Classic routes highlight of Russian meet

Climbing on the impressive traverses of the Bezengi wall and the Northern Array will be the main events of an Open International Mountaineering Meet set in Central Caucasus, Russia. The meet is organised from July 25 Climbing on the impressive traverses of the Bezengi wall and the Northern Array will be the main events of an Open International Mountaineering Meet set in Central Caucasus, Russia. The meet is organised from July 25 - August 8 on the...

Young Sherpas race to raise awareness of glacial lake floods

Young Sherpa conservationists are organising a race on June 18 to draw attention to the devastating effects of Global Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) in the Himalayas. The The Beat the GLOF Action Run will be the highlight of the Imja Tsho Action Event 2009, and has been initiated by Nepali mountaineer  Dawa Steven Sherpa. The race will demonstrate that even the fastest runner cannot escape from a GLOF, a flood which is caused when lakes formed by melting ice...

Standards update put high on Safety meeting agenda

The UIAA Safety Commission has set its agenda for a key meeting of producers and testers of climbing equipment in the United States town of Golden, Colorado. The annual Plenary Session of the UIAA Safety Label will take place from May 27-29. UIAA Safety Label holders and certified test laboratories will discuss and review UIAA Safety Standards. Among the subjects on the agenda are changes to the harness standard, evaluation of ropes testing and a vote of approval...

New climbing routes made at Norway meet

New routes and new friendships were made by the climbers from 15 different countries who met in Lofoten, Norway between March 8 and 15. The international climbing meet, organised by the Norwegian Alpine Club, gave the 40 participants the chance for mixed ice and rock climbing in a special landscape with a view of the North Sea. There was also time for discussions about climbing ethics, and sharing knowledge and experiences. The participants were full of praise...

UIAA amends Anti-Doping policy

The UIAA has amended its Anti-Doping Policy and Procedure to reflect changes to the World Anti-Doping Code introduced by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) at the beginning of this year. The UIAA is also striving for full WADA compliancy which will include an out-of-competition testing programme. The new WADA code is based on two major themes, fairness and firmness, with the goal of strengthening the fight against doping in sports. One change to the code is that the...

UIAA embraces World Sport declaration

The Youth Commission is pledging to use the declaration from the recent World Sport for All Congress  when forming action plans and initiatives. UIAA Youth Commission President, Anne Arran, says this is key in the run up to the 2009 Congress theme – ‘’Moving towards an active society.’’ The declaration from the 12th World Sport for All Congress “Sport for All – for Life” called on governments to act urgently to deal with the global problems of increasing obesity and lack...

Setting high standards for mountain protection

Linda McMillan, the new president of the UIAA Mountain Protection Commission, presents her vision of how climbers, mountaineers and trekkers can help study and protect mountain environments. In the following article, McMillan argues that the UIAA can “claim the high ground” on mountain protection: From my work with the IUCN’s Mountains Biome group, I see the need and the opportunity to bring three important mountain stakeholder groups—science, sport, and tourism—together to improve mountain protection around the world....

UIAA doctor gives Kilimanjaro ascent advice

A UK member of the UIAA Medical Commission has compiled an easy-to-understand document on how to stay safe and healthy when ascending Kilimanjaro. The document can be downloaded here. Doctor Jeremy Windsor has gathered information and tips aimed at the thousands of mountaineers wanting to stand on Africa's highest peak. "Strange as it may sound, Kilimanjaro is perhaps one of the most dangerous mountains in the world", writes Windsor. "Despite reliable weather and straightforward access, illness and...

Bendler, Gulyaev and Tolokonina are Ice Climbing big winners

Markus Bendler, Maria Tolokonina and Pavel Gulyaev were the big winners of the 2009 Ice Climbing season. Tolokonina from Russia ranked first in both the Women's Speed and Lead disciplines after winning five out of six competitions. Bendler of Austria made a clean sweep of the men's Lead competitions, winning every single event. Gulyaev won the men's Speed discipline and set a new world speed record. The Ice Climbing World Cup 2009 ended with the finals taking...

Russians continue to dominate Ice Climbing speed World Cup

Russians continue to dominate Ice Climbing speed World CupRussian athlete Maria Tolokonina and countryman Pavel Batushev won the women and men's World Cup speed competitions in Mojstrana, Slovenia on January 31. This was Batushev's first win of the season, after collecting a silver medal in last weekend's World Championship in Saas Fee. The second and third places went to Matevs Vukotic, Slovenia and Pavel Gulyaev, Russia. Tolokonina's victory was her third of 2009, including a gold in...