Noticias1

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 strength by Russia's Maxim Tomilov in Men's Lead. Rainers victory comes about a week after her win in Cheongsong, South Korea and is significant because the Italian athlete almost quit competitive climbing last year following an elbow injury and other disappointments. Angelika Rainer (Italy) in Saas Fee Tomilov, ranked 2nd overall in last years World Cup, was the winner in Men's Lead after he put on a stunning performance to cheers from the crowd. Tomilov was the only climber to successfully reach the last panel on the climbing wall. The same event saw disappointing falls by leading contenders such as Park Hee Yong of South Korea (ranked 1st overall in 2011) and Markus Bendler of Austria (ranked 3rd overall in 2011.) Maxim Tomilov (Russia) in Saas Fee Russian climbers continued to dominate the Speed discipline with Maria Krasavina leading the pack in the Womens division and Alexey Tomilov placing first in the Mens division. Slovenian climber Matevz Vukotic was the only non-Russian climber on the podium in Mens Speed. He came third. The final results are: Women's Lead: Men's Lead: 1. Angelika Rainer (Italy) 1. Maxim Tomilov (Russia) 2. Anna Gallyamova (Russia) 2. Ivan Lyulyukin (Russia) 3. Maria Tolokonina (Russia) 3. Valentyn Sypavin (Ukraine) Women's Speed: Men's Speed: 1. Maria Krasavina (Russia) 1. Alexey Tomilov (Russia) 2. Julia Oleynikova (Russia) 2. Egor Trapeznikov (Russia) 3.Maria Tolokonina (Russia) 3. Matevz Vukotic (Slovenia) For up to date standings and results of the 2012 competition please visit the UIAA website here and the new UIAA Facebook page. The competition moves next to Champagny-en-Vanoise in France where the World Cup is being held for the first time. From there it moves to Busteni, Romania and Kirov, Russia. The UIAA was founded in 1932 and has 80 member associations in 50 countries representing about 1.3 million people. The organizations mission is to promote the growth and protection of mountaineering and climbing worldwide, advance safe and ethical mountain practices and promote responsible access, culture and environmental protection. The UIAA operates through the work of its commissions, which make recommendations, set policy and advocate on behalf of the mountaineering community. For more information please contact office@theuiaa.org

Climbers reflect as the 2012 UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup moves to Switzerland
The European leg of the 2012 Ice Climbing World Cup organized by the UIAA (International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation) begins on 20 January 2012 in Saas Fee, Switzerland. Angelika Rainer, fresh from a victory in the Lead discipline in South Korea, says shes always had a soft spot for Saas Fee where she won her first World Cup and first World Championship. Angelika Rainer of Italy Rainer said she has put behind her an elbow injury that plagued her last year and disappointments that made her think of quitting competitive ice climbing. After a good start in Cheongsong, Im quite positive, said Rainer. A video interview with Rainer can be found here. On hand will be ice climbing superstars such as Markus Bendler of Austria and Maria Tolokonina of Russia who will be looking to regain their footing after stumbling at the recently concluded first phase of the World Cup competition held in Cheongsong, South Korea. Bendler who is a veteran of 11 years of competition said hes looking to regain his concentration and fighting form after a shaky start this year. I feel fitter than before, said Bendler. A video interview with Bendler can be found here. I have to find the motivation again and I have to find my style of fighting, said Bender. It could be a good battle. The Saas Fee competition takes place in a car parking lot that has been transformed into a unique venue for an ice climbing wall, with spectator galleries that spiral around the action. Two types of competition take place in the World Cup, Speed and Lead. In Speed, spectators climb up the wall in the fastest time while in the Lead discipline spectators are judged on their ability to climb a difficult route in the best time. There are two types of winners; those who win each phase of the competition and overall winners based on the total points accumulated after events in South Korea, Switzerland, France, Romania and Russia where the World Cup concludes on 10 March 2012. The Saas Fee event will be followed by the first ever UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup to be held in France, in Champagny-en-Vanoise, followed by events in Busteni, Romania and Kirov, Russia. For details please look at the competition calendar here. For the rules of Ice Climbing competitions, please visit the UIAA website here. For up to date information please check our Facebook page. For more information on the event please contact office@theuiaa.org

Final results for 2012 UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup - South Korea
Ice Climbing World Cup Asian Championship CheongSong, Korea Women's Speed Finals Men's Speed Finals 1. SHABALINA, Viktoria RUS 1. SPITSYN, Ivan RUS 2. KRASAVINA, MARIA RUS 2. VAGIN, Alexey RUS 3. FILIPPOVA, Maryam RUS 3. TOMILOV, Alexey RUS Women's Speed Full list Men's Speed Full list Women's Lead Finals Men's Lead Finals 1. RAINER, Angelika ITA 1. TOMILOV, Maxim RUS 2. GALLYAMOVA, Anna RUS 2. TOMILOV, Alexey RUS 3. HROZOVA, Lucie CZE 3. PARK, Hee Yong KOR Women's Lead Full list Men's Lead Full list For results from previous years and rankings please click here. The remaining stages for the 2012 UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup are: Sass Fee, Switzerland. 20 - 21 January 2012. Registration deadline is 10 January 2012 Champagny en Vanoise, France. 2 - 4 February 2012. Registration deadline is 22 January 2012 Busteni, Romania. 10 - 11 February 2012. Registration deadline is 31 January 2012 Kirov, Russia. 8 - 10 March 2012. Registration deadline is 28 February 2012 The UIAA was founded in 1932 and has 80 member associations in 50 countries representing about 1.3 million people. The organizations mission is to promote the growth and protection of mountaineering and climbing worldwide, advance safe and ethical mountain practices and promote responsible access, culture and environmental protection. The UIAA operates through the work of its commissions, which make recommendations, set policy and advocate on behalf of the mountaineering community.

Markus Bendler and Maria Tolokonina stumble on first day of 2012 UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup in South Korea
Two stars on the world circuit, Austrias Markus Bendler and Russias Maria Tolokonina, both stumbled on the first day of competition at the UIAA 2012 Ice Climbing World Championship in Cheongsong, South Korea. I think I need a mental coach!!, Bendler good-heartedly wrote on his Facebook page as he reflected on a fall that knocked him out of the competition on Saturday and a chance to compete in the semi-finals and finals on Sunday. Markus Bendler of Austria Bendler was the winner of the Lead discipline in South Korea in 2011, an event where climbers are judged on their ability to master a difficult route in the best time. Bendler came third in the 2011 overall Lead title competition won by South Koreas Hee Yong Park There was also heartbreak in the Speed discipline when Tolokonina, winner of the overall Speed title in 2011, fell in the final round of competition on Saturday and was relegated to 8th position. Tolokonina was the overall Womens Speed champion last year. Speed climbers race up an ice face in the fastest time. Maria Tolokonina Speed is an event that is usually dominated by Russian climbers and this year was no exception with Russians taking the top three positions in Mens and Womens Speed events. Womens Speed: 1st Viktoria Shabalina - RUSSIA 2nd Maria Krasvina - RUSSIA 3rd Maryam Filippova - RUSSIA Mens Speed: 1st Ivan Spitsyn - RUSSIA 2nd Alexey Vagin - RUSSIA 3rd Alexey Tomilov - RUSSIA The Mens and Womens Lead finals take place on Sunday. Results from the competition for Lead and Speed are as follows here. From South Korea, athletes move to Switzerland, France, Romania and finally Russia. Overall winners will be determined after the final competition in Kirov, Russia, which begins on 8 March 2012. Updates are also available on the UIAA Facebook page and the UIAA website.

2012 Ice Climbing World Cup in South Korea just days away
Final preparations underway on the Ice Climbing wall in Cheongsong, South Korea The arrival of athletes in Cheongsong, South Korea on Friday marks the launch of competition for the 2012 Ice Climbing World Cup, the first in a series of events hosted by UIAA member federations that culminates in Kirov, Russia on 10 March 2012. This years much anticipated competitions which attract the worlds best competitive ice climbers continues a trajectory of expanding venues that is making the UIAA organized event a global competition. Interest in the sport that features Lead and Speed disciplines has grown in recent years. In Lead competitions climbers are judged on their ability to master a difficult route in the best time while Speed events see climbers race up an ice face in the fastest time. In 2011 the Korean Alpine Federation ensured that South Korea became the first Asian country to host the UIAA competition. It was also the year that saw South Koreas Hee Yong Park end the reign of Markus Bendler of Austria by winning the overall Lead title. UIAA photographer Lukasz Warzecha caught a sense of the atmosphere around the competition last year in Cheongsong, South Korea and Saas Fee, Switzerland through these photos. This year the French Alpine Club, with support from a local organizer, is hosting the event for the first time in Champagny-en-Vanoise, a scenic ski town located near the Vanoise National Park, the countrys first national park. The UIAA, which is recognized by the International Olympic Committee for mountaineering and natural surface climbing, is currently considering applications to host the competition in the United States of America. Preparations are also underway by the UIAA and the Sochi 2014 Olympic Organizing Committee to showcase Ice Climbing as a cultural event during the next Winter Olympics. For details and dates on registration please visit the UIAA website. Final results will also be posted on the UIAA website as they come in. The competition calendar and event websites are listed below: Cheongsong, Korea. 14 - 15 January 2012. Registration deadline is 21 December 2011 Sass Fee, Switzerland. 20 - 21 January 2012. Registration deadline is 10 January 2012 Champagny en Vanoise, France. 2 - 4 February 2012. Registration deadline is 22 January 2012 Busteni, Romania. 10 - 11 February 2012. Registration deadline is 31 January 2012 Kirov, Russia. 8 - 10 March 2012. Registration deadline is 28 February 2012 The UIAA was founded in 1932 and has 80 member associations in 50 countries representing about 1.3 million people. The organizations mission is to promote the growth and protection of mountaineering and climbing worldwide, advance safe and ethical mountain practices and promote responsible access, culture and environmental protection. The UIAA operates through the work of its commissions, which make recommendations, set policy and advocate on behalf of the mountaineering community.

