5 countries, 400 volunteers, 3 tonnes of waste

After five events in as many countries we are now halfway through the 2016 UIAA Respect the Mountains Series, partnered by KEEN. On Wednesday 20 July, the fifth event of the season was held in Mayrhofen, a town in the Zillertal, located in Austria’s Tyrol region. XP Events (led by Rik Kingma) and the ÖAV Sektion Zillertal (Österreichischer Alpenverein) were responsible for organizing the event hosted in one of Europe’s most visually breathtaking and visited outdoor...

UIAA members and mountain hut exchange

The summer months are upon us in the northern hemisphere and present the perfect opportunity to explore the many diverse activities mountains regions have to offer. If thinking about exploring the mountains for a few days and nights, a reminder that member federations of the UIAA have the opportunity to take advantage of two great schemes, one in Europe, one in North America. In Europe, about 1,200 mountain huts are available offering accommodation for 66,000 people in...

Climbing and Conservation in Spain. An open debate.

A recent video production from Spain provides an interesting insight into the mountain access debate and the sometimes complex relationship between climbing and conservation. The video is titled ‘Prohibido escalar’ (No Climbing) and available to view below (in Spanish with English subtitles). The video opens with the explanation that Spain is one of the top international climbing destinations. More than 1,000 climbing areas are available in its natural spaces and the country counts some 200,000 climbers. It is expected that...

Making a tonne of difference in the Black Forest

The Städtisches Forstamt Freiburg and the DAV (Deutscher Alpen Verein) organized this year’s Respect the Mountains held event in the Schwarzwald, Germany on Sunday 10 July. It was the fourth in this year’s Series, which is organized by the UIAA and partnered by KEEN. The Schauinsland mountain (elevation 1,284m) located in the Black Forest mountain range, near Freiburg im Breisgau was the scene for the day’s clean-up operation. Following arrival at the venue by mountain gondola and registration,...

Joining forces in climbing and mountaineering

The UIAA is delighted to announce its collaboration with camptocamp.org Camptocamp.org is a multi-language site dedicated to mountaineering, rock and ice climbing, ski-touring, snowshoeing and hiking. The platform offers various services for climbers and mountaineers, including an interactive guidebook of routes and itineraries across the globe for a range of activities (alpinism, rock and ice-climbing, touring, on foot, skis or snowshoes, ski-mountaineering to name a few). It is a space for sharing information on recent conditions in the mountains as...

Celebrating an inaugural event in Italy

The third round of the nine-event 2016 UIAA Respect the Mountains Series paid a visit to Italy, and specifically the national park of the regions of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise on 3 July. The village of Civitella Alfedena, located in the heart of the park, played host with the local section of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) organizing the day-long event in conjunction with the UIAA and Series partner KEEN. The national park of Abruzzo-Lazio-Molise is one of the oldest,...

Making a difference around Snowdon

A weekend after the season opener in Tenerife, the UIAA Respect the Mountains Series – partnered by KEEN – travelled to North Wales for its second clean-up event of the European summer. The event held in Llanberis (a village at the foot of Snowdon, Wales’s highest mountain) was organized by RAW Adventures and the British Mountaineering Council (BMC). A total of 53 volunteers, comprising several families, particpated. During the morning clean-up operation, volunteers were divided into four groups and briefed to clean...

Youth climbers invited to join summer series

2016 is shaping up to be a busy year for the popular UIAA Global Youth Series. Three events have already taken place with another five lined up for the European summer months. The UIAA Global Youth Series welcomes climbers and mountaineers from around the world to come together to embrace their love for the sport and outdoor life, to make friends, develop their core skills and appreciate the environment. Events are organised in conjunction with expert and qualified...

European Court of Justice (CJEU) update on private climbing centres

Dear Member Federations, We are sharing an update from the European Court of Justice (CJEU) validating a recent decision made by the European Commission against private climbing centres. The ruling considered that the public aid granted to the DAV (German Alpine Club) was compatible with the regulations of the internal market. These measures of aid are deemed not to impair competition because they address a market failure. This decision is of great interest to the vast majority...

Georges Moissidis

Anniversary of George Moissidis Olympic honour

Wednesday 22 June marks the 15th anniversary of the opening of the 41stInternational Olympic Academy (IOA) session, an opportune time to remember one of the late Honorary Members of the UIAA who received the Olympic Order during the two-week long congress. George Moissidis of Greece was bestowed this highest of honours - awarded for particularly distinguished contributions to the Olympic Movement -  by IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch. Mr Mossidis was recognized as ‘a lover of sport and...