Owing to the global impact of the Covid-19 pandemic all onsite courses scheduled by the UIAA Training Panel have been postponed until further notice.
In response to the lockdown currently impacting most areas of the world, the UIAA is having to adapt to the new normal and is using the opportunity to make progress on projects which can be managed remotely and from home.
To cite an example, the UIAA Training Panel President Steve Long and his team of national Heads of Training are enhancing their teaching material and course handbooks. A current focus is the syllabus content for the Personal Skills Training programmes. Work is also ongoing with the Petzl Foundation to finalise the Winter Skills handbook, a companion to the existing Summer Skills publication. The latter is available globally as a digital download. Further details can be found here. Anyone who downloads the Handbook automatically gains access to future digital updates.
The Training Panel will also be in contact with a number of UIAA member federations to discuss strategies for publishing and distributing the Summer Skills handbook. The current lockdown presents the perfect opportunity for trainers and climbers of all abilities to immerse themselves in videos and literature. The Summer Skills handbook covers a number of fundamental topics from planning and preparing an expedition to managing a group to navigation, advice on equipment and guidelines on various rock, ice and belaying techniques. Extracts from the book can be found here. Another training resource in the offing is a teaching/coaching programme about outdoor clothing and an associated book: “Keeping Dry and Staying Warm”.
The Training Panel is also considering running a dedicated workshop at the 2020 UIAA General Assembly, currently scheduled for 24 October. This would provide a forum for members to gain a greater understanding of the benefits UIAA accreditations and qualifications can provide.
The 2019 UIAA General Assembly, hosted by the Cyprus Mountaineering Climbing & Orienteering Federation, was held in Larnaca and Ayia Napa, Cyprus on Saturday 2 November. Delegates from 51 member associations and 42 countries were present.
Following opening addresses from the President of the Cyprus Olympic Committee, Mr. Dinos Michaelides, and the Sport Advisory of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Phivos Zachariades, UIAA President Frits Vrijlandt presented key points from the 2018 Annual Report (AR). The full digital version of the AR can be viewed here. Vrijlandt also introduced the final year of his Presidency. His second four-year term ends in October 2020.
UIAA General Secretary and Treasurer Peter Muir presented both the 2018 and 2019 budgets and the 2020 budget forecast. While confirming that current losses were not sustainable, Muir remarked that budgeting provisions for 2020 were encouraging.
The UIAA EB (Executive Board) and MC (Management Committee) proposed new membership fee categories (Annex 1, AoA) for smaller national federations. This was approved and will open the possibility of UIAA membership to more federations worldwide.
CMCOF President Pavlos Georgiades. Paris Andreou/CMCOF
No new applications for UIAA membership were received for GA 2019 meaning the current number of members – 87 associations from 67 countries – remains the same.
Significant time was dedicated to UIAA Executive Board and Management Committee elections. Thomas Kähr, after seven years as an EB member, stood down from his position to take over Presidency of the International Ski Mountaineering Federation. The UIAA thanked the Swiss national for the energy and dedication he has brought to the role including the past year as Vice President. Three Board positions were filled. Zoljargal Banzragch (Mongolian National Climbing Federation), Mahmood Hashemi (Iran Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Federation) and Lode Beckers (Climbing and Mountaineering Belgium) join existing EB members – Vrijlandt, Muir, Helène Denis and Yongfeng Wang.
The new EB composition is as follows:
Frits Vrijlandt, President Zoljargal Banzragch, Vice President Lode Beckers, General Secretary Peter Muir, Treasurer Helène Denis, Member Mahmood Hashemi, Member Yongfeng Wang, Member
More specific details – including Board links for Commissions – will be communicated shortly.
Two vacant Management Committee seats were filled by Simon Alden (Malta Climbing Club) and existing UIAA SafeCom President Amit Chowdhury (Indian Mountaineering Foundation).