UIAA to attend ISPO Munich trade show
ISPO Munich is considered one of the premier outdoor equipment trade shows in the world and the UIAA will be there when it begins on 29 January 2012. The event is a great opportunity for the UIAA to interact with mountain equipment manufacturers who use the UIAA Safety Label and talk to other outdoor equipment manufacturers that want to use the label. The UIAA is the sole international body that creates safety standards for mountain equipment, a label that is recognized around the world. The show is also an opportunity to meet up with sponsors such as RedFox, the Russian outdoor equipment manufacturer which recently came on board to sponsor the 2012 Ice Climbing World Cup competitions that take place in South Korea, Switzerland, France, Romania and Russia. The UIAA is currently looking for sponsors for other initiatives such as the Global Youth Summit. The most recent summit took place in Khumjung Nepal. It is also looking to further collobarate with the International Mountain Summit on projects such as the development of the Mountain Protection Label. Like the world-renowned UIAA Safety Label, the UIAA Mountain Protection Label will become a stamp of authority for best practices. It will be awarded to tour operators and mountain recreation organizations that have committed themselves to live up to the requirements of the label. Please follow @ispo for regular updates from the trade show or watch here.

RedFox to sponsor UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup 2012
The UIAA is proud to announce that RedFox Outdoor Equipment , a Russian sportswear and equipment company, has become of a sponsor of its ice climbing program. Based in Saint Petersburg, the company founded by Vladislav Moroz and Alexander Glushkovsky, both high-level climbers, manufactures a wide range of outdoor products under a number of international brand names. Moroz said he hoped his company's involvement with the UIAA and the Russian Mountaineering Federation would give a boost to the sport and the quest for ice climbing to become an event in the Winter Olympics. Vladislav Moroz and Alexander Glushkovsky of RedFox The next Winter Olympics are being held in Sochi, Russia in 2014 where ice climbing will be featured as a cultural event. We hope that our support of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup 2012 will be a great contribution in the development of sport ice climbing all over the world, said Moroz. RedFox is behind a number of adventure races such as the RedFox Adventure Race, the RedFox Elbrus Race and the RedFox Challenge. RedFox was founded more than 20 years ago and is a leading Russian manufacturer of top quality, advanced technology equipment for extreme and outdoor sports. The UIAA was founded in 1932 and has 80 member associations in 50 countries representing about 1.3 million people. The organizations mission is to promote the growth and protection of mountaineering and climbing worldwide, advance safe and ethical mountain practices and promote responsible access, culture and environmental protection. The UIAA operates through the work of its commissions, which make recommendations, set policy and advocate on behalf of the mountaineering community. The UIAA is recognized by the International Olympic Committee for mountaineering and natural surface climbing. For more information contact office@theuiaa.org

Global Youth Summit held in Nepal for first time
Participants of the UIAA Global Youth Summit held in Khumjung, Nepal. Photo by Nikolay Radosnov The village of Khumjung, Nepal, that lies nestled in the shadow of Mount Everest, was the newest venue for the UIAA's expanding series of Global Youth Summit events. Organized by Dawa Steven Sherpa of the Nepal Mountaineering Foundation and Tshering Sherpa, President Khumjung Youth Club, this year's eight day event for young climbers from Mongolia, South Africa, India and Nepal concluded on 28 November 2011. Musa Ibrahim, a young mountaineer from Bangladesh who has climbed Mount Everest attended the opening ceremony. The summit included presentations from participants about climbing in their home countries, high altitude mountain medicine and route setting training by Alex Klenov, UIAA Youth Commission member (Climbing Federation of Russia) from Kazakhstan. Bouldering and climbing sessions were led by UIAA Youth Commission president Anne Arran and supported by local Nepali instructors from NMA and Khumbu Climbing School, Phortse. Warming up for the bouldering technique session. Photo by Nikolay Radosnov The spark that has been ignited by this UIAA Global Youth Summit will undoubtedly grow in the following days, and I would love to continue in fuelling this enthusiasm by organising and coordinating new events so climbing may burn bright as a sport in Nepal, said Dawa Steven Sherpa of the Nepal Mountaineering Association. Arran who developed the concept for the event with Dawa Steven Sherpa said there are plans to grow the summit in 2012. It would be great to have a longer event in Nepal next year with distinct route setting, international and festival components to take this initiative further and develop into more regions of Nepal, said Arran. There were 25 participants at the summit. The event was held at the same time as the Beat the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) Action Run supported by Initiatives for Development and Eco Action Support (IDEAS,) United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the North Face. The run was held to highlight the path of destruction should there be a glacial lake outburst flood of the Imja Tsho (lake) near Mount Everest. The Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF), UIAA Youth Commission and North Face were key sponsors for the Global Youth Summit. For photos of the event on Facebook please click here. Other UIAA organized Global Youth Summit events in 2011, which take place every year, included an ice climbing camp in the French Alps, a youth rock climbing and mountaineering festival in Kazakhstan and trekking and climbing camps in South Africa, FYR Macedonia and Italy. For more information contact office@theuiaa.org

Registration for 2012 Ice Climbing World Cup open
The UIAA has begun to accept registrations from athletes accredited by UIAA member federations for the 2012 Ice Climbing World Cup that starts on 14 January in Cheongsong, South Korea. The event is spread over a three month period and will then move to venues in Switzerland, France, Romania and Russia. The rules and regulations for the two ice climbing disciplines, Speed and Lead, are set out in the UIAA website. Athletes can register here. Please share our ice climbing trailer found here. Competition rules require each athlete to have a license stamped and signed by their federation. All registrations after the deadline will attract a penalty of 50 Euros. The competition calendar is as follows: - Cheongsong, Korea. 14 - 15 January 2012. Registration deadline is 21 December 2011 - Sass Fee, Switzerland. 20 - 21 January 2012. Registration deadline is 10 January 2012 - Champagny en Vanoise, France. 2 - 4 February 2012. Registration deadline is 22 January 2012 - Busteni, Romania. 10 - 11 February 2012. Registration deadline is 31 January 2012 - Kirov, Russia. 8 - 10 March 2012. Registration deadline is 28 February 2012

UIAA supports International Mountain Day
The UIAA supports the celebration of 11 December 2011 as International Mountain Day. First started in 2003 by the United Nations, the day has become an opportunity to create awareness about the importance of mountains and to focus on both the opportunities and challenges in mountain development. At the UIAA, the protection of the mountain environment is a central area of concern. As part of its commitment to ensuring sustainable development and use of mountains, the UIAA, through its Mountain Protection Commission, is developing criteria to evaluate applications for the use of a Mountain Protection Label. Like the world-renowned UIAA Safety Label, the UIAA Mountain Protection Label will become a stamp of authority for best practices. It will be awarded to tour operators and mountain recreation organizations that have committed themselves to live up to the requirements of the label. For more information on our Mountain Protection Label, which the UIAA hopes to launch in 2012, please click here. As the UN fact sheet states, mountains cover approximately one-quarter of the worlds surface and are home to 12 percent of the human population. This year International Mountain Day will focus on the theme of mountains and forests. For more information contact office@theuiaa.org

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 . President Yadav was so kind to hand out 4 UIAA awards to 2 male and 2 female Nepalese mountaineers for their extraordinary mountaineering achievements. On Friday the 7th of October, 3 symposia were organized on actual topics which are of importance to the UIAA and its member federations: update on expedition possibilities in Himalayan host countries, an informative session on the backgrounds of running an Ice-climbing competition and last but not least a symposium on climate change and the recent developments. All symposia were well attended and well received. Reports on the various symposia will be made available. We thank all speakers for their valuable contributions. On the day before, the Management Committee had a long meeting in which the accounts for 2010 and the budget for 2012 were presented and were approved unanimously. On Saturday the 8th of October, the General Assembly was held, unexpectedly chaired by UIAA Vice-President Jordi Colomer. This was necessary because of serious health problems of UIAA President Mike Mortimer who was only able to address the public during the closing diner. Due to these health circumstances, President Mortimer announced he will step down from Presidency as from January 1st. Also Board member Silvio Calvi announced that he will step down from the Board at the same date. UIAA treasurer Jan Bonding already had announced not to complete the last year of his term. Therefore, as from January 1st, a small group of Management Committee members will assist the remaining members of the Board until the General Assembly will elect a new Board and Management Committee in Amsterdam, October 2012. The Assembly dealt with a variety of issues. Decisions were made concerning a new financial policy including a conservative budget for 2012, and steps were taken towards finalizing the Strategic choices that will be made in 2012 concerning the direction of UIAAs future policy. Commission Presidents reported about the latest achievements in Commissions work. Safety Commission President Jean Franck Charlet reported the still increasing numbers of UIAA safety label holders which generate increasing income for the work of the UIAA. Amongst other reports, Training Standards working group President Steve Long reported the remarkable steps that have been taken in implementing UIAA training standards in a growing number of UIAA member federations. It is clear that the professional approach in improving and implementing these training standards is much appreciated by the member federations. The Assembly approved a change to the statutes, whereas other changes were postponed until 2012 after some further work has been carried out. At the very end of the Assembly, NMA President Zimba Zangbu Sherpa handed over the UIAA Banner to Frits Vrijlandt , President of our member Federation NKBV from the Netherlands, where the 2012 General Assembly will be hosted. The UIAA gratefully said goodbye to the NMA, thanking them for their excellent organization and hospitality. We will move from one of the highest countries in the world to hold next years Assembly in the lowest country in the world.

