Iranian climber climber Zohreh Abdollahkhani who recently posted a one minute message on YouTube describing her passion for ice climbing personifies the growth of the sport in Iran.
It’s with that in mind that Youth Commission president Israfil Ashurli met with Iran Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Federation (IMSCF) president Reza Zarei on 18 June 2014 to discuss the development of ice climbing in Iran.
Zarei, who was recently elected president of IMSCF described how interest in ice climbing is rapidly growing in Iran with growing numbers of athletes who compete in national and international competitions.
Abdollahkhani was one of the athletes who represented Iran at the Ice Climbing Festival in Sochi during the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Two Iranian athletes have recently passed UIAA Ice Climbing Commission seminars and earned national route-setter certificates. Further discussions are underway to raise the quality of competition, judging and the inclusion of UIAA Ice Climbing Commission members as observers in the Iranian Ice Climbing Cup to be held in 2015.
Other areas of cooperation being explored between the IMSCF and the UIAA Youth Commission include the organization of regional rock climbing, ice climbing and dry tooling competitions as well as leadership and training courses for youth mountaineering expeditions.
Zarei said IMSCF officials and athletes are ready to go to Azerbaijan later this year to participate in an international route setting seminar and youth rock climbing festival.
Iran also expressed its readiness to host the UIAA Youth Commission and UIAA Ice Climbing Commission meetings in Iran in 2015.
