RECORD CROWDS WITNESS WORLD CUP FINALE

Records were set at the UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup in downtown Denver, Colorado on the weekend of 23-24 February. The 25,000 fans who attended the two-day event represent not only the largest ever in the World Tour’s history but also make it one of the most well-spectated climbing events of all time. Hundreds of thousands also followed the livestream of the competition, the sixth and final World Cup of the 2019 season. Furthermore, the...

SLACKLINERS JOIN THE UIAA COMMUNITY

At the 2018 UIAA General Assembly held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, the International Slackline Association (ISA) was voted in as an Observer Member of the UIAA. Founded in 2015, the ISA aims to support and develop the international slackline community, protect access to the sport, enhance communication and informational resources and increase the safety of all forms of slacklining worldwide. The Association counts ten national governing associations and federations as active members encompassing 55 regional and national...

ALPINE SKILLS: WHICH KNOT TO USE TO JOIN TWO ROPES

The UIAA Alpine Skills Series returns with guidance on which knot to use when joining two ropes. Climbing on two ropes allows for smoother ropework and the opportunity to divide up the load on the approach. For long rappels, you’ll tie the two ropes together. You’ll therefore need to untie from the rope(s), requiring that you first be securely tethered to the belay station. Overhand Knot [caption id="attachment_72614" align="aligncenter" width="226"] Overhand knot: Ropes of identical diameter. Credit: Petzl[/caption] Use...

DOWNTOWN DENVER: WORLD CUP CONCLUSION

Denver, Colorado will host the final round of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup season from 22-24 February. Held within the city at Civic Center Park, and as part of a wider Winter Festival, the competition is expected to attract up to 15,000 spectators throughout the weekend. After World Cup events in South Korea, China, Switzerland, Italy and France, the Series returns to the United States for the first time since December 2016. The event is organised...

DECISIVE PERFORMANCES DELIVERED IN CHAMPAGNY

Round 5 of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup season, the penultimate, took place in Champagny-en-Vanoise, France on 8-9 February. One of the most striking and impressive ice towers in the world provided the setting for a competition which delivered some potentially decisive results in terms of the overall World Tour classification. The 2019 UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour is partnered by Outdoor Research, the event in Champagny was organised in collaboration with la Fédération Française des...

Obituary: Ante Mahkota 1936 – 2018

In December 2018, Ante Mahkota, a pioneer of modern Slovenian mountain climbing, completed his life’s journey. He was an excellent and noted journalist, photographer, editor, author of mountaineering and climbing books and the CEO of the most important Slovenian printing and newspaper company DELO. He began his mountaineering career as a student in the 1950s. Due to his daring ascents he was selected a member of the first Yugoslav-Slovenian »Himalayan expedition -Trisul« in 1960. Subsequently he climbed...

CHAMPAGNY-EN-VANOISE BRACED FOR PENULTIMATE ROUND

One of most Europe’s tallest and most iconic ice structures, located in the magnificent valley of Champagny le Haut (1500m) in the French Alps will provide the setting for the penultimate stage of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup season. With just the final, deciding round in Denver, Colorado on 22-24 February ahead, this weekend’s competition is a crucial opportunity for athletes to put themselves in contention for overall ranking podium positions. And for others...

LEADERS EXTEND ADVANTAGE IN RABENSTEIN

Rabenstein, Italy hosted the fourth round of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour on the weekend of 2-3 February. Piercing temperatures and a huge snowfall in the days leading up the competition added to the atmosphere of an always unique event. Round 4 of the season witnessed some mesmerising contests with athletes from a wide spectrum of nations represented in the Finals. In three of the four events, the World Tour leaders claimed gold to...

ARE YOU READY FOR RABENSTEIN?

As temperatures drop across Europe, competition in the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour continues to intensify. This weekend, sandwiched between European events in Saas-Fee and Champagny-en-Vanoise, Rabenstein is the setting for round 4 of the six-event World Cup season. Partnered by Outdoor Research, the verdicts in this year’s World Tour are set to go down to the wire....

Bereit für Rabenstein?

Während die Temperaturen in ganz Europa weiter sinken, beginnt in der UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour die heisse Phase. Am kommenden Wochenende steht ein weiteres Saison-Highlight auf dem Programm: in Rabenstein, Südtirol, geht nur eine Woche nach dem Klassiker in Saas Fee die vierte Runde im Weltcup der Eiskletterer über die Bühne. Hier fallen bereits Vorentscheidungen im Gesamtweltcup, bevor dann die Tour nächste Woche nach Champagny-en-Vanoise in Frankreich weiterzieht. Outdoor Research ist auch im Südtirol...