Credit: Paris Andreou/CMCOF
A motion by the German Alpine Club (DAV) on climate change was unanimously approved. Further details can be found here. As well as fully supporting the DAV motion, the UIAA also stressed the longstanding work it has dedicated to the subject including signing MoUs with key international parties and UN bodies (UNEP and UNFCCC). The UIAA Mountain Protection Commission is also working on Sustainability Guidelines related to climate change (guidelines will include travel/event planning advice, a UIAA internal climate change policy and an assessment of an acceptable carbon footprint baseline). The UIAA was also a leading voice at COP21, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Together with experts, the UIAA proposed a ‘Declaration on Mountain Change for COP21, ensuring the vulnerability of mountains is recognised in the final Paris Accord’. It can be viewed here. The UIAA plans on releasing a dedicated news statement on Climate Change on International Mountain Day, 11 December.
Greg Moseley, Mountain Club of South Africa, presented details about the creation of a High Mountains Working Group, endorsed by the EB to focus on the issues facing the high mountains of the world. This group will continue to work with key stakeholders including member federations and local bodies to recommend policy. Please refer to recent statements published by the UIAA on Everest and Kilimanjaro.
Dr Injeong Lee (second left) was bestowed UIAA Honorary Membership. Thomas Kahr (second right), departing UIAA Vice President was also commended for his dedication to the UIAA. Credit: Paris Andreou/CMCOF
Injeong Lee, President of the UAAA and former President of the Korean Alpine Federation, was bestowed Honorary Membership. A profile of Dr Lee can be found here.
For the first time, the UIAA GA was attended by a representative of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Irina Gladkikh, IOC Associate Director Winter Sports and Recognised Sports and IF Relations, presented three topics – the Olympic Agenda 2020, Gender Equality, New Norms. Her presentations will be made available in the Members’ Portal.
Thomas Kähr’s final act as UIAA Vice President was to provide updates on the progress of the Strategic Working Group (SWG), who released the latest version of its proposals to revamp the UIAA ahead of the GA. The day before the GA, the UIAA Management Committee discussed a number of the proposals and made recommendations. Two areas of the report were voted on – and approved – during the GA. The first was the new UIAA profile which reads:
The UIAA is the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation. As the leading global network, we promote climbing and mountaineering and advocate for access to climbing areas and mountain ranges. While looking to our future, we value our heritage and care for the mountains, their fragile ecosystems, vulnerable communities and cultures. We serve the best interests of our member federations and of our worldwide community. For the mountains. For the World.
Members also agreed on the division of the following Strategic segments of the UIAA:
Mountaineering – including Access and Advocacy and Training Programmes Safety – including Research and Gear testing, UIAA Safety Label, medical advice and documentation Mountain Protection – including global Advocacy and current projects led by the Mountain Protection Commission Competition Ice Climbing – remains an important area of activity for the UIAA
The GA concluded with the traditional Gala dinner and Award ceremony. During the Ceremony, Dr Lee’s honorary membership was celebrated; Thomas Kähr was commended for his commitment to the UIAA and two member federations received Awards for celebrating significant milestones in 2019: 50 years of the Chinese Taipei Mountaineering Association (CTMA) and 150 years of the German Alpine Club (DAV). The following announcements were also made:
UIAA Mountain Protection Award
2019 UIAA Mountain Protection Award: Mike Maunsell – UIAA Mountain Protection Commission VP; Françoise Jaquet – Swiss Alpine Club President; Frits Vrijlandt – UIAA President; Irina Gladkikh – IOC Associate Director, Winter Sports and Recognised sports and IF Relations. Credit: Paris Andreou/CMCOF
AlpineLearning Project Weeks run by the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) was announced as the overall winner of the 2019 UIAA Mountain Protection Award. SAC President Françoise Jaquet collected the Award from UIAA Mountain Protection Commission Vice-President Mike Maunsell. A dedicated review of the 2019 MPA is available here.
New UIAA Mountain Protection Award Partner: Bally
1953 Everest Expedition. Copyright: Bally
Shortly after the confirmation of the 2019 UIAA Mountain Protection Award winner an exciting announcement was made regarding the future of the project. The 2020 and 2021 UIAA MPAs will be partnered by Bally, the Swiss luxury fashion brand, founded in 1851, with a pioneering heritage in climbing and mountaineering. Further details on the partnership are available here.
