Owing to the global impact of the Covid-19 pandemic all onsite courses scheduled by the UIAA Training Panel have been postponed until further notice.
In response to the lockdown currently impacting most areas of the world, the UIAA is having to adapt to the new normal and is using the opportunity to make progress on projects which can be managed remotely and from home.
To cite an example, the UIAA Training Panel President Steve Long and his team of national Heads of Training are enhancing their teaching material and course handbooks. A current focus is the syllabus content for the Personal Skills Training programmes. Work is also ongoing with the Petzl Foundation to finalise the Winter Skills handbook, a companion to the existing Summer Skills publication. The latter is available globally as a digital download. Further details can be found here. Anyone who downloads the Handbook automatically gains access to future digital updates.
The Training Panel will also be in contact with a number of UIAA member federations to discuss strategies for publishing and distributing the Summer Skills handbook. The current lockdown presents the perfect opportunity for trainers and climbers of all abilities to immerse themselves in videos and literature. The Summer Skills handbook covers a number of fundamental topics from planning and preparing an expedition to managing a group to navigation, advice on equipment and guidelines on various rock, ice and belaying techniques. Extracts from the book can be found here. Another training resource in the offing is a teaching/coaching programme about outdoor clothing and an associated book: “Keeping Dry and Staying Warm”.
The Training Panel is also considering running a dedicated workshop at the 2020 UIAA General Assembly, currently scheduled for 24 October. This would provide a forum for members to gain a greater understanding of the benefits UIAA accreditations and qualifications can provide.
Additional Resources
Photos: UIAA Training courses; Kenya (main picture) and Mongolia (body text). Pictures courtesy of Steve Long.
