Always protect your belay station with a redirect point in order to limit the consequences of a lead fall. Ideally this should be a high anchor that is separate to the belay station, however this is not always possible. If the belay station is bomber, the lead climber can...
As reported in several international news outlets over the past few days, including the BBC, French authorities have issued a decree restricting access to the summit of Mont Blanc. The reasons are related to overcrowding and 'safety and public order' risks. As the BBC reports, the...
Your partner is in trouble (e.g., knot stuck in his rappel device, friction hitch has jammed, etc.)—he is stuck mid-rappel! The following steps will let you free him either from above or below. Freeing your partner from above 1 — Reach your stuck partner by rappelling down the rope under...
The UIAA Medical Commission has produced a dedicated paper on the use of hiking sticks. It was first published in 2008 and is available in Czech, English, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. Many hikers, mountaineers and climbers use telescopic (hiking) sticks because they...
First launched in 2015, the annual UIAA Rock Climbing Festival Award is a celebration of rock climbing in its purest form, placing an emphasis on events which put the climber and the sustainable development of rock climbing at its very core. The Award recognises festivals which...
The UIAA Mountain Protection Commission confirms that as of 30 June, the application process for the 2018 UIAA Mountain Protection Award is now closed. The sixth edition of the Award has welcomed over 20 applicants from some 17 countries. The Award Assessment Team are currently reviewing...
Athletes, officials and member federations are informed that the Competition Regulations for the 2019 UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour are now available. The Competition Regulations can be downloaded here. Specific changes to the Regulations from 2018 to 2019 are detailed here. A reminder that the 2019 UIAA Ice...
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...
As part of its commitment to raising awareness about the importance of preserving natural rock and to reducing indiscriminate bolting, the UIAA is sharing an article from Norwegian climber Robert Caspersen concerning an expedition made in late 2017 with three friends to climb the high east...
The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation - UIAA - is delighted to announce the publication of its 24th international safety standard for climbing and mountaineering equipment. After extensive research and development, the UIAA published Standard 109 dedicated to Belay Lanyards in June 2018. Standard 109 can be...