UIAA Rock Climbing Festival Award
Copyright: Suru Boulder Fest
Suru Boulder Fest, India, was confirmed as the winner of the 2019 UIAA Rock Climbing Festival Award (RCFA). The festival is supported by UIAA member association, Indian Mountaineering Foundation, with the latter’s Amit Chowdhury (also UIAA SafeCom President) accepting the Award on their behalf. The 2019 RCFA was only open to festivals from Asia. A full review, and details on the 2020 Award, can be found here.
UIAA and Petzl Foundation: Alpine Skills Handbook
Presentation of UIAA Alpine Skills Handbook. Credit: Paris Andreou/CMCOF
As has become tradition at the UIAA General Assembly, Stephane Lozach’ meur, Petzl Foundation Project Manager, presented the progress made regarding the UIAA Alpine Skills Handbook. The project unites Petzl Foundation, the UIAA Training Panel, the UIAA Mountaineering Commission and UIAA members worldwide. Lozach’ meur confirmed that a new chapter on Canyoning has been produced. New agreements regarding translations were signed with Federació d’Entitats Excursionistes De Catalunya (FEEC), Mountaineering Federation of North Macedonia (FPSM) and the Indonesia Sport Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (FPTI). Translation in the following languages are in progress: Albanian, Farsi, Greek, Japanese and Romanian. The following languages are currently available: English (including digital version), Chinese, French, Korean, Mongolian and Turkish. The following languages were printed for the first time in 2019: Czech and Serbian.
Other Meetings Ahead of the GA, the UIAA Executive Board, UIAA Management Committee and Commission Presidents all held meetings. A UIAA Communication workshop was presented by Communication Manager Peter Bourne.
UIAA Heritage Timeline
At every GA, the hosts find new ways of offering delegates a diverse and interesting cultural programme. As well as offering a captivating insight into Cypriot music and dance, a number of delegates also enjoyed the island’s numerous rock climbing opportunities. Pavlos Georgiades, federation President, spearheaded a project focused on the history of the UIAA. Following months of dedicated research, Georgiades created a visual graphic tracing the key moments in the federation’s history. The end result was a giant banner which was also reproduced as a tablecloth gift for all delegates. Georgiades will share the visual with the UIAA Office so the project can evolve with members invited to offer new information, pictures and any amendments. The UIAA will look into creating a digital version of the graphic and updating the visual for each GA. The UIAA thanks Georgiades for this initiative and hosts CMCOF – Cyprus Mountaineering Climbing and Orienteering Federation – for its excellent organisation of the 2019 GA.
The 2020 GA will be held in Antalya, Turkey on 24 October and hosted by TDF – Turkish Mountaineering Federation.
Further Resources: Photos from the GA can be found here.
Minutes and presentations from the GA will be distributed in due course.
The UIAA Mountaineering Commission (MountCom) met in Hong Kong in October 2019. The meeting, which was hosted by the China Hong Kong Mountaineering and Climbing Union (CHKMCU), was attended by 14 delegates from 11 different countries. Frederick Yu (President of CHKMCU) welcomed everyone and Shirman So gave an interesting overview of the CHKMCU, which represents 167 clubs that promote and provide training for all forms of climbing and mountaineering. Please refer to the UIAA’s recent profile of the federation. Climbers and walkers in Hong Kong raised a number of important issues that they face: climbers and instructors have difficulty obtaining personal and liability insurance, environmental issues related to lack of environmental understanding by tourists, damage from artificial footpath creation, environmental damage due to large numbers of adventure races, and hikers getting into difficulty due to inadequate planning and preparation.
Peter Farkas (MountComm President) presented the new strategic plan of the UIAA which proposes that MountCom will be integrated with the Access Commission and renamed the Climbing and Mountaineering Development Commission.
MANAGEMENT OF THE HIGH MOUNTAINS OF THE WORLD:
A working group was recently established to address concerns related to climbing the world’s highest mountains. In addition, the British Mountaineering Council and Alpine Club have prepared a statement in response to negative media coverage and subsequent proposals from the Nepal Ministry of Tourism. The statement highlights concerns surrounding workers’ rights, guiding standards, access, corruption and fraud, sustainability, and best practice. MountComm endorses this statement, and will work towards using it as the basis of a UIAA statement and how to address these concerns. See also Values & Ethics.
