Concern expressed by French Alpine Club (FFCAM) over number of mountaineers who arrive at the Refuge du Goûter on Mont Blanc without reservations

The Refuge du Goûter on Mont Blanc which opened in 2013 is now being plauged by the problem of climbers who don't book reservations in advance (Photo: FFCAM for UIAA) Saint-Gervais (Haute-Savoie), 6 August, 2014: The French Federation of Alpine and Mountain Clubs (FFCAM) is concerned about a steady rise in the number of mountaineers en route to the summit of Mont Blanc who arrive at the Refuge du Goûter without prior reservations for the night. Refuge wardens say they...

Tamotsu Nakamura

2016 is proving to be another busy year for the UIAA Youth Commission and its series of Global Youth Summit (GYS) events ...

Croatian mountaineer Kresimir Milas killed on Khan Tengri

Kresimir Milas was a renowned climber and active member of the Croatian Mountaineering Association and UIAA (Photo: CMA for UIAA) The UIAA family was deeply saddened to hear of the death of Kresimir Milas while climbing Khan Tengri (7,010 m) in the Tian Shan mountain range on the border of China, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Milas was an active member of the Croatian Mountaineering Association where he was involved in ice climbing, guiding and other activities. He had...

Travel at high altitude booklet by Medex a must read for adventurers

If you are planning the trip of a lifetime in the the mountains which involves high altitude travel it’s best to be prepared and that means being ready medical emergencies. That’s where the Travel at High Altitude booklet put out by Medex is a useful and helpful primer. It is available in at 13 languages ranging from Serbian and Nepali to Chinese, Greek, German and English. The most recent and updated translation was released this month in Dutch. In simple and easy...

The North Face becomes partner of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang

From left to right Pyeongchang 2018 President and chief Jin sun Kim, IOC President Thomas Bach and Kim Sung Ki-hak (Photo: ©Pyeongchang 2018) The North Face will have a strong presence at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. A recently signed deal allows for The North Face, also the main sponsor of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup and ice climbing programme, to provide Team Korea with sports apparel for the 2018 Winter Olympics being held in Pyeongchang,...

Ice climbing complexes around the world help introduce sport to a wider audience

Indoor ice climbing in the heart of London at the Vertical Chill ice wall (Photo: Vertical Chill http://www.vertical-chill.com/vertical-chill-london.htm) If you've ever felt the urge to stick an axe or a pair of crampons on an ice wall, you don’t have to head to the nearest frozen waterfall. A growing number of venues around the world, some in the unlikeliest of places, have begun to popularize ice climbing, often to people trying it for the first time. Consider the Ice Factor in...

Nepal Himalaya issues being addressed by the Nepal Mountaineering Association

Delegates at the UAAA Meeting in Hong Kong (Photo: NMA for UIAA) Editor's Note: UIAA Honorary Member Ang Tshering Sherpa, president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) has filed a report touching on a number of meetings and issues related to climbing and mountaineering in the Nepal Himalaya.   From Ang Tshering Sherpa: I, as a President Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) and Vice President of UAAA headed the three-member Nepalese delegation to attend the  UAAA (Asian Mountaineering and Climbing Federation)...

New president of Iran climbing body stresses development of ice climbing and ties to UIAA

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ndLMn8jVM4&feature=youtu.be[/embed] Iranian climber climber Zohreh Abdollahkhani who recently posted a one minute message on YouTube describing her passion for ice climbing personifies the growth of the sport in Iran. It’s with that in mind that Youth Commission president Israfil Ashurli met with Iran Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Federation (IMSCF) president Reza Zarei on 18 June 2014 to discuss the development of ice climbing in Iran. Zarei, who was recently elected president of IMSCF described how interest in ice...

Paper addresses question of bolting on rocks

Paper evaluates the history and appeal of different forms of rock climbing, and considers earlier attitudes to fixed gear (Photo: Doug Scott for UIAA) Debate between bolting and trad-climbing addressed in paper The debate over whether to bolt or not to bolt on mountains has been renewed with a new working paper on a controversial issue that often pits sport climbers versus adventure (trad) climbers. "Through this draft paper the UIAA has prepared, sport climbing and adventure climbing can find...

American Alpine Club hosts Sustainable Summits Conference

The American Alpine Club (AAC), in collaboration with Denali National Park, will present "Sustainable Summits: The International Mountain Conference on Environmental Practices", a once-in-a-decade gathering of key leaders in mountain management, conservation, and the outdoor industry. The AAC is hosting the event at the American Mountaineering Center in Golden, Colorado from July 20 to 23, offering plenary sessions, panel discussions, vendor booths, and evening lectures, with a working field trip to Rocky Mountain National Park on July 24. The...