Global Youth Summit held in Nepal for first time

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Participants of the UIAA Global Youth Summit held in Khumjung, Nepal.
Photo by Nikolay Radosnov

The village of Khumjung, Nepal, that lies nestled in the shadow of Mount Everest, was the newest venue for the UIAA's expanding series of Global Youth Summit events.

Organized by Dawa Steven Sherpa of the Nepal Mountaineering Foundation and Tshering Sherpa, President Khumjung Youth Club, this year's eight day event for young climbers from Mongolia, South Africa, India and Nepal concluded on 28 November 2011. Musa Ibrahim, a young mountaineer from Bangladesh who has climbed Mount Everest attended the opening ceremony.

The summit included presentations from participants about climbing in their home countries, high altitude mountain medicine and route setting training by Alex Klenov, UIAA Youth Commission member (Climbing Federation of Russia) from Kazakhstan. Bouldering and climbing sessions were led by UIAA Youth Commission president Anne Arran and supported by local Nepali instructors from NMA and Khumbu Climbing School, Phortse.

Warming up for the bouldering technique session.
Photo by Nikolay Radosnov

"The spark that has been ignited by this UIAA Global Youth Summit will undoubtedly grow in the following days, and I would love to continue in fuelling this enthusiasm by organising and coordinating new events so climbing may burn bright as a sport in Nepal," said Dawa Steven Sherpa of the Nepal Mountaineering Association.

Arran who developed the concept for the event with Dawa Steven Sherpa said there are plans to grow the summit in 2012.

“It would be great to have a longer event in Nepal next year with distinct route setting, international and festival components to take this initiative further and develop into more regions of Nepal," said Arran.

There were 25 participants at the summit. The event was held at the same time as the Beat the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) Action Run supported by Initiatives for Development and Eco Action Support (IDEAS,) United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the North Face. The run was held to highlight the path of destruction should there be a glacial lake outburst flood of the Imja Tsho (lake) near Mount Everest.

The Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF), UIAA Youth Commission and North Face were key sponsors for the Global Youth Summit. For photos of the event on Facebook please click here.

Other UIAA organized Global Youth Summit events in 2011, which take place every year, included an ice climbing camp in the French Alps, a youth rock climbing and mountaineering festival in Kazakhstan and trekking and climbing camps in South Africa, FYR Macedonia and Italy.

For more information contact office@theuiaa.org