ISO CERTIFICATION FOR FEDERATIONS & CLUBS:
MountCom is working to provide Federations and their clubs the option to acquire ISO 21101 certification at a massively reduced cost (€1000-2000). This standard outlines the requirements of a safety management system for adventure tourism activity providers and was established by private outdoor activity companies in Europe. The standard covers guidelines, procedures and good practice for all activities that clubs and federations undertake, with a view to preventing accidents and improved understanding and management of members’ and group activities. The benefits include demonstration of professionalism and commitment to safety, lower insurance premiums, and may prove extremely valuable in legal cases. As such, it will be a valuable certificate for national federations, training bodies and larger clubs – particularly those that provide training, coaching and mentorship.
Lion Rock, Hong Kong
MOUNTAIN HUTS DIRECTORY
The Canadian Alpine Club has created an online directory and booking system for its mountain huts. MountCom is investigating how their system can be adopted to create a global booking system for mountain huts – like an AirBnB for climbers – and will be inviting federations to become part of this project.
UIAA TRAINING & MOUNTAIN QUALIFICATIONS:
The value of UIAA membership and accreditation of training schemes and qualifications was highlighted by our delegate from Cyprus. As a result the government of Cyprus now takes outdoor activities seriously and provides funding; this has contributed greatly to increased safety and participation in outdoor activities.
UIAA Accreditation of Qualifications. Following a recent inspection and meetings with the Hong Kong training committee, the Hong Kong Mountain Craft qualification has received UIAA accreditation.
Training. Additional leadership and rescue training has been provided in Ladakh and Mongolia, with the long-term aim to create qualifications that are eligible for UIAA accreditation, and personal skills training has been piloted in Kenya, Indonesia and Mongolia.
Seminars. The MountCom Annual Training Seminar, which was was held in Hong Kong for club coaches and trainers, addressed training priorities and course design for hiking, climbing and canyoning. These seminars are a useful and valuable forum for sharing and discussing best practice, skills and safety with world experts and at an international level. A further seminar is planned for Canada in 2020 that will focus on avalanche and snowsport safety. Federations interested in running their own Training Seminar are encouraged to contact Laura Samsó (FEDME).
UIAA Alpine Handbook. The second edition of the UIAA Alpine Handbook has just been completed, with a new section that covers traditional climbing and additions to alpine skills. The handbook, which has proved extremely valuable to a large number of Federations, is now available in over 10 languages, from Korean to Serbian, from Greek to Mongolian. The digital version of the handbook can now be purchased online. This is an extremely valuable and affordable resource for all outdoor leaders, instructors and participants. Further details will be provided in the UIAA General Assembly review.
Database. Development of the qualifications and training database, which will allow management of walking, climbing and mountaineering training, accreditation, courses, seminars etc. is continuing in order to provide scalability.
ETHICS AND VALUES:
The Ethics and Values Working Group (formerly TVWG – Traditional Values Working Group) is investigating the definition of climbing and mountaineering styles and associated ethics, sustainability, best practice and environmental impact. This is of value in other areas of MountCom’s work, including the Tyrol Declaration, Management of the High Mountains of the World (see above), and for the UIAA and Federations to ascertain best and acceptable practice.
With special thanks to Shirman Sho and Frederick Yu of the China Hong Kong Mountaineering and Climbing Union (CHKMCU) for hosting this meeting.
Article by Phil Wickens (BMC Representative), UIAA Mountaineering Commission
The UIAA – International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation – has launched a Donate initiative to help raise funds for mountain-related projects worldwide.
A dedicated Donate page on the UIAA website was one of the ideas put forward by a number of member associations and partners during the most recent UIAA General Assembly. Many members expressed a desire to directly support on the UIAA on specific projects.
The Donate scheme provides the opportunity to promote
projects and causes run by UIAA members and partners. It also allows the UIAA
to react more proactively in creating fundraising opportunities following natural
disasters or unexpected events.
Each quarter, the UIAA will change the identity of its
seasonal causes, including one run by a UIAA member. Member associations
interested in having a specific projected promoted on the page are invited to
contact Carol Kahoun, carol.kahoun@theuiaa.org.
