KIROV CLOSES MEMORABLE SEASON

The UIAA Ice Climbing World Championships, the closing event in the 2018-2019 UIAA Ice Climbing season, was held in Kirov, Russia from 9-10 March. A warm weekend in the Russian city provided a welcome respite from the freezing conditions athletes have had to endure throughout the season. The World Championships, the pinnacle event in the UIAA Ice Climbing calendar and running every two years, provided thrilling competition with action going down to the wire. The men's...

THE QUEST TO BE WORLD CHAMPION

The 2018-2019 UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour has already crowned the winners of the six-event World Cup season, the inaugural World Combined Championships, the World Youth Championships and the best performing athletes over the four-leg European Cup season. This weekend in Kirov, Russia, the calendar officially closes with the pinnacle event – the biennial UIAA Ice Climbing World Championships. The season, collectively the World Tour, is partnered by Outdoor Research. [caption id="attachment_70184" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Action from...

YOUTH ICE CLIMBERS OFFER GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE

The 2019 UIAA Ice Climbing World Youth Championships concluded in Oulu, Finland on Saturday 2 March. The event was organised in conjunction with FINICE. Across all three age categories, 84 athletes from ten countries had to contend with a diverse range of conditions - blizzards, sunshine, heavy snow - and extreme temperatures in attacking Oulu's impressive ice structure. The next generation of competition ice climbers demonstrated enormous potential and skill. Swiss athletes Yannick Glatthard, despite a broken...

CALLING ALL APPLICANTS:
2019 UIAA MOUNTAIN PROTECTION AWARD OPENS 1 MARCH

Since 2013, the UIAA Mountain Protection Award has showcased 106 projects from over 30 countries. The platform has enabled initiatives to receive international recognition and much-needed funding. It has provided an opportunity to exchange ideas and share best practices. Investment generated by the Award has helped projects advance in meeting key targets such as building infrastructures to improve the lives and conditions of mountain people and communities. The annual Award is open to initiatives, projects and...

YOUTH CLIMBERS WITH CHANCE TO SHINE IN OULU

With the UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup season concluding in Denver, Colorado last week, attention swiftly turns to one of the most northerly cities in the world, Oulu, in the region of North Ostrobothnia, Finland which will host the annual UIAA Ice Climbing World Youth Championships this weekend 28 February - 2 March. The stunning night skies and a challenging 22m ice tower await athletes, with around 90 competitors from 11 countries set to compete in...

UIAA FOCUSES ON SAFETY AND SUSTAINABILITY AT INTERNATIONAL TRADE SHOWS

During January and early February, representatives of the UIAA visited both the Asian and European editions of the annual ISPO trade shows. At ISPO Beijing, the UIAA was represented by Vice President Thomas Kahr and Safety Commission President Amit Chowdhury. The focus of their visit was mountain safety. From its onsite booth, the UIAA engaged with stakeholders from a range of manufacturers and brands about the importance of climbers using safe and certified gear, providing information...

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...