SAFETY RECALL: ROCK EXOTICA OMNI 1.1 PULLEYS & VARIANTS

UIAA Safety Label holder Rock Exotica has published the following recall notice concerning the button assembly on a limited number of 1.1” Omni Swivel Pulleys and associated variants. The button assembly on a limited number of 1.1” Omni Swivel Pulleys and associated variants may not be secure. If the button comes out the side plate can open, allowing the rope to fall out which can result in serious injury or death. It was discovered that a...

IMPLICATIONS OF WARMER WINTERS FOR ICE CLIMBING GUIDES

The UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour intensifies in the month of January with World Cup events in South Korea, France and Switzerland. Preparations for the latter event (26-28 January) has been impacted by the high winter temperatures in the Alps. Safety concerns have led the organisers to replace the ice blocks with wooden fixtures, the first time this has been necessary in the event’s twenty-year history. During the recent UIAA Climate Change Summit, held as part...

CLUB ALPINO ITALIANO RE-ADMISSION TO THE UIAA

The UIAA is pleased to officially confirm that the UIAA General Assembly held on 29 October 2022, unanimously and enthusiastically approved the re-admission of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) as an active member of the UIAA, as of 1 January 2023, with full voting rights in accordance with Article 5 of the UIAA Articles of Association. The UIAA is delighted to welcome back the Club Alpino Italiano and equally that the CAI Comitato Centrale di Indirizzo...

REVIEW: FIRST UIAA CLIMATE CHANGE SUMMIT

The UIAA held its first Climate Change Summit during its General Assembly in Banff, Canada at the end of October. The aim of the Summit was to provide an opportunity to discuss topics related to sustainability and climate change, the role of the recently created UIAA Climate Change Taskforce, and to learn and to better understand needs and expectations of member federations. On the occasion of International Mountain Day (IMD) 2022, the UIAA is sharing the results...

REMEBERING PROFESSOR UGRINOVSKI

The UIAA is saddened to hear about the recent passing of Professor Jovica Ugrinovski. Professor Ugrinovski was the longstanding President of the Mountaineering Federation of North Macedonia (FPSM). His tenure ran from 2001 and concluded earlier this year, coinciding with the UIAA Spring Meetings in Skopje, expertly hosted by the FPSM. In his home country, Professor Ugrinovski was a renowned neurosurgeon. He had also practised in Montpellier, Manchester and Bratislava and was the author of more than...

BACKGROUND: UIAA AND THE UNFCCC SPORTS FOR CLIMATE ACTION FRAMEWORK

In September 2022, the UIAA signed a pledge as part of its engagement in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Sports for Climate Action (S4CA) Framework, of which it has been a signatory since 2019. The pledge, known as the Sports for Climate Action Commitment, invites signatories to the S4CA to adopt targets and requirements to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with core activities, and track this progress over time. On...

UIAA TO UPDATE ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES AND GUIDELINES

The year 2022 was declared the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development (IYM2022) by the UN General Assembly. This was twenty years on from the first UN declared International Year of the Mountains, in 2002. On that occasion the UIAA released its seminal paper, Environmental Objectives and Guidelines. Twenty years on, and as a contribution from the UIAA to the observance of the IYM2022, the UIAA GA endorsed kickstarting the UIAA Mountain Protection Commission (MPC) project...

A YEAR ON: GIROPARCHI NATURE TRAIL REFLECTS ON PROGRESS

Almost a year on from winning the 2020-21 UIAA Mountain Protection Award, the organisers of the Giroparchi Nature Trail project by Fondation Grand Paradis, have reflected on the progress their project has made since winning the award. This year marked a significant anniversary both for the project and the mountain environment in which it is active. Giroparchi celebrated its tenth anniversary while the Gran Paradiso National Park, located between the Aosta Valley and Piedmont in the Italian Alps,...

SUPPORT THE POLISH MOUNTAINEERING ASSOCIATION’S CLIMBERS FROM UKRAINE CAMPAIGN

Promoting and encouraging solidarity between its member associations has always been a core principle of the UIAA.  A recent example has been the support that the Polish Mountaineering Association (PZA) has offered Ukrainian climbers ever since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Earlier this year, the PZA created a PZA4UA project which offered the following: Accommodation for more than 30 climbers from Ukraine. Surveys to gather information on the needs of Ukrainian climbers. Professional training and coaching...