The UIAA Donate Team will select a project from the shortlist.
Through the platform, donators can choose to make both one-off
or ongoing contributions to the UIAA – and in the process identify areas where
the contribution should be assigned –as well as support specific projects.
For its launch, the Donate page offers people the chance to support the following causes and projects:
2019 UIAA Mountain Protection Award (seasonal)
UIAA Anchor Corrosion Research (seasonal)
UIAA Partner Support: ClimbAID (seasonal) &
Climbers Against Cancer (permanent)
UIAA Member Association Support: Malta Climbing
Club (seasonal)
For full details on the projects, and to directly support them, please visit the Donate page .
For any questions please contact UIAA Project Manager, Carol Kahoun
Assistance and gentle reassurance can be helpful when moving
the group over an exposed section, where a fall would be serious; or you can
install a safety line or fixed rope. In either case, do not hesitate to rope up
less experienced or less skilled hikers if a fall would prove injurious or
fatal.
A safety line is installed by fixing a rope to an existing
anchor such as pitons or bolts, or by fixing (tying or girth-hitching) slings
around natural anchors such as trees or rocks. A hiker uses the safety line for
balance just like he would the handrail on a staircase.
Fix the rope end with a figure 8 on a bight, and, if terrain dictates, use a butterfly knot or Munter knot for mid-line (horizontal redirect) anchor points.
You can employ a fixed rope to overcome short, steep sections without having to resort to technical climbing techniques. (Most hiking routes only rarely tackle terrain steep enough to require the use of your hands).
Fix the rope to a good anchor (e.g., a solid tree) using a sling, a locking carabiner and a figure 8 knot. If you doubt the anchor’s reliability—i.e., it consists of a single rock spike, small tree, questionable in situ pitons, etc.—back it up using all available protection options.
Ideally, you’ll use a knot such as the double figure 8 that
allows you to directly clip into two or three anchor points at once.
This extract comes from the Mountain Travel section of the UIAA Alpine: Summer Skills Handbook and a dedicated chapter on crevasse rescue.
Previous extracts from the UIAA Alpine Summer Skills Guide can be found on our dedicated Skills page.
To purchase a digital copy of guide in English click here. 3.99 GBP, 3.51 EUR, 3.99 USD (prices/exchange rates subject to change).
About the UIAA Alpine Skills Summer Guide
The UIAA Alpine Skills Summer guide was first published in 2015. Produced in collaboration with the Petzl Foundation, the guide and has been well received worldwide and is currently available in five languages. To mark the launch of a digital version of the publication, the UIAA is running a series of articles from the guide designed to help hikers, climbers and mountaineers develop their skills and knowledge of the mountain environment.
The guide was developed specifically as a reference document for trip leaders and instructors of club and federations within the UIAA – an aide memoire for climbers and mountaineers who attend training courses delivered by instructors and guides who have gained qualifications accredited by the UIAA. Now open to the wider climbing and mountaineering world, the handbook’s four modules focus primarily on summer activities. However, a specific winter guide is currently in production.
The UIAA and the German Alpine Club (DAV) have teamed up to produce a series of ten videos designed to help improve climber’s belay technique. Originally produced by the DAV, the videos have recently been translated into English following collaboration with the UIAA Safety Commission and UIAA Training Panel.
The principal focus is different belaying techniques and the instructor in the video is Christoph Hummel, a member of both the DAV safety research department and the UIAA Safety Commission, who spearheaded the initiative.
“This project is the fruit of excellent collaboration between the UIAA and one of our largest member associations,” explains UIAA Director of Operations Nils Glatthard. “Making these videos available in English and through the UIAA’s international network will help increase awareness and the important messages about safety covered in these features. Furthermore, the project has helped further discussions between a number of Commissions in the UIAA and the DAV about further collaboration.”
One of the UIAA’s core services and direct benefits it offers member associations comes courtesy of its training qualifications and programmes which are both supported by a rich library of practical information.
At October 2018’s UIAA General Assembly, details on the impressive collaboration between the UIAA, The Petzl Foundation and members worldwide in translating versions of the UIAA Summer Skills Alpine Handbook was presented. Since the GA, work has continued to evolve at an impressive rate.