Italian climbing legend, Walter Bonatti, dies
Walter Bonatti, one of the greatest mountaineers of the 20th century - and UIAA honorary member, passed away on September 13 in Rome. Walter Bonatti was born on 22nd June, 1930 in Bergamo, Italy. His first big ascent was the north face of the Grandes Jorasses , Pointe Walker in the Mount Blanc range. When he was only 19 he started training to become a mountain guide. In 1951 he did the first ascent of the East face of the Grand Capucin and in 1953 he made the first winter ascent of the North face of the Cima Ovest di Lavaredo in the Dolomites. Bonatti was 24 years old when he was chosen to join the Italian K2 expedition in 1954, the youngest man on the team. Bonatti was not one of the two climbers who reached the summit, but he helped them by transporting oxygen to an altitude of 8100 meters. He and his Hunsa colleague Amir Mahdi had to spend the night out in the open at this altitude, which no-one thought would be possible to survive. Bonatti has always claimed that the summit climbers refused to help them and left them to die. Although the rest of the expedition members denied this for decades, Bonattis story and his role in the first ascent have now been confirmed. Bonatti went on to become famous for his pioneering and technically difficult climbs, solo and winter climbs and first ascents. He only took on mountains that offered almost impossible challenges. Read more

International Mountain Summit to debate "Show Alpinism"
The International Mountain Summit (IMS) will discuss a lot of issues of importance for the global mountaineering community at its 2011 meeting in Brixen-Bressanone, Italy. There will be debate at the 2011 IMS (October 21 30) on topics such as the role of forests in mountain sports, security and safety regulations for materials, and alpinisms impact on mountain ecosystems. According to Heinrich Mayer Kaibitsch of the IMS, the development of new sports could be boosted by creating [standard] UIAA guidelines for international competitions (bouldering, slacklining). The UIAA supports the IMS since it is an international platform to discuss, celebrate and shed new light on the mountains in all their different facets. The organisers expect around 10,000 visitors this year. The event is based on several pillars including Walk (hikes with well known alpinists), Talk (presentations by invited climbers), Discussion (round table talks), and a Boulder Festival. Show Alpinism A 2011 highlight is expected to be a round table discussion on what IMS calls Show Alpinism. The debate on October 28 will showcase the increasing importance of sponsorship for top climbers, and whether the lure of money makes maximum visibility more important than individual performance. Their market is the public eye, and the more visible they are, the better for both the sponsors and the mountaineers themselves, says the IMS in its programme. President of the UIAA's Medical Commission, Buddha Basnyat, speaks during at an IMS round table in 2010 (to his right: Reinhold Messner) Another round table will focus on the increasing pressure on ecosystems from leisure activities. Mountain forests are now the playground not only for traditional hikers and climbers but less environmently friendly pursuits such as downhill mountain biking, paintballing, and bouldering. This increase in human interference with flora and fauna can lead to conflict. New approaches to resolve this conflict will be discussed. Rounding off the Summit will be a series of photo exhibitions, mountain film screenings and slackline and bouldering shows.

The "enduring legacy" of Alan Blackshaw
Former UIAA president Alan Blackshaw passed away on August 4 in hospital in Inverness, Scotland. He was born in Liverpool on April 7, 1933. The following tribute to Blackshaw about his contributions to the UIAA is by Dave Morris, a former President of the UIAA Mountain Protection Commission: Alan Blackshaw, Rondvassbu Hut, Norway, 2009 For over 20 years Alan Blackshaw was a major contributor to the work of the UIAA, from when he first represented the British Mountaineering Council on the UIAA Mountaineering Commission in the mid 1980s to the year of his presidency of the UIAA in 2004/5. He brought a formidable intellect, diplomatic skills, perserverence and warm personality to all these tasks. In the words of Tadao Kanzaki, President of the Japanese Mountaineering Association, and Fumio Tanaka, former President: Alan was a good friend to us and we acknowledge his great contribution to the UIAA and to the mountaineering community of the world. We shall never forget his gentle smile on the floor of UIAA meetings. For much of his time in the UIAA Alan formed a formidable alliance with Roger Payne, former General Secretary of the BMC and then the UIAAs Sports and Development Director. Together they ensured that the UIAA kept pace with modern world, pioneering new training standards for mountaineering, developing relationships with environmental interests, incorporating competition climbing and ski mountaineering into the UIAA and forging constructive relationships with the International Olympic Committee and United Nations organisations. Alan spearheaded the efforts to provide the UIAA with the organisational structure and reputation that it needed to move forward through the 21st Century. During the International Year of Mountains 2002 Alan spoke to a UIAA conference in Trento, Italy and called for Access to Nature to be a Fundamental Human Right recognised at UN level. Building on his experience in securing new legislation in Scotland for public access to land and water Alan recognised that the right to have contact with nature, landscape and the natural environment in general should be an essential ingredient in every citizens development. As the British mountaineer, Doug Scott, said at his funeral: He was a lovely man who I have come to admire more than any other for striving towards a better world, while His Excellency Narinda Vohra, the Governor of Jammu, Kashmir and former Indian Representative to the UIAA, described Alan as altogether fearless and with straightforward views on major issues and unimpeachable intellectual integrity, whether in the area of civil services or mountaineering. The UIAA and mountaineers across the world have lost one of their finest supporters but he has left us all with an enduring legacy. Dave Morris President UIAA Mountain Protection Commission 2001 - 2008

UIAA to reaffirm commitment to Kathmandu declaration
Ahead of the 2011 UIAA General Assembly in Kathmandu, Nepal (October 5-8), the UIAA President, Mike Mortimer, spells out the reason for holding the event in the Himalayan nation and the challenges facing the worlds international mountaineering body. Nepal: How important is it to hold this year's GA in Nepal? What kind of message will holding the event in the home of some of the world's biggest and most iconic mountains send to the international mountaineering community? Mike Mortimer: It has been 30 years since we held our last meeting in Kathmandu. At that time we created the Kathmandu Declaration - a declaration presenting the best practices in the mountain environment and culture. We are extremely pleased to be able to come back to Nepal, during the Nepalese Year of Tourism, to reaffirm our commitment to the declaration. All of our clubs, both large and small welcome the opportunity to hold our annual meeting in the country that is home of some of the worlds highest mountains. The UIAA Executive Board hopes the meeting will end with the approval of a strategic plan for the next few years. You already have an idea of what some of the focus areas will be. How may this change the scope of the UIAA's mission? M.M.: The clearest message that we received from a member survey earlier this year was that many of our member federations like the extra services that the UIAA, as a global organization, can provide. However these extra services, such as the Training Standards, will only be provided on a cost recovery basis. Both our Training standards and new environmental protection labels will be available to a broader base of non-voting members from mountain safety training and trekking organizations. In the past the UIAA tended to be a conduit of information between our federations. Now our members are asking for more services and they are prepared to pay for these services. The budget deficit has been a big issue. How confident are you that this can be resolved, and if you are confident, for what reasons? M.M.: Since July of 2011 we have been in emergency mode. We have reduced our expenses wherever possible but not at the expense of the services we provide. We have revised our budget for a break-even position this year. For us the key will be to attract more like-minded groups as members. This is where are services such as the Training Standards will really come into line, encouraging new members to take advantage of our services. I am confident that the financial picture for the UIAA will continue to improve. We are a lot smarter than we were two years ago. We are working closely with the staff to ensure that our expenses are in line with our budgets and that these budgets are in line with our revenue capability.

Who is eligible for hut reciprocity discounts?
Image: SAC There are almost 1,200 mountain huts offering accommodation for a total of 66,000 people in the entire alpine region from Slovenia to France, including the Pyrenees. Those eligible to benefit from reciprocity are offered the same overnight rates as members of the hut-owning associations; in some huts, these special conditions are up to 50 per cent of the regular rate. In the last 10 years, the hut-owning associations have invested almost 170 million in the modernisation and maintenance of this alpine infrastructure. The UIAA is making the agreement available here on its website, but it is important to remember that the UIAA is no longer involved in the management of the agreement. RECIPROCITY AGREEMENT 1. Mission of the organization The agreement aims at the improvement of mountaineering through the promotion of the use of huts in the Alps and Pyrenees ranges. The agreement is based on the application to all members of the associations of the same discounted rates for use of the huts, according to each national rule. 2. Member associations Members associations are divided into two categories: - founding associations: DAV (Germany), OeAV (Austria), FFCAM (France), CAI (Italy), FEDME (Spain), CAS (Switzerland); - partner associations, who own mountain huts with a capacity of more than more than 500 beds: AVS (Italy), PZS (Slovenia), LAV (Liechtenstein), Academic Alpine Clubs in Switzerland (Basel, Bern, Zurich, Geneva); - agreed associations without huts but willing to share the benefits 3. Fees The membership fees in the organization are calculated in the following way: - founding associations and partner associations: a fixed fee of 1,300 per year and a yearly cost of 0.20 per member; - agreed associations have two options: a. a fee of 9.50 per member with a maximum of 400,000, for all members of the association at the age of more than 18 years. At the moment: CAB (Belgium), GAL (Luxemburg), KBF (Belgium) and NKBV (Netherlands); b. a fee of 40 for each member who decides to benefit from the reciprocity programme; stamps have to be bought through the national associations. At the moment: BMC (Great Britain), AAC (USA), CAM (Monaco), Dansk Bjergclub (Denmark), FAM (Andorra), MCI (Ireland), FFME (France), NZAC (New Zealand). Currently the president of the Reciprocity Agreement is Thomas Urban, director of DAV, while the Secretariat is managed by the Swiss Alpine Club. Individual mountaineers who are interested in the benefits of the agreement should contact their national federation.

