Indoor climbing walls focus of paper by UIAA legal experts group

The growing interest in climbing indoors has prompted the UIAA Legal Experts Working Group (LEWG) to publish a paper highlighting liability issues faced by operators of indoor walls in North America and the Europe. A number of lawsuits and their outcomes which have been filed across North America and the Europe (United Kingdom, Spain, France, Belgium, Netherlands) are mentioned in the paper. One case in France was brought by an injured climber against his own club which...

Ang Tshering SHERPA

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

Antarctic ski mountaineering expedition by British team includes several first ascents

Editor's Note: Phil Wickens, secretary to the Mountaineering Commission of the UIAA has submitted an expedition report about a trip to the Antarctic Peninsula aboard the Spirit of Sydney. Members climbed a total of 13 summits in the area east of Cierva Cove, Paradise Harbour and Anvers Island.   Summary Itinerary The expedition lasted 35 days (28 December 2011 - 1 February 2012) including 11 days sailing, 16 days of ski approach and climbing and 8 days of rest and lie-up. The...

Tracking the impact of climate change in the Andes

Editor’s Note: Rodney Garrard is a member of the UIAA’s Mountain Protection Commission. His article The effects of climate change on people in the Andes: melting glaciers means drought, tension and conflict for Peru’s mountain people in and around Huascarán National Park was recently published in the June 2012 edition of eco.mont, an Austrian peer-reviewed journal that publishes research within protected mountain areas. What the paper is about The paper focuses on the impact of climate change, the resulting melting...

UIAA mourns the death of mountaineer Roger Payne

The UIAA is saddened by the tragic death of Roger Payne, former general secretary of the British Mountaineering Council (BMC), who was killed in an avalanche 12 July 2102 on Mont Maudit in the Chamonix region of France along with eight other climbers. "It's very sad news and on behalf of the mountaineering community, our sincerest condolences to his family and BMC friends," said Jordi Colomer, acting president of the UIAA. Robert Pettigrew, former president of the BMC...

Safety Commission issues update of corrosion notice for anchors in marine locations

Editor's Note: This extreme caution is an update of a notice first published in 2009 titled Extreme Caution advised for anchors in tropical, marine areas The French version of this article can be found here. The Chinese version of this article can be found here. Background The issue of environmental degradation of anchors caused both by general corrosion as well as chloride stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is ongoing and was first reported in the UIAA newsletter of 19 October 2009. The...

Tamotsu (Tom) Nakamura: A modern day explorer with an ancient heart

Japanese mountaineer Tamotsu (Tom) Nakamura is a modern day adventurer modeled along the lines of early explorers who carefully and methodically documented their journeys to remote areas of the world. In Nakamura’s case the area he has chosen to focus on are the mountains, glaciers and forests of west Sichuan and eastern Tibet, gorge and high mountain country that is the source of five great rivers in Asia; the Yangtze, Mekong, Salween, Irrawaddy and the Tsangpo-Brahmaputra. “The...

Stewardship and environmental sustainability to be focus of Mountain Protection Commission

The UIAA Mountain Protection Commission has approved plans for a mountain stewardship award and a mountain protection label for environment friendly UIAA approved projects and products. Both initiatives are aimed at encouraging best practices and best products that will reduce the stress on the mountain environment and protect it for future generations. The commission intends to facilitate communication by featuring stewardship projects on its website, a virtual marketplace, where those interested in a plan can read all...

Alpine Association of Slovenia to host youth leader seminar

A seminar to train youth leaders being held in Slovenia this summer is a unique opportunity for young climbers from around the world to learn how to teach mountaineering to children. The UIAA approved seminar takes place at the Mountaineering Training Centre Bavšica  in the scenic Bavšica Valley. It is the main training facility used by the Alpine Association of Slovenia (Planinska zveza Slovenije) to train mountain guides, mountaineering group mentors and youth leaders. Based on training principals and expertise that the...

Italian observatory set to lobby for freedom in the mountains

A new group called The Italian Observatory for Liberty set up to resist attempts by national or local authorities to constrain freedom of access and risk taking in mountaineering and climbing was unveiled at the "Festival della Montagna" in Trento earlier this month. “The attacks on freedom involve many types of sports and of social life,” said group member Carlo Zanantoni. “But the accidents occurring in mountaineering have a large resonance in the media, because they...