The Handbook, available internationally as a digital download (price as of March 2019, 3.99 GBP/4.63 EUR/5.22 USD), is regularly updated with anyone purchasing the publication able to access new chapters and information. A section on Trad climbing has recently been completed, one on canyoning is in progress. Anyone interested in purchasing the Handbook is encouraged to view the dedicated UIAA Skills series which features extracts from the guide.
To purchase the UIAA Summer Skills Alpine Handbook click here.
The English-language version is currently available as a digital download, while a number of translations are available in print format directly from member associations. These currently include French, Korean and Turkish editions, and a new English language edition is almost ready for print.
A number of new translations will be published in the coming months. A Serbian-language version of the Handbook will be launched at the upcoming UIAA Mountaineering Commission meeting in Novi Sad. Work is almost complete for Czech, Mongolian and Taiwanese language versions and well underway for versions in Chinese, Farsi, Japanese, Macedonian and Spanish. Other ongoing translations include Albanian, Greek, Portuguese and Romanian. Applications are invited for creating a German language edition.
The Handbook is designed to help mountain leaders and climbers develop their skills, whether reinforcing lessons learned and not yet fully assimilated or to increase technical knowledge and reduce the risks inherent to the activity. The advice is wide-ranging covering subjects as diverse as the weather, rescue operations, adapting to the environment, teamwork and equipment advice. It covers alpine hiking, climbing and alpinism.
The Training Panel has also supported the UIAA Safety Commission and DAV with the translation of safety videos from German into English dedicated to the use of belay devices. These will be available on the UIAA website shortly.
Training qualifications in Zanskar. A Rescue Skills course in partnership with Lech rescue team (Austria). Photo: Steve Long (and main photo)
The Handbook complements the range of training accreditations that the UIAA provides for members to demonstrate adherence to recommended practice for teaching personal skills, leaders and instructors/coaches. This is now an integrated system that will empower instructors qualified by an accredited federation to deliver personal skills training to novice and intermediate hikers, climbers, mountaineers and canyoners according to their qualification(s). After completing a UIAA accredited personal skills training course, students will be able to download a certificate of attendance bearing the UIAA logo, showing that the course fulfilled the UIAA requirements for provider, syllabus and contact hours. This service can also help federations to assist countries that have not yet developed their own federation. These services will be delivered through the federations, who can add their own branding and charging for services if they choose.
The UIAA Training Panel also provides practical, on-site services for federations. A number of member associations will undertake training programmes over the coming months, including:
China Hong Kong Mountaineering and Climbing Union: Training seminar for course providers, and accreditation inspection Macedonian Mountain Sport Federation: Winter hiking leader accreditation inspection Mongolian National Climbing Federation: Proposed three-year development project for Mountain Leader qualifications
Furthermore pilot mountain personal skills courses (safety and best practices) have been delivered in Cyprus and Indonesia, with one scheduled to take place in Leh, India in June 2019.
Winter Training skills in Ladakh. Photo: Steve Long
Further details on the UIAA Training Panel’s activities will be published after the upcoming Mountaineering Commission meeting, 30 March.
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.
EAWS (European Avalanche Warning Services) have introduced a standard for typical avalanche problems and changed the names of avalanche sizes and the wording of the European avalanche danger scale.
The UIAA Mountaineering Commission held its latest meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, in April 2018. The meeting, which was hosted by the Federação de Campismo e Montanhismo de Portugal (FCMP), was attended by 11 delegates from nine different countries. Pedro Cuiça (Head of Training, FCMP) welcomed everyone and gave an interesting overview of the FCMP, which has 600 clubs and 40,000 members, eight camping parks and a climbing training headquarters. He highlighted issues facing their instructors due to changes in Portuguese law that state that all training must be provided by professionals holding a government-endorsed diploma, and hence will forbid voluntary trainers. The Portuguese are obviously in a difficult period as they attempt to demonstrate the importance of voluntary leaders and trainers in climbing and mountaineering, particularly within the clubs.