The facts and economics of mountaineering in Nepal
Ang Tshering Sherpa, Immediate Past President of the Nepal Mountaineering Association provides detailed mountaineering facts and figures in Nepal. His exhaustive study not only provides statistics and highlights exceptional climbs but also tries to show the economic importance of the sport to Nepals economy. Here is Ang Tshering Sherpas report: As promised in my previous newsletter, in this email I am giving you some figures and statistics in an attempt to answers interesting and important questions that many people have asked about mountaineering in the Himalayas. I attempt to answer questions such as how many people have climbed Mt. Everest? How many climbers were on other major peaks? Who are the record holders this spring season? Where in the world most climbers come from? What is the importance of Mountaineering to the Nepalese economy? Etc. I have colleted and verified this information through4 main sources: 1. Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (Government of Nepal), 2. China Tibet Mountaineering Association 3. Nepal Mountaineering Association and 4. The excellent archives of Miss Elizabeth Hawley. I would also like to give my thanks to the various individuals and organizations in verifying the information, Members of Expedition Operators Association of Nepal (EOA), Expedition Leaders, managers, climbers, sirdars, sherpas and expedition liaison officers. Using the figures and statistics obtained from them I have used my best estimates and calculations to give you the answers below. How many People have climbed Mt. Everest until today? Between 1953 and 2010, the total number of ascents was 5078 by 3167 individuals (some having summited more than once). This year's spring total has seen 375 more ascents from Nepal of which 195 were new summiteers. Similarly, there were 131 summits from Tibet of which86 are new summiteers and the rest were repeat summiteers. In summary, the total number of ascent of Mt. Everest until today is5584, whereas the actual number of persons having summited Mt. Everest is3448 till date. How many climbing teams and how many climbers came to Nepal during this spring climbing season? 1. Expedition Peaks whose permits are issued by the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (Government of Nepal). 2. Climbing Peaks (NMA Peaks), whose permits are issued by Nepal Mountaineering Association. As a simple rule of thumb, the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation manages 8000m and 7000m peaks while NMA manages the 33 popular peaks ranging from 5587m to 6654m. Mountaineering Expedition Peaks: The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation issued a total of 92 permits to Mountaineering teams to various peaks in this spring season of 2011. Of these, 23 were permits forforeign Mt. Everest expedition teams; with 234 climber, 259 High Altitude Climbing Sherpas (HAS) and 164kitchen staffs (at Base Camp and Camp 2). Amazingly, out of 259 HAS, 219 summited Mt.Everest (85% of this Climbing Season's total). Similarly, out of 234 foreign climbers, 156 summited Mt.Everest (67% of this Climbing Season's total) After Nepalese, Americans, British and Indians had the highest number of summiteers on Everest with 39, 27 and 19 summitteers respectively. Also, there were 3 Nepalese Everest Expedition teams with 17 climbers and 21 HAS going above Base Camp and oneNepalese women team of 4women climberson Annapurna IV. Nepalese teams do not have to pay peak permit fees, if the Cabinet of Ministers sanctions their expedition. Economic contribution of Mt. Everest Expeditions (Nepal side in the spring 2011 climbing season: The following are the estimated economic contributions from south side of Mt. Everest in this climbing season of Spring 2011: Item US$ Nepalese Rupees 1 Total Mt. Everest Climbing Permit Fee from 23Foreign Exp. Teams 23,81,000/ 17,14,32,000/ 2 Total porter wages from Lukla to EBC -9,660porter loads of 30kgs each load 11,06,875/ 7,96,95,000/ 3 Total porter wages from B.C. to Lukla- 5,313 porter loads of 30kgs each load 6,08,781/ 4,38,32,250/ 4 HAS- Equipment allowances, wages, climbing bonus, summit bonus, insurance, etc 10,79,166/ 8,14,72,752/ 5 BC and C2 kitchen staffs- Equipment allowances, wages, insurance etc. 4,55,556/ 3,28,00,000/ 6 Flights: Ktm/Lukla Or Shyangboche/Ktm for passengers and luggage, helicopter flight, hotels in Ktm on the way, transfers, meals etc 7,32,330/ 5,27,27,760/ 7 Insurance for porters, food purchase, kitchen utensils, drinks, EBC fuels, solar panels generators for lighting, charges, fresh supplies 4,50,670/ 3,24,48.240/ 8 Sleeping tents, dining tents, kitchen storage tents, toilet tents, mattresses, chairs, tables, heaters etc. 4,37,000/ 3,14,64,000/ 9 H.A. foods, HA fuel, oxygen bottles, masks, regulators, climbing equipments, common climbing equipments, ice fall route fixing charges, route fixing charges above C1 to summit, EBC HRA Aid post fee, SPCC garbage management disposal fee etc. 17,64,600/ 12,70,51,200/ Total economic contribution from Mt. Everest Expedition teams in one climbing season of Spring 2011 90,15,978/ 64,91,15,042/ This spring 2011, Nepal saw that the most number of climber (besides Nepalese) on the Expedition Peaks were from the USA with 129 climbers, Indians with 48 climbers and British climbers with 36 climbers. Sadly, perhaps due to the Earthquake and Tsunami, the number of Japanese climbers has sharply dropped this year. On Mt. Everest, 60 per cent of the climbers were Nepalese (High Altitude Climbing Sherpas) while 40 per cent were foreign climbers. However, on other Expedition Peaks, 38% of the climbers were Nepalese and 62 per cent were foreign climbers. To Summarize: This spring the other Expedition Peaks of Nepal (beside Mt. Everest) saw a total of 465foreign climbers, plus229 HAS and265 kitchen staffs. My best estimate is that these teams had approximately 8631 porter loads to their respective Base Camps and5610 porter loads from Base Camp back down to the road head or airport. Economic Contribution from these expedition teams in climbing season of spring 2011: The following is my estimate of the economic contributions that expedition teams (other than Mt. Everest) provide in this climbing season of Spring 2011. Item US$ Nepalese Rupees 1 The total peak permit collection from these peaks 3,83,700: 2,76,26,400: 2 Total porter wages to BC -8631 porter loads and back from BC-5610 porter loads 14,89,927: 11,74,88,250: 3 HAS- Equipment allowances, remuneration, climbing bonus, summit bonus, insurance etc 7,95,139: 5,72,50,025: 4 BC and C2 kitchen staffs equipment allowances, remuneration, allowances, insurance etc. 7,36,111: 5,29,99,992: 5 Flights: For passengers and luggage, helicopter flight, transportations, hotels in Ktm on the way, transfers, meals, insurance for porters, food purchase, kitchen utensils, drinks, EBC fuels, solar panels generators for lighting, charges, fresh supplies, EBC tents, dining tents, kitchen store tents, toilet tents, mattresses, chairs, tables, heaters etc. 17,35,400: 12,49,48,800: 6 H.A. foods, HA fuel, oxygen bottles, masks, regulators, climbing equipments, common climbing equipments, ice fall route fixing charges, route fixing charges above C1 to summit, EBC HRA Aid post fee, SPCC garbage management disposal fee etc 14,54,500: 10,47,24,000: Total economic contribution from Mt. Everest Expedition teams in one climbing season of Spring 2011 67,36,631: 48,50,37,467: NMA Climbing Peaks: Total permits issued by Nepal Mountaineering Association to NMA Peak climbing teams to various NMA peaks are447climbingteams with total 2015 foreign climbers in Spring 2011.These teams recruited2317 persons as climbing guides, assistant guides, cooks and kitchen staffs and I estimate approximately15,162 porters to Base Camp and9,855 porter loads back from Base Camp. On NMA peaks: The highest number of climbers were from the UK with 258 climbers, second were Germans with 240 climbers and the USA with 190 climbers. On NMA peaks: 33 per cent of Climbers were Neaplese, whereas 67 per cent were foreign climbers. Tibet Expeditions on Mt. Everest and other 8000m Peaks- Spring 2011: This climbing season, on the Tibet side of Mt. Everest, there were 17 teams with 139 foreign climber, 156 HAS,22 Chinese Exp. Members and guidesand 7 Tibetan/Chinese rope fixing team members. Among them 46 foreign climbers,56 HAS and29 Chinese/ Tibetan climbers reached the top of Mt. Everest from North Side this Spring Season. On Mt. Cho-Oyu there were 10 teams with a total of112 climbers (including HAS) andamong them 11 foreign climbers and 12 HAS reached the summit of Mt. Cho-Oyu. On Mt. Shishapangma there were 8 teams with a total of 60 climbers (including HAS) and among them 16 foreign climbers and 7 HAS reached the top of Mt. Shishapangma from both the South Face and the Normal Route (North Side). Notable Records and Ascents on Climbing Season 2011: World Records and remarkable climbs in this Climbing Season 2011: Apa Sherpa, Climbing Leader of Eco Everest Expedition 2011 reached the summit of Mt. Everest for the 21st time - a new world record with the message of Stop Climate Change on 11 May 2011. Phurba Tashi Sherpa is now the person with the most number of ascents to the top of 8000m peaks. He has climbed Mt. Everest 19 Times (Second to Apa Sherpa), Mt. Cho Oyu 5 times, Mt. Manaslu 2 times, Mt. Shishapagma once and Mt.Lhotse once; a total of 28 ascents of 8000m peaks. Mr. Vikash Kaushik (24 yrs) and Mrs. Sushma Kaushik (27 yrs) are the first Indian Couple to summit Mt. Everest andthey claim to be theyoungest couple in the world. Swiss Speed Climber Ueli Steck reached the Summit of Mt. Shishapangma (8027m) via the South Face Route on 17th April. This was the first Summit of any 8000m Peak in the spring climbing season. Ueli Steck broke the previous record of Inaki Ochoa de Olza via the Austrian Route (14 hours) in 2006, and became the record holder for fastest ascent of Mt. Shishapangma (10:30 hours). Arjun Vajpai (17 yrs 11mths) the youngest India Everest summiteers, who climbed Mt. Everest with Asian Trekking's Eco Everest Expedition 2010 is now also the youngest Mt. Lhotse summiteer. Earlier Ms.Tamara Lunger of Italy was the youngest Lhotse Summit record holder who summitted Spring 2010 at the age of 23 years old. Charlie Wittmack, leader of the American team of an autonomous part of the Eco Everest Expedition reached the top of Mt. Everest and became the first person to accomplished his trip to Nepal by swimming the length of the Thames river in England prior to swimming the English channel and finally hopping on his bike and cycling all the way to Tibetfrom Calais In France. ChhurimDolma Sherpa (27yrs) of Nepal became the first Woman to summit Mt. Everest twice in one climbing season (12 May and 19 May). Carlos Soria (72yrs) of Spain is the oldest person to summit Mt. Lhotse. He reached the top of Mt. Lhose on21 May Fatal Events on Mountains: Besides the good news I also have sad news to share. We express our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members of all those who died. Free Climbing Permit Fee for Peaks in the Far West and Mid West Region of Nepal: On the occasion of Nepal Tourism Year 2011, Nepal Government has declared Free Peak Permit Fee to all the Opened Peaks of Mid Western and Far Western region of Nepal for mountaineering expedition until 16 July 2014. If you need any further information please let us know. I hope that you find this information interesting and helpful. My calculations are estimates but I have done my best to keep them as accurate as possible. If you have any questions then please don't hesitate to email me. Also, if you would like to know more about mountaineering and trekking in the Himalayas then please do get in touch with. Best Regards, Ang Tshering Sherpa Chairman Asian Trekking

