Global Youth Summit season now underway

Print this story Email to a friend

Are you between 14 and 30 years old, an active climber or hiker, and enjoy meeting new people from other  countries?

Then one of this year's UIAA Global Youth Summit events might be for you: a climbing camp in Romania, a Russian rock climbing festival, treks in Italy and South Africa and ascents of Mount Elbrus, Russia and Mt. Kazbek, Georgia.
 
"The 2009 UIAA Global Youth Summit offers the participants an opportunity to be active in some incredibly beautiful landscapes," says Anne Arran, president of the UIAA Youth Commission. The commission co-ordinates the events, which are organised by UIAA member federations.  

While some of the events are aimed at young teenagers who want to join a trek in mountains below 2,000m, older mountaineers can take part in an ascent to the highest peak of Europe, supported by experienced leaders. 

You can find all the information, including age limits, registration deadlines and costs on the Global Youth Summit calendar. Before you travel and book any event, please check your Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Foreign Office for travel advice on the country you are planning to visit.

"It’s not just about the activities," says Arran. "The UIAA Global Youth Summit is also a platform for environmental actions, learning about indigenous mountain communities, sharing different styles or ethics of climbing and mountaineering as well as an opportunity to learn new skills, to reach your own ‘top’ and improve your performance on the hill or crag." 
 
The events are open to members of any UIAA member federation within the age limits set by the organisers. (Participants from some other federations can be offered the opportunity to join the GYS as part of a specific development objective.)  Participants under 18 need to be accompanied by an adult leader from their own country. The Global Youth Summit is also a valuable experience for leaders, says Arran: "They can discuss their training systems with other leaders and share expertise." Some federations organise group trips to events, but if you are at least 18 years of age you can travel to the event on your own.

Sometimes Global Youth Summit events are linked to similar happenings in other countries, or are organised as part of a federation's calendar of events throughout the year, such as the Italian Alpine Club's Mountain Festival 2009. "We don’t just welcome UIAA federations to interact with our programmes, but also other international bodies for youth and sport; to share expertise, collaborate on events, develop resources and to support environmental education of youth in and out of the mountains," says Arran. “Check out the UIAA website for how these events could inspire your clubs or schools to be active or excel in sport. The training seminars run by federations offer an opportunity to exchange information on looking after young climbers and mountaineers of all ages in our sport.”

If you would like to know what it is like to take part in a UIAA youth event, you can read about previous events.