Peter Farkas (UIAA Executive Board) emphasised the need to for the UIAA to review its mission and purpose in order to optimise the use of its resources and finance to ensure its continued sustainability and efficiency. The individual Commissions have been approached to provide feedback, and this was addressed during the meeting. Following the establishment of the European Association of Mountaineering Associations (EUMA) both the UIAA and EUMA Executive Boards recently met to discuss working together and avoiding any overlap in resources or strategy. Please refer to recent article on the subject.
UIAA TRAINING & MOUNTAIN QUALIFICATION LABEL
Following a recent misinterpretation of the UIAA Single Pitch Award, UIAA Training would like to emphasise that training for this award should be carried out in the country in which it is to be used, and that the qualification itself does not give the awardee the right to teach globally, but only in the country of the federation that issued the award unless there is a system of cross-accreditation in place. However, some guides and instructors work in countries that have no federation or training infrastructure; the UIAA is looking into this and how it can help qualified instructors to assist with developing mountain training in such countries with its proposed skills training accreditations. Trainers from countries with established programmes may also help federations to develop qualifications, but in such cases it is the local federation that will issue and service the qualifications.
The UIAA Alpine Skills Handbook, which is continuously updated so that the digital version is always current, has been warmly received by a number of Federations. The handbook now includes sections on ‘trad’ or adventure climbing, and leader-placed protection. The digital version of the handbook can now be purchased online. This is an extremely valuable and affordable resource for all outdoor leaders and instructors. Promotion of the Handbook is currently supported by a dedicated Skills series.
MountCom’s popular Training Seminars are aimed at discussing and sharing best practice amongst trainers from UIAA member federations, and for trainers to fully understand the UIAA skills packages. Further training seminars are planned, which will be organized by the newly formed Training Seminar Working Group, chaired by Laura Samsó (FEDME). Federations interested in running their own Training Seminar are encouraged to contact Laura.
News from Member Federations
The Commission was pleased to welcome Ron Funderburke (AAC & AMGA) to the Mountaineering Commission. He explained that the American Alpine Club is keen to extend qualifications provision beyond the Single Pitch Instructor (SPI) which is currently delivered through the AMGA, to other activities, particularly trekking and sport climbing, but creating national schemes on such an ambitious scale requires time and care. In Cyprus, following a successful MountCom meeting last autumn, a pilot Hill Skills course is being held by UIAA Training to assist the Cyprus Federation to establish their own courses. And in Nepal we are pleased to learn that one of Nepal’s the first volunteer leaders has recent qualified as a full IFMGA guide.
SAFETY
The Mountaineering Commission continues to monitor and discuss safety issues relating to equipment, its use and best practice. In some cases we pass any issues on to the UIAA Safety Commission, in other cases they are addressed by UIAA Training, and in others MountCom reach out directly to the federations and individual climbers through the UIAA newsletter and website. During this meeting, the Commission discussed the use of double overhand and ring knots (used for abseiling and tying in respectively), since these techniques are taught by some schools, and over the strength and international standards employed for dynamic slings and lanyards, which are increasingly being used by the climbing and mountaineering community.
Safety concerns were also raised regarding cheap climbing equipment that is available on many web-based shops that do not police their products. MountCom would like to stress the importance of buying kit that has been UIAA or CEN certified, particularly for novices who may be unaware of the dangers of using uncertified kit. A recent article related to the potential perils of buying online climbing gear, first produced by the BMC, was recently shared on the UIAA website.
ACCIDENT STATISTICS & REPORTING
Chiaki Aoyama (Japan) presented his work on mountain accident investigations, and who undertakes them, in different countries. A number of issues can arise from investigations carried out by third parties, leading to reports not being taken seriously or an investigation being considered as cover-ups. In Japan, Chiaki has been responsible for creating a defined and standardized accident investigation procedure, and this is something that he would like to see applied to other countries. IMSAR is currently looking into third party accident investigation methods.
With special thanks to Pedro Cuiça, João Luís Queiroz (President, FCMP), Alexandra Osório, and the Federação de Campismo e Montanhismo de Portugal, for hosting this meeting.
Report & Images: Courtesy of Mountaineering Commission Representative Phil Wickens (BMC)
