Koshcheeva and Vagin are World Speed Champions

Ekaterina Koshcheeva (Photo: David Schweizer for UIAA) Koshcheeva, 20, was a symbol of the youth wave currently taking over the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour while Vagin, 43, represented the veteran wing of 2015 Tour that concluded today (8 March 2015). Koshscheeva’s victory was a squeaker. Her combined time of 31.22 seconds just edged out Nadya Gallyamova, 27, who had a combined time of 32.14 seconds. In the Men’s competition Vagin first climb took an astounding 8.97 seconds. He...

Popularity of Diploma of Mountain Medicine growing

"The Diploma of Mountain Medicine has come a long way," says UIAA Medcom President Dr. David Hillebrandt Twenty years ago, the UIAA, International Commission for Alpine Rescue (ICAR) and International Society of Mountain Medicine (ISMM) agreed on a common syllabus combining mountain and medical skills to form the basis of the Diploma of Mountain Medicine. It’s come a long ways since. An illustration of how it has grown is reflected in the fact that this month, ten years...

ARISF sponsors UIAA Global Youth Summit camp in Guillestre, France

Emma, 17, celebrates ie climbing in Guillestre, France (Photo: FFCAM) Sixteen young people from across Europe gathered in in Guillestre, France (8-14 February 2015) for the first ARISF sponsored International Youth Ice Climbing Camp organized by the French Alpine Club (FFCAM). The youth from France, Germany, Switzerland and Belgium learned how to use different kinds of ice climbing equipment including ice screws, ice axes, crampons, and techniques to climb safely and try their hand at "dry tooling.” Instructors from FFCAM included Camille...

Jordanian desert climbers hold UIAA Training Standards course

Jordan is the latest country to receive training from the UIAA Training Standards Panel. UIAA Training Standards Chair Steve Long reports that three courses were held for the mountain communities of Ajloun, Dana, Karak and Wadi Rum on the request of UIAA associate member Jordan Tourist Board. The Jordan Tourist Board selected candidates from the local communities for the first round of training course under the direction of Long and a team of trainers from France, UK, Catalonia...

Turkey hosts its first UIAA Global Youth Summit ice climbing training camp

UIAA ice climbing competition judge Carlos Teixeira teaching ice climbing in Turkey (Photo: Irasfil Ashurli for UIAA) The spectacular frozen waterfalls that dot the cliffs near Erzurum was the venue for the first International Youth Festival of Ice Climbing held in Turkey. More than 70 participants from more than a dozen countries attended the four-day festival 21-25 January, which was also the venue of a well-attended UIAA Global Youth Summit (GYS) ice climbing training clinic held by Carlos...

Buyer Beware: The perils of buying crampons online

It's buyer beware when purchasing crampons online  (Photo: BMC for UIAA) The British Mountaineering Council has posted a warning about dangerous crampons being sold online. As the warning states: Getting equipped to tackle the mountains in winter can seem an expensive business, with the cost of boots, axe and crampons totting up to a fair sum. It may be tempting to save money by snapping up a cheap bargain online. Be warned though, this may cost you a lot more than a pair...

WoonSeon Shin of Korea and Maxim Tomilov of Russia are Lead “World Champions”

  Under a perfect February blue sky and a stunning alpine backdrop, the world’s best competition ice climbers gathered in Rabenstein, Italy for the UIAA Ice Climbing World Championship in Lead presented by The North Face Korea. When the ice settled two days later WoonSeon Shin of South Korea and Maxim Tomilov of Russia had earned the right to call themselves World Champions, a title they can hold for two years. It was mixed climbing at its best. Ice and rock. And...

Russia’s newest Speed star is Vladamir Kartashev and Maria Krasavina serves notice that she’s back with her win

The sight of men and women charging up an ice tower with razor sharp tools, eyes ablaze and ice chips flying around them is enough to intimidate most people. But not Vladamir Kartashev, 20, who stood his ground to stake his claim as one of Russia’s newest Russian Speed stars. Kartashev kept his cool and beat an experienced field of veteran competition Speed climbers to win his first gold medal in a UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour...

UIAA Award for the Best Climbing Film to be honoured at the Trento Film Festival

The Trento Film Festival is the oldest film festival dedicated to the mountains, adventure and exploration The Trento Film Festival, the oldest film mountain film festival and the UIAA, the international global organization for climbing and mountaineering have partnered to honour the best in film dedicated to the mountains, adventure and exploration. The festival takes place 30 April – 10 May 2015 in Trento, Italy and this year’s evnt will include a new award, the UIAA Award For the best climbing...

Youth ice climbing a top priority of the UIAA

The UIAA ice climbing youth development programme is in full swing as as seen at the Saas Fee World Youth Championships (Photo: David Sweizer for UIAA) It’s been a busy winter season for the UIAA as it relates to youth and ice climbing. The activities ranged from the first ever UIAA Youth Mixed Climbing Competition held in Durango, Colorado, a training camp in Kirov, Russia, the third annual World Youth Ice Climbing Championships in Saas Fee, Switzerland and...