Members see UIAA as modern and reliable
Earlier this year, the UIAA asked Member Federations to help define the future direction of the international mountaineering body over the next five years. The results of the survey are encouraging with more than 75 per cent of UIAA Members taking the time to complete the detailed survey. When asked how the UIAA can support its Members, 79 per cent said they looked forward to receiving help on Training Standards, with information on a reciprocity agreement for mountain huts (64%) and insurance issues (61%) also considered very important. The emphasis placed on Training Standards confirms the efforts currently being made to develop a UIAA Training Standard label. It is designed to promote good practice in the training of voluntary mountaineering leaders and instructors. When completed, it will be awarded to Federations that meet the UIAA standards. Asked about the image of the UIAA, an overwhelming majority of respondents see the UIAA in most cases as a modern, reliable, competent and credible organization. However, only 53 per cent regard the UIAA as member oriented, with 47 per cent thinking the body is too autocratic. On other issues, 70 per cent agreed that the UIAA should initiate a programme to support small federations. Commissions The work of UIAA commissions (Access, Medical, Mountain Protection, Mountaineering, Youth, Safety, Ice Climbing, Anti-doping) and working groups was well received. The Ice Climbing and Medical Commissions are the most highly regarded (at least 60% of respondents are highly satisfied with their work). However, 56 per cent said they thought communication between the commissions and federations could be improved. The UIAA office in Bern, Switzerland received excellent feedback, with about 90 per cent of federations saying they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the staffs quality of work, communication and attention to members. E-newsletter and website In the majority of cases, respondents also found the UIAA e-newsletter and website very useful or useful, with 89 per cent saying the UIAA website was its main source of information regarding mountaineering. The UIAAs use of Social Media like Facebook and Twitter have yet to catch on, with only 5 per cent finding the UIAA Facebook page very useful and only three per cent saying the same for Twitter. The whole report of the Strategic Plan will be presented to Member Federations during the General Assembly in Katmandu in October. The results will form the basis for setting priorities for the UIAA as part of a Strategic Plan that is under development. See full results of survey.

Accidents in climbing halls on rise
The Legal Experts Working Group of the UIAA has published a paper on the growing number of accidents at indoor climbing facilities. The following is the group's observations: image:alainlm Over the last 20 years many climbing halls have been built and indoor climbing is the training venue for many climbers. It is part of their social life. Artificial climbing walls are especially important in countries which have few or no mountains or cliffs, but they exist even in those countries blessed with an abundance of rock. Every weekend, evening and afternoon these halls are busy. They are frequented by young and older climbers; the experienced and novices; and by children who celebrate their birthday party there; and all sorts in between. Most climbing centres not only provide a climbing facility; they also rent harnesses and climbing shoes and provide instruction. In most halls the visitor can buy drinks and food. Most request the visitor to fill in a form in which he explains his climbing experience. The staff will assess this information and decide whether the visitor is competent to use the facility without instruction or close supervision. It has been noted that over recent years there have been an increasing number of accidents including fatalities. In the jurisprudence following these accidents the courts have considered if climbing centre owners or staff have civil liability in negligence or contract and also the possible criminal liability of the belayer. Some judges have suggested changes in climbing practices to reduce risk. However it is the hall proprietor who has responsibility for ensuring safety by assessing competence, imposing strict rules, enforcing good practice and providing effective supervision and training. Some federations have provided guidance to the owners of climbing walls on such matters. Some accidents have occurred due to belaying faults involving very experienced climbers. One wonders whether the atmosphere in halls (social event, lots of friends, music, food and drinks) may contribute to a lack of concentration (belaying on automatic pilot etc), with unfortunate consequences. April 2010

2012 Ice Climbing World Cup schedule announced
image: Korean Alpine Federation The schedule for the 2012 Ice Climbing World Cup events has been announced. On January 14 and 15, the season will kick off for the second year in a row with Lead and Speed competitions in Cheongsong, Korea, hosted by the Korean Alpine Federation. This event will also be the Open Asia Championship. One week later (January 20, 21), the world's elite ice climbers will head to Europe for Lead and Speed events in Saas Fee, Switzerland which will also be the Open European Championship in Lead. The athletes will remain in the Alps and compete in the two World Cup disciplines at the beginning of February (February 4, 5) in Champagny en Vanoise, France. Busteni, Romania is next up as host on February 10 and 11 before the circuit moves further east to Moscow on March 3 and 4. The final Lead and Speed competitions will be held in Kirov, Russia (March 9, 10). This will also be the Open European Championship in the Speed discipline. The past 2011 season will be remembered for the entrance of Korea and its athletes on the world stage. Korea's Hee Yong Park ended the reign of Markus Bendler by winning the overall Lead title, while Russian athletes continued their dominance in Speed (Pavel Batushev and Maria Tolokonina), and by also scoring victory in women's Lead (Anna Gallyamova). Olympics The UIAA is working toward showcasing Ice Climbing competitions in Sochi, Russia at the same time as the 2014 Winter Olympics. Ultimately, the UIAA is working toward Ice Climbings inclusion in the Winter Olympics. Lead and Speed The UIAA launched the Ice Climbing World Cup in 2000. In Speed, athletes race up an ice face for the best time. In Lead competitions the climbers' ability to master a difficult route in a given time is tested. The UIAA is the International Olympic Committees recognised international federation for mountaineering and natural surface climbing. With more than 70 member organisations in 56 countries, the UIAA represents more than 1 million mountaineers and climbers worldwide.

Via ferrata systems and plastic chocks to be tested
The growing popularity of via ferrate among families with small children and the advent of climbing chocks made with polymers will lead to new testing and investigations by the UIAA Safety Commission (SafCom). At its annual meeting in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland in late May, the expert panel - which develops global standards for climbing equipment performance agreed to move forward on a number of testing issues. These involve I-beam karabiners, energy absorbing systems for via ferrate, plastic chocks (also known as nuts), crash pads and dynamic rope standards. This information was provided for publication by SafCom member Dave Custer of the American Alpine Club: Via ferrata lightweight climbers Changes in via ferrata (VF) use (children now climb VFs on their own instead of being tethered to adults) and accident reports all point to the need for VF Energy Absorbing Systems for lightweight climbers. The intent is to introduce a one-size-fits-all energy absorber that will make it possible for all VF participants from roughly 30-100 kg to arrest safely. This can in theory be done by increasing the slip length permitted by the standard. In the coming year, it will be determined whether the theory can be accomplished in practice. I-beam construction karabiners How easily do I-beam construction karabiners bend and fail when loaded over an edge? The phenomenon will be investigated in the next year, even though such bending is clearly a misuse and perhaps best addressed through improved bolting practices and climber education. Karabiners open gate failure The German alpine club (DAV) found that karabiner failures in the field almost always occur when the gate is open (gate: moveable part of the karabiner that the climber opens to insert or remove the rope or webbing under loaded and unloaded conditions). It was agreed that the best action at the moment is to try to raise awareness among climbers of this failure mode and to inform them of the many karabiners available that exceed the minimum open gate strength rating. Plastic chocks With the advent of commercially available chocks (wedges also known as nuts that are threaded on a wire/cord, used for protection by placing them into cracks in the rock) made of polymer materials, tests will be made in the coming year to determine whether the performance of plastic chocks is detrimentally affected by temperature extremes that may be encountered while climbing. This could lead to a proposal to limit the scope of the chock standard to metal chocks. Ropes At the meeting, SafCom also discussed a proposal by CEN (European Committee for Standardization) for changes to the rope conditioning (from 20C, 65% relative humidity to 20C, 50% relative humidity) to improve repeatability of tests. In other areas such as Edge Energy Absorption testing and dry coating of ropes; round-robin tests shall be carried out for further proposals to include them in the standard UIAA 101 for dynamic ropes. Numerous standards There are currently 20 UIAA Safety Standards, ranging from helmets, ice tools and slings to pulleys, anchors and karabiners. The standards are used by many of the biggest manufacturers of mountaineering equipment. Work on new standards for crash pads and snow pickets will be presented at the next Safety Commission meeting in St Petersburg, Russia in June 2012. The meeting in Yverdon-les-Bains was hosted by the Swiss Alpine Club.

