UIAA-style competition ice climbing here to stay in the U.S.A. says Conrad Anker

American climber Will Mayo with Conrad Anker at launch of World Cup in Bozeman (Photo: UIAA) North Face athlete Conrad Anker, one of America’s most famous climbers, is handling his newest challenge as Competition Director for the Bozeman phase of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour. Anker made headlines around the world when he discovered the body of George Mallory, the early Everest explorer of the 1920s whose disappearance on the world’s highest mountain fascinated the world for...

Marietta Uhden (1968 – 2014): Legendary German climber was UIAA World Cup champion in Bouldering

Marietta Uhden on Zillertal (Photo: http://www.marietta-uhden.com) Marietta Uhden the first female German athlete to win a UIAA World Cup in Bouldering was a champion climber and athlete whose love of climbing and passion for the sport was legendary. Born in 1968, the former professional climber passed away on 24 November 2014 after a long battle with cancer which friends said fought for years with the same strength, energy and tenacity she brought to her climbing. "Her climbs will certainly...

Bozeman cheers UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour as new champions crowned

Nikolai Kuzovlov surveys the Bozeman crowd on the way down (Photo: Max Lowe for UIAA) Bozeman is a mountain town that loves ice climbing and residents showed what that means when they came out in droves to witness the first UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour competition in North America. Close to a thousand people jammed the grounds of the Emerson Cultural Centre in downtown Bozeman 12-13 December to witness world class UIAA climbers like Maxim Tomilov, Park...

Speed Climber Kendra Stritch makes history by becoming first American UIAA World Cup winner

Kendra Stritch made history by becoming the first American to win a stage of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour (Photo: UIAA) Unseasonably warm weather meant there was no ice on the Speed wall at the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour stop in Bozeman. But that didn’t stop the crowds that gathered at the Emerson Cultural Centre in downtown Bozeman, from cheering on a thrilling evening Speed final won for the Men by Nikolai Kuzovlov of Russia and...

Happy International Mountain Day!

The United Nations marks 11 December as International Mountain Day every year which is an important and significant day for us at the UIAA - International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation - home of the UIAA Mountain Protection Award. Covering around 27 percent of the earth’s land surface, mountains play a critical role in moving the world towards sustainable economic growth. They not only provide sustenance and well-being to 720 million mountain people around the world, but indirectly benefit billions...

A message for International Mountain Day from Dr. Carolina Adler

Climbing in Bolivia (Photo: Dr. Carolina Adler for UIAA) Editor’s Note: Dr Carolina Adler is a Geographer at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, and researching climate change adaptation in mountain regions. She is also a member of the UIAA's Mountain Protection Commission and part of the committee assisting with the development of their flagship project, the UIAA Mountain Protection Award. This article by Dr. Adler is an extended version of the one published online in OUTREACH magazine by...

UAAA celebrates 20th anniversary in Hiroshima, Japan

The Union of Asian Alpine Associations (UAAA) is 20-years-old and the special birthday was celebrated in grand style at the group’s annual General Assembly held in Hiroshima Japan. In a message celebrating the 20th anniversary of the body, In-Jeong Lee, president of the Korean Alpine Federation (KAF) and the UAAA said the group had come a long ways and played a crucial role in strengthening the diversity of the UIAA – International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation. "The UAAA has...

Mountaineering Commission: New online Training Standards system and Near-Miss Survey on agenda

Mountaineering Commission members in Turkey (Photo: Chiaki Aoyama for UIAA) An online registration system for the UIAA Training Standards certification program and a new Near-Miss Survey to be developed alongside a proposed Global Accidents database were among the issues tackled at the annual meeting of the UIAA Mountaineering Commission. Commission members who attended the meeting, which was held in Fethiye, Turkey also discussed several other projects including a proposed news scale for via ferratas and a working document with the working...

UIAA is committed to protecting the mountain environment: Frits Vrijlandt

Frits Vrijlandt from UIAA - Climbing & Mountaineering on Vimeo. UIAA President Frits Vrijlandt has sent a video message to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Congress which is meeting in Australia. In the message, which will be played at the IUCN congress in Sydney, Austraila, Vrijlandt describes the commitment of the UIAA – International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation to protecting the mountain environment that climbers and mountaineers around the world travel to and visit in the millions. "We are very...

2014 UIAA General Assembly News

News Release UIAA GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONCLUDES WITH STATEMENT ABOUT PERMANENT STRUCTURES ON MOUNT EVEREST Tamotsu (Tom) Nakamura made Honorary Member and Steve House receives UIAA Award 18 October 2014, FLAGSTAFF, Arizona:  Member federations of the UIAA – International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation voted today at their annual General Assembly against the construction of permanent structures to aid those who want to climb Mount Everest. Mount Everest  A growing number of people from around the world continue to attempt to climb...