Boon or blight: Challenges facing the Everest region

Editor’s note: Rodney Garrard is a member of the UIAA Mountain Protection Commission and PhD student at the Centre for Development & Environment (CDE), Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Switzerland. His research explores the on-going landscape transformation in Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) National Park and...

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...

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...

Angelika Rainer and Maxim Tomilov win big as UIAA World Cup ends in Saas Fee, Switzerland

News Release 22 January 2012 Saas Fee, Switzerland  – The 2012 UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup in Saas Fee, Switzerland concluded Saturday with a second World Cup victory for Angelika Rainer of Italy this year in the Lead discipline and a dramatic display of skill and...

UIAA General Assembly 2011

On October 8th, the UIAA celebrated the General Assembly in Kathmandu, Nepal kindly hosted by our member federation  the Nepalese Mountaineering Association (NMA).  It was a great honor for the UIAA to have the Assembly opened by the President of Nepal, Ram Baran Yadav ....

Tribute to the late Indian mountaineer, Balwant Sandhu

ndian mountaineer Balwant Sandhu died recently in a road accident. Sandhu climbed and trekked for over 50 yrs in most ranges of the Himalayas. He was principal of Nehru Institute of Mountaineering Uttarkashi for Five years (1980-85). He was president of the Himalayan Club [1983-84)...

How to prevent Legionella infections in mountain huts

The UIAA Medical Commission has published practical advice targeted at operators of mountain huts to prevent Legionella infections. The expert panel of doctors specialising in mountain medicine decided to investigate the subject following the death of a Spanish climber in Italy in 2009 due to...

Hepatitis/HIV risk for climbers?

What is the risk of blood-borne infections being transmitted to climbers? The UIAA Medical Commission attempts to answer this vital question in its latest advice paper. “Sustaining cuts, abrasions or lacerations, typically on the fingertips in contact with holds, is a common occurrence in climbing,”...

Alpine Journal editor goes on Swiss odyssey

Editor of the American Alpine Journal, John Harlin III, is attempting to become only the second person to encircle Switzerland, following its largely mountainous border. “According to simple map-distances, I’ll cover roughly 800 kilometres by bicycle and kayak and 1,000++ kilometres on foot—including lots of...

Big strides for Georgian ski mountaineering on Mt Kazbek

The UIAA Youth Commission is supporting the Georgian mountaineering federation in its efforts to set up a youth programme. At the request of the Mountaineering and Climbing Association of Georgia (MCAG) and its President Zurab Kutchava, the Youth Commission sent Swiss mountain guide Daniel Oberli...