Hut reciprocity agreement explained
Image: SAC There are almost 1,200 mountain huts offering accommodation for a total of 66,000 people in the entire alpine region from Slovenia to France, including the Pyrenees. Those eligible to benefit from reciprocity are offered the same overnight rates as members of the hut-owning associations; in some huts, these special conditions are up to 50 per cent of the regular rate. In the last 10 years, the hut-owning associations have invested almost 170 million in the modernisation and maintenance of this alpine infrastructure. The UIAA is making the agreement available here on its website, but it is important to remember that the UIAA is no longer involved in the management of the agreement. RECIPROCITY AGREEMENT 1. Mission of the organization The agreement aims at the improvement of mountaineering through the promotion of the use of huts in the Alps and Pyrenees ranges. The agreement is based on the application to all members of the associations of the same discounted rates for use of the huts, according to each national rule. 2. Member associations Members associations are divided into two categories: - founding associations: DAV (Germany), OeAV (Austria), FFCAM (France), CAI (Italy), FEDME (Spain), CAS (Switzerland); - partner associations, who own mountain huts with a capacity of more than more than 500 beds: AVS (Italy), PZS (Slovenia), LAV (Liechtenstein), Academic Alpine Clubs in Switzerland (Basel, Bern, Zurich, Geneva); - agreed associations without huts but willing to share the benefits 3. Fees The membership fees in the organization are calculated in the following way: - founding associations and partner associations: a fixed fee of 1,300 per year and a yearly cost of 0.20 per member; - agreed associations have two options: a. a fee of 9.50 per member with a maximum of 400,000, for all members of the association at the age of more than 18 years. At the moment: CAB (Belgium), GAL (Luxemburg), KBF (Belgium) and NKBV (Netherlands); b. a fee of 40 for each member who decides to benefit from the reciprocity programme; stamps have to be bought through the national associations. At the moment: BMC (Great Britain), AAC (USA), CAM (Monaco), Dansk Bjergclub (Denmark), FAM (Andorra), MCI (Ireland), FFME (France), NZAC (New Zealand). Currently the president of the Reciprocity Agreement is Thomas Urban, director of DAV, while the Secretariat is managed by the Swiss Alpine Club. Individual mountaineers who are interested in the benefits of the agreement should contact their national federation.

New projects move ahead despite budget constraints
At a meeting in Paris in mid-May, the executive councils of the UIAA formally agreed to go forward this summer with efforts to develop further the UIAA Training Standards label and to lay the groundwork for a new Mountain Protection label. image: Nelson Chenkin The Executive Board (EB) and the Management Committee (MC) approved a plan to introduce a system for training experts, assessors and trainers. A UIAA Training Standard label will be awarded to Federations that meet the UIAA standards. The idea of the standards is to promote good practice in the training of voluntary mountaineering leaders and instructors. The UIAA Mountain Protection Commission has been developing a label over the past year which would be awarded to tour operators and mountain recreation organisations which commit themselves to acting according to high mountain protection standards. Deficit The Board and Management Committee chose to move forward with these projects, despite budgetary and operational setbacks. The UIAA is currently operating with a higher than expected deficit. The MC chose in particular to criticise the high travel expenses incurred by UIAA President Mike Mortimer. The MC agreed to perform an internal audit. The EB voted in favour of adjusting the 2011 budget to prevent an additional decrease of reserves without having to reduce funding for the essential work of UIAA Commissions. The EB agreed to define the 2012 budget before its July meeting. Strategic Plan The MC was presented with the first results from a poll sent to all UIAA Member Federations. The Strategic Plan survey is aimed at better defining what UIAA members expect of the international body so that a plan of action can be drawn up. A draft is to be presented at the UIAA General Assembly in Kathmandu in October. Executive Board, Management Committee members and Commission presidents, May 2011, Paris (image: Robert Pettigrew)

Tribute to the late Stefano Tirinzoni
Stefano Tirinzoni, member of the UIAA Management Committee, passed away on April 29 at the age of 62 after a long illness. He worked as an architect and in urban planning in his home town of Sondrio, Italy, and he had a special interest in the field of mountain huts. He was responsible for the recent rehabilitation work of the hut, Capanna Marco e Rosa, in the Bernina sector of the Alps. He worked with the Italian Alpine Club (CAI) holding different positions at different times: Vice Secretary General, member of the Board, member of the Central Council. He also paid a lot attention to environmental and conservation issues: he was in the Board of the Stelvio National Park for six years and led an outstanding project to preserve architectural heritage. The UIAA remembers his constant attention to Access issues: for a number of years he was a member of the Access Commission. Elected to the Management Committee in Bormio, he pushed for the development of a database of all documents produced by the UIAA in its long history. Continuing his work will be the best way to remember him. The following is a tribute from Robert Pettigrew of the UK, former president of the UIAA Access and Conservation Commission: I am honoured to be asked to pay a tribute to the life and work of Stefano Tirinzoni, who was a founder member and enthusiastic activist of the UIAA Access and Conservation Commission from its foundation until his election to the Management Committee some ten years later. During my many years of campaigning in the Ortler Group from a base at Santa Caterina I had heard of the mountaineering architect from Sondrio, and his reputation for the design and construction of the most modern mountain huts in the entire Alpine range. So I was delighted to welcome him as a most valued member of the AC Commission when it was launched during the presidency of Ian McNaught-Davis. I was not disappointed. Together with his good friend Joerg Eberlain, then president of the DAV Environment Commission, Stefano became the inspirer and advocate of the mainstream work of the Commission. Perhaps his principal triumph was Argeo's Charter which set out the principles and practice of how the mainstream international mountaineering community could assist third world mountaineering communities to raise and maintain their standard of living. Added to his passionate concern for the welfare of the hill peoples of remote communities was his dedication to the work of the UIAA, the application of his professional skills as a leading architect, and his technical skill as a mountaineer. In ten years he never missed a meeting of the Access and Conservation Commission, and his contribution to its work was immense. Finally, he was a much loved and respected companion on the hill, and our condolences and thoughts are with Titti his wife, and his immediate family. Yes - our roads are due to meet I'm sure.

Further developments on Training Standards label announced
Significant progress has been made on the further development of the UIAA Training Standards label. Also discussed at the recent meeting in Switzerland of the UIAA Mountaineering Commission was traditional climbing and an update to the Legal Experts Working Group document on legal liability. The full report on the meeting is from Phil Wickens, commission secretary: Pierre Humblet, Commission President,, thanks Valrie Thni and Gurdeepak Ahuja of the UIAA Office for their help and support (Phil Wickens) The UIAA Mountaineering Commission met in Bern, Switzerland, in April. The meeting, which was hosted by the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC-CAS), was very well attended with 20 delegates representing 14 different countries, and included meetings of the Mountaineering Commissions two working groups; the Training Standards Working Group (TSWG) and the Legal Experts Working Group (LEWG). Chiaki Aoyama from Japan is developing an international system for collecting and analysing accident statistics. Once in place, this will help to identify areas where safety and training can be improved, and for insurance companies to better understand risk in mountain activities. The Bolting and Traditional Climbing Working Group is currently in the process of collating national policies, guidelines and publications regarding traditional climbing, and regarding the placement of fixed protection in the mountain and crag environments. The group, which is chaired by Doug Scott, is concerned about the loss of traditional climbing areas, skills and ethics. It aims to formulate an UIAA statement that is recognised internationally, and to establish guidelines, based on existing policies, to assist federations in developing their own policy and guidelines for traditional climbing and the placement of fixed protection. The old town of Bern (Phil Wickens) A lot of interest has been expressed in the Training Standards by developing federations and organisations. In order to expand the work of the Training Standards Working Group, a detailed business plan was drawn up, together with a system for training experts, assessors and trainers. The group proposes that a UIAA Training Standard label be awarded to Federations that meet the UIAA standards, and are currently organizing a series of seminars to train the trainers, assessors and external validators. Philippe Deschamps and Stphane Lozachmeur from the Petzl Foundation charity discussed areas in which they are continuing to assist the TSWG. This currently includes providing help for Asian federations to set up their own national training schemes, and help with the design of training manuals for federations that have none. Xabier Saenz Ezeizabarrena from Spain has succeeded Renee Hopster as Chair of the Legal Experts Working Group. The group is currently updating its 2002 report on legal liability, which it expects to publish shortly. They have also created a database of the most important cases from Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Britain, France, USA and Japan, and report a reduction in the already limited significance of waivers in EEC law due to new consumer protection regulations. Future work will include reports on waivers, climbing wall accidents, use of expert evidence, insurance, legal risk assessment and cross boarder employment issues.

