconstructing the infrastructure of areas of Nepal devastated by earthquakes, most notably April 2015’s devastating catastrophe.
CAN has rebuilt vital community assets such as health posts, schools, porter shelters and gompas, while at the same time maintaining core health and educational provision and supporting livelihoods. New buildings have been designed to be more earthquake resistant ensuring that should another disaster occur, the infrastructure will prove more robust. A particular focus is on education; very quickly after the earthquake, temporary classrooms were opened and remained so until new school buildings were constructed under the mantra ‘to build back better’. Full details on CAN’s education programme and construction of new schools can be found here.
FACT: In the past three years, CAN has ‘built back better’ 95% of its own projects – 20 years of work which was wiped out within 20 minutes of April 2015’s earthquake.
#MOUNTAINSMATTER FOR YOUTH: SCIENTIFIC EXPERTISE
One of the primary targets of the Chachacomani Glacier (main image) project by Servizio Glaciologico Lombardo, a groundbreaking study of Bolivia’s receding glaciers, is to strengthen the knowledge of young people through the acquisition of advanced scientific skills. This acquired expertise will help youngsters in finding job opportunities both in the fields of tourism and science. It will also help reduce the of migratory phenomena to urban areas such as La Paz. These migratory flows are leading to inevitable forms of social hardship, marginalization and criminal activities in addition to the loss of Andean cultures and traditions like Quechua and Aymara. The scheme also offers an annual scholarship to Italy for the most motivated and deserving student.
FACT: More than 27% of the water, supplying the reserves of La Paz (administrative capital of Bolivia) and El Alto, combining nearly three million inhabitants in total, derives from the melting Cordillera Real glaciers.
#MOUNTAINSMATTER FOR YOUTH: RESPECTING TRADITIONS
Fondation Gran Paradis’ Giroparchi Nature Trail, 2018 MPA runner-up, offers Italian teenagers aged between 11-14 the opportunity to spend up to a week in the Aosta Valley to develop their language skills in English and acquire knowledge of mountains regions and traditions through meeting local people and international trekkers. A focus each year is a different subject typically fauna, geology or local customs and is supported by visits to museums and monuments. The youngsters also learn about the management of protected areas, best safety practices, mountain ethics and are empowered to become future ambassadors for the Gran Paradiso Natural Park.
FACT: In its six years, Giroparchi Nature Trail has offered this unique mountain experience to over 200 youngsters.
#MOUNTAINSMATTER FOR YOUTH: KNOWLEDGE AND RESEARCH
The goal of Argentina-based Tracks Safety, 2018’s best new MPA initiative, is to develop a dynamic online system that allows mountaineers and other visitors to Argentina’s wilderness areas to contribute to the collection of information regarding the local environment and communities. Small mountain communities often exist in isolation, beyond the reach and resources of many governmental authorities. Little is known about their demographics, their health, their resource needs, or their struggles.
Tracks Safety plans to enable the users of their platform to record, survey, and study the health, homes, needs, and issues of local communities – essentially becoming amateur census-takers who can relay the data, through the database, to organizations and agencies which might act on it. Tracks Safety believes their new scheme will benefit local economies and, above all, young people. For example, a mountaineer who encounters a local community and finds that they have a resource to offer (whether be it clean water, food, shelter, or pack animals) can note it for future travellers, as well recording the resources which the community might lack. In this way, the Tracks Safety project may foster connection between locals and mountaineers, and, in turn, the wider world.
FACT: As part of the project, mountaineers in Cordoba, Argentina have participated in self-regulation, documenting photos of illegal 4×4 usage, graffiti and trash, in this way enforcing “leave no trace” doctrines.
#MOUNTAINSMATTER: REDUCING MIGRATION
The objective of Mountain Wilderness Italia’s Ethiopia-based A Reason Not To Migrate project is to transmit to local guides technical expertise regarding the management of their environmental and cultural heritage and to provide more sustainable local employment. The Adua area is currently a popular destination for tourists who most of the time are accompanied by impromptu (and even illegal) local guides.
The purpose of the courses organized by Mountain Wilderness Italia is to teach local guides safety techniques in exposed environments, first aid, attention and care for cultural and environmental heritage. The training courses were conceived at the request of local communities and guide associations. The children involved in the training courses all live in local villages and have already carried out a guide role in their respective associations. Junior instructors have received additional climbing materials and have been directly involved in the creation of a small outdoor climbing gym to carry out the necessary exercises for future courses.
FACT: One of the scheme’s focuses is discouraging visitors from camping in environmentally-sensitive areas – this has been a growing problem in recent years. It is dually a problem because the church sites do not have the facilities to support camping (no toilets, showers or running water) and it disturbs the peace and solitude of holy mountain sites.
ABOUT THE UIAA MOUNTAIN PROTECTION AWARD
To discover more about the UIAA Mountain Protection Award click here.
Application for the 2019 UIAA MPA opens in March.
In January 2019, a new Donate page will offer the opportunity to support UIAA MPA nominated projects such as those profiled in this feature.
For details on partnering the prestigious and international UIAA Mountain Protection Award, first launched in 2013, please contact office@theuiaa.org.The Award has showcased projects from 40 different countries and is communicated globally by leading media titles, UIAA member federations, through Award nominees themselves and across UIAA’s communication channels.
Swiss athlete Sina Goetz and Russia’s Nikolai Primerov claimed gold medals during the second UIAA Ice Climbing European Cup event of the 2018-2019 season.
Already venue for a European Cup in 2017, Domžale again proved an excellent host of the event through the outstanding organisation of the Alpine Association of Slovenia and its local branch.
Goetz claimed a second straight gold medal in the women’s competition following success in Bern last week. Compatriot Vivien Labarile took silver and France’s Marion Thomas bronze.
Primerov, third last week, took gold ahead of Lukas Goetz, Sina’s brother, and Alexander Werren, also of Switzerland.
31 competitors hailed from 11 countries (Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Poland, Slovakia, Serbia, Switzerland, Sweden and host country Slovenia).
The four-leg European Tour heads to Žilina, Slovakia this weekend.
Full details on the entire 2018-2019 UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour, partnered by Outdoor Research, can be viewed here.
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