UIAA condemns building of hotel in South Africa protected area
The UIAA Access and Mountain Protection Commissions have condemned the development of a luxury hotel in South Africas Magaliesberg Protected Environment (MPE). The construction of the Kgaswane Country Lodge is being fought by the Magaliesberg Protection Association (MPA), which is supported by other organisations including the Mountain Club of South Africa. A review hearing is set to take place on May 5 and 6. In a letter sent to Edna Molewa, South Africas Minister of Water Resources and Environmental Affairs, the UIAA underlined that the building of the lodge was contrary to the South African Environmental Management Framework. This makes such development incompatible with the zoning of the developed land as highly sensitive. We condemn this apparently irrational decision not to follow the governments own Environmental Management Framework guidelines. The decision would appear to be contrary to international legal norms as well as being contrary to the principles of sustainable development, the UIAA said in its letter, which was signed by the presidents of both the Access and Mountain Protection Commissions, Clare Bond and Linda McMillan. Despite its contravention of environmental laws, the owner of the new lodge in 2009 was successful in convincing the local authorities to overturn its illegal status and continue with the development. A first appeal by MPA was rejected. The authorities took this decision on the grounds that a lot of money had already been invested in the project, and when completed, it would provide jobs for local inhabitants. However, MPA has decided to continue its fight on the grounds that the lodge construction could set a precedent for more building in the protected area and endanger a bid to have the region recognised as a UNESCO Biosphere. In its letter, the UIAA pointed out that the decision to allow the development to go ahead would appear to be contrary to international legal norms as well as the principles of sustainable development. The UIAA Access Commission has published a sustainable tourism charter known as ARGEOS charter. Also available is a list of best practices in mountain regions.

New Italian and German medical advice papers available
The UIAA Medical Commission has increased the number of its advice and recommendation papers available in Italian and German. Italian climbers or trekkers now have information available in their language about the advantages and disadvantages of hiking with telescopic sticks, and correct walking techniques. Also newly published in Italian is the paper on working in hypoxic conditions. More and more people, and not just climbers at high altitude, can be affected by hypoxia, which is when the body is deprived of an adequate supply of oxygen. The UIAA Medical Commission eyes up problems German readers can now benefit from all of the 20 papers. The last to be translated into German deals with eye problems on expeditions, and how to recognise warning signs and treat the conditions. The comprehensive series of recommendation papers have been compiled by the UIAA Medical Commission, a global forum of doctors who meet regularly to up date information on medical issues related to the mountains. The documents provide essential tips on issues of importance to mountaineers or anyone going to high altitude. Besides English, German and Italian, many are also available in Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese and Polish.

Greenland and Mount Logan climbs recognised with Piolets d'Or
Nicolas Favresse cruising above Dodos Delight on the red wall (Greenland Big Walls) Two climbs have been awarded the 2011 Piolets d'Or: Greenland Big Walls Expedition and Mount Logan South East Face. The following text is from the organising committee of the prestigious award, which is supported by French, American, British and Italian alpine clubs - all member federations of the UIAA: The jury, presided over by Greg Child, has come together to deliberate on the six expeditions selected for the 19th edition of the Piolets dOr. The selection was made from 53 first ascents across 19 countries on 5 continents, with 138 mountaineers of 22 different nationalities. These ascents represent the spirit of exploring remote and rugged locations, of pioneering new routes in lightweight style, and of embracing a sense of commitment and teamwork. These attributes lie at the heart of the Piolets dOr. The six climbs that were nominated by the jury this year are climbs that were deemed to best represent the ideals of the Piolets dOr Charter, and are climbs that the jury themselves would have been proud to call their own. These diverse ascents were made by experienced alpinists, on low or middle altitude peaks, featuring exceptionally high levels of technical competence. There was an overriding sense of team spirit and having fun. The jury has decided to highlight two very different ascents: Greenland Big Walls Expedition This was innovative big wall climbing with a difference - in excellent style, using neither bolts nor pitons, and traversing the peaks after the climbs. In the popular sport of big wall climbing, this showed that it is possible to make these ascents completely clean. In addition to a high technical level, the team approached by yacht into unexplored areas and showed huge camaraderie. by Sean Villanueva, Nicolas Olivier Favressse (Belgium) and Ben Ditto (USA), boat captained by Bob Shepton (UK - 75 yrs). Mount Logan South East Face This was a new route on a very remote 2,500 metre face, undertaken with meticulous preparation. The climb- ers travelled over a wide area to find routes for acclimatisation, and only embarked on the route after careful planning to avoid objective danger. The ascent epitomises climbing in modern alpine style, travelling at speed on unknown terrain for a route one and a half times the height of the Eiger North Face. The pair completed the long connecting ridge to the East summit. by Yasushi Okada and Katsutaka Yokoyama (Japan).

British climber Doug Scott tells the UIAA about his contributions to mountaineering, the challenge of preserving traditional climbing and the importance of the Piolets dOr award for encouraging innovation and exploration. Scott is the 2011 recipient of the Piolets dOr Lifetime Contribution Award only the third climber to have been given the honour, after Walter Bonatti (2009) and Reinhold Messner (2010). He spoke to the UIAA ahead of the Piolets dOr ceremony on 16 April in Courmayeur, Italy. Scott is the British Representative on the UIAAs Management Committee. UIAA: The Piolets d'Or committee commends you as one of the pioneers of alpine style climbing in the Greater Ranges... as someone who embodies the spirit of modern alpinism.... And it also recognises your charitable work in Nepal. Modesty aside, what do you think has been your most valuable contribution to alpinism? Doug Scott: if anything it was climbing high in lightweight style and sometimes completely in Alpine Style on new routes. That is where all the interest lies; to go where no one has gone before, where there is uncertainty, wondering what will you find there, will there be belay ledges and a place to bivouac for the night? I did learn a lot about handling myself in the thin, cold air on the big, siege style expeditions to the South West Face of Everest (1975). Dougal Haston and myself left the summit at 7 pm and had to sleep just 100 metres down, without oxygen, sleeping bags - and as it turned out - without getting frostbite. That really widened the range of how and what I would climb in the future. Doug Scott on Kangchenjunga (Doug Scott archives) My most important climb was Kangchenjunga (with Joe Tasker, Peter Boardman and George Bettembourg in 1979). We were the first to go onto a big mountain without oxygen and to do it lightweight without a mass of Sherpas and fixed ropes. That was a big step into the unknown for us, always wondering what would happen if one of us got oedema. You wouldnt be able to get a man down from up there. Now they are flying helicopter rescues up 7,000 metres. What do you think of this recent development? The whole point of the Himalaya has always been the solitude, commitment and taking responsibility for your own life. If people push on, lulled by a false sense of security, believing they can always call for a helicopter then there are likely to be more accidents. When we were off in the 1970s and 1980s, that was that, you went off. You severed your connection with home. If some porters came up, you sent some letters off to the wife, but there were no telephones or radios. On Kangchenjunga there were no radios at all. You just went to be there. Nowadays people hardly leave home and office since they are still connected. How important do you think the Piolets dOr award is for encouraging innovation and exploration? The Piolets dOr puts a marker in the sand. The reason it has become a flagship award is because it has tried to keep the original idea of exemplifying the best of Alpinism and the most inspiring climbs possible. This cant be done with drills, porter ledges and fixed ropes. Everyone knows if you have basic skills and are a tenacious, persevering type, you can climb anything. Since the uncertainty as to the outcome e of the climb is what matters most, what is the point? Thats why there was a big fuss when a Russian expedition won the award in 2005 for the first ascent of the North Face of Jannu (criticised by Steve House for using months to climb the face with fixed ropes). Basically the award is there to give acknowledgement to those that do original climbs in an amazing way, high up. As a member of the UIAA Management Committee, how do you think the UIAA could improve the way it supports the values you hold dearly? The UAA has been spending a great deal of time on procedure and ancillary matters. Hopefully that is just about complete and now it can think more about actual climbing. The work done by UIAA Commissions responsible for safety, mountain protection and access are important but getting into commercial ventures like ice climbing competitions does take up a lot of time and money. This has put some Federations off, like those from Germany and Austria. We know that it is important for the UIAA to be recognised by the International Olympic Committee otherwise some Federations may leave the UIAA. Despite this I would like to see more attention paid to actual climbing and pointing the UIAA towards being the guardian of the best traditions of our sport. Ive come onto the UIAA to help to promote the idea that the few remaining areas of Traditional Climbing should be preserved - as heritage crags if that is the only way. It seems that the UIAA is going through another period of upheaval since the third Executive Director in a year has left the UIAA. Also the UIAA is in severe financial difficulties. The Chinese character for crisis is in two parts; one part of the ideogram is chaos and the other part is opportunity. If we take a lead from the wise Chinese the UIAA would be well advised not to let the moment pass without analysing the situation in depth and putting reform in place to rectify the problems. Doug Scott website Community Action Nepal

UIAA signs MoU with Peace and Sport
The UIAA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Peace and Sport, a Monaco-based organisation that promotes peace through sport in poor areas of the world. The MoU was signed on the sidelines of the SportAccord meeting in London on April 5 by UIAA Vice President, Jordi Colomer, and Peace and Sport (PS) founder and president, Joel Bouzou. The UIAA has a firm belief that mountains are areas of peace and respect for nature. The practice of mountaineering starts from this belief and this message goes from the mountains to the rest of the world, said Colomer. The values associated with climbing and mountaineering positively forge ethics, such as solidarity, trust in others, concern for the environment, reaching for excellence and going beyond ones limits. These values can profoundly change the personality of young people who have grown up without guidelines in life. I am convinced that climbing has the power to open new horizons for them, said Bouzou. Peace Summit Is there a more highly symbolic place than a mountain summit to launch a message of peace, friendship and brotherhood to the world? For all these reasons, I am delighted about this partnership with the UIAA and thank them for their commitment to promote peace alongside Peace and Sport, he added. PS enters partnerships with international sports federations like the UIAA to develop sports activities with the goal of promoting dialogue, social reintegration of youth and sustainable peace. Bouzou (left) and Colomer agreed the deal in London The Monaco-based organisation, founded in 2007, has entered partnerships with about 30 international sports federations besides the UIAA. The goals of PS are in line with those of the UIAAs Global Youth Summit (GYS). The GYS is a series of youth camps held in different parts of the world each year that bring together young people from a variety of countries to promote peace and cooperation and protection of the environment.

Youth can now sign up for international events
The first 2011 events under the banner, the UIAA Global Youth Summit, are now accepting applications from interested participants. In early July, the French Alpine Club is hosting an international climbing camp in Ariege in southern France. The main goal of is to allow youth to practice many forms of climbing; cliffs with one pitch, or routes with many pitches, on different types of rock, granite or limestone. Canyoning, caving and speology are also available. Around the same time, the South African mountaineering federation is putting the accent on improving cultural understanding at its camp in the countrys Dragon Mountains. It is Italys turn in the last week of July. The Italian federation is organising a trek around the 3,841-metre-high Monviso peak, which will include visits to the oldest mountain in the region and the oldest tunnel ever built in the Alps. The tour will also commemorate the first ascent of Monviso, which took place exactly 150 years ago. The Global Youth Summit is designed to promote peace and cooperation between countries and protection of the environment. The UIAA Youth Commission encourages UIAA Member Federations to organise youth events such as climbing camps or mountain ascents, treks or environmental events. Certain themes and aims such as crag development, local ethics and traditions, or improving individual performance are welcome additions. The events should be open to youth from other countries, giving young people the opportunity to form friendships across borders.

Korea and Russia leave mark on 2011 Ice Climbing season

Female Pakistani climber inspires women and youth
Mountaineering exploits by a Pakistani woman, Samina Baig, have been hailed as inspiring for women and youth of the country. Pakistans Minister for Sports, Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani, congratulated Baig on her achievements which he said were unheard of in Pakistan. He assured the participants at a meeting in his office in Islamabad in early February that the Pakistani government will extend every possible support for the promotion of mountaineering in Pakistan. Attending the meeting were Baig, the Secretary Sports, DG Pakistan Sports Board and President and the Secretary of Alpine Club of Pakistan, representatives of the Danish embassy as well as the UIAA Youth Commission President, Anne Arran. Baigs recent winter climbing expedition in the Karakorum was financially supported by the Danish government with the aim to promote new young role models in Pakistan and create a more positive image of Pakistan among an international public. The Youth Commission is inspired by positive steps forward in youth education in Pakistan mountain villages, said Arran. Hand in hand with indoor facilities and outdoor climbing area developments close to cities, it can only motivate more youth to be adventurous. Samina and her fellow mountaineers are now better placed to achieve their own summits and will have the opportunity to take part in international ascents such as the UIAA Global Youth Summit which promotes peace, co-operation and protection of the environment. I was impressed by Saminas performance and motivation - this will surely inspire others, Arran concluded. Motivate women Baig said it was her intention to motivate more women to participate in climbing as this will give a message of confidence to females everywhere. The Pakistani climber, who earlier in 2010 ascended an unclimbed peak of 6,400 metres - her first-ever expedition and summiting said she would also try to promote tourist trekking and climbing opportunities in Pakistan. Not least in my own region in Gilgit Balistan, as this can create economic opportunities, which are badly required for society. I would 100 per cent like to take part in a UIAA international meet, and it will be an honour for me to learn from the international community and deliver it to my fellow young people in my country. Following the meeting, the Secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, Abu Zafar Sadiq, said: indeed, we would nominate an active member for the UIAA Youth Commission and may design a youth programme in Pakistan in collaboration with the UIAA. Also discussed was the further development of indoor climbing facilities in Islamabad with the Federal Sports Minister and how his team might support this. Samina Baig (right of centre) and Anne Arran (left of centre) along with Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani and other Pakistani and Danish dignitaries This message was welcomed by UIAA President Mike Mortimer. The UIAA recognises and supports the development of mountain and climbing education for youth in Pakistan. Improving access to the country's fine mountain areas for youth is positive for both the future of the sport and environmental awareness, Mortimer said. Promoting youth The Danish Ambassador to Pakistan Uffe Wolffhechel explained why his country was supporting initiatives like the exploits by Baig: The Danish government believes in the future of Pakistan, and the future lies with educating and promoting the youth of Pakistan. I have climbed with Samina and she is a remarkable mountaineer and also a positive role model of gender equality. We are proud to promote her and to draw to the attention of the international media this positive story of courage and opportunities. The role of diplomacy is to facilitate contacts and to promote development and values across borders. Samina is doing just this with her adventure diplomacy. The deputy head of the Danish mission, Jens Jacob Simonsen, sees the UIAA playing an important role. Obviously the UIAA can also help to promote values like cultural understanding when climbing is developed across the borders. The UIAA is well known internationally and the brand of the organization might be used to promote such universal values. The UIAA Global Youth Summit is the essence of adventure diplomacy. It is a great idea. The mountain Baig climbed in 2010, Chashksin Sar, has now been renamed Samina Peak in her honour. Samina's achievements can be found here.

First braking devices receive Safety Label
Petzl's GriGri2 (image: petzl.com) Petzls GriGri2 and four pieces of equipment from Black Diamond have become the first braking devices to be certified by the UIAA and can now bear the UIAA Safety Label the only certification for braking devices worldwide. The Black Diamond devices are: ATC, ATC-Guide, ATC-XP, ATC-Sport. The UIAA Safety Commission has pushed back the date when the standard takes effect; it is now July 1, 2011. The decision to push back the date was taken due to minor modifications to the standard at a meeting of the commission in Italy last year. The braking device standard defines the basic expectations that climbers may have concerning the device strength and slippage of rope through the device. The requirements set forth in the standard are based on the forces that can develop during fall arrest with the use of dynamic ropes. Requirements vary according to device classification, which includes manual devices (for example, tuber devices and figure-8s), locking assist devices (Gri-Gri ) and devices with a panic function (Eddy). All classifications require a strength test to demonstrate that neither the device nor the rope are compromised during braking, and both the locking assist and panic function devices must also be tested for rope slippage. The UIAA Safety Commission works to minimise accidents in mountaineering and climbing by developing and revising technical safety standards for equipment. It also offers guidelines for individuals on how to maintain equipment and avoid accidents. Jean-Franck Charlet, Safety Commission president, calls the UIAA Safety Label the worldwide reference for mountaineering and climbing safety equipment. More than 50 manufacturers worldwide, representing 1,900 products, have been approved to use a UIAA Safety Label. Organizations that require the UIAA safety label for climbing equipment, either directly or by adoption, can use the UIAA certified equipment web search function to determine which belay/rappel devices have valid safety labels. Other belay/rappel devices are in the process of being tested for compliance with this standard. (Technical details and other input provided by Dave Custer, Vice President of the UIAA Safety Commission)

Sweden moves forward on Access issues
A screenshot of Sweden's new access database The Swedish Climbing Federation (SKF) has produced a sign on Right of Public Access that it will put up at crags throughout the country in 2011, in cooperation with local clubs. Through its Access Commission, the UIAA supports such moves by mountaineering federations to introduce Best Practices. In the following article, Jonas Paulsson of the SKF says climbing is becoming more popular in Sweden, both among Swedes and foreign visitors and he explains what impact this popularity growth has on access issues. As in most countries we see an increased interest in climbing in general. Its fun in many ways but it will require more awareness among climbers. Fifteen to 20 years ago most climbers had an outdoor background but today we see a broader spectrum of climbers with varying backgrounds. Thats one of the reasons that we produced the sign. In Sweden theres the Right of Public Access, which allows people to freely enjoy nature, even on someone elses land. But The Right of Public Access also comes with great responsibility. There are a lot of things to consider when you are in the outdoors and although many climbers want to see themselves as highly aware of environmental issues I think its safe to say that climbers as a group are like most people. There will always be individuals who dont know how to act in the outdoors. Spreading access information and information about the Right of Public Access is one of the most important tasks of our Access Committee. For example we have an Access Database (in Swedish and English) which can help people keep up to date with local information. We believe though that the best way to reach climbers is at the actual crags and thats why the sign was produced. The sign will be posted in both Swedish and English Another reason for the sign is to make it clear to visiting climbers that safety when climbing outside is the responsibility of the individual. We see a new generation of climbers that are more used to an environment the indoor wall where the responsibility partly lies with someone else. Combined with the fact that many of these newcomers want the crags to be as convenient as the indoor wall I think that we now see a movement where climbing outside is expected to be more like a public service. Therefore we think its important to stress that climbing outside is still a personal activity where the individual is totally responsible for his or her own safety. We also see an increased interest in climbing in Sweden among foreign climbers. How much is hard to say, but there are a few areas in the south of Sweden that have been featured in international magazines in the last couple of years, for example Kjugekull, a bouldering area close to Denmark, and Bohusln, a trad climbing paradise on the west coast north of Gothenburg. There is also a film about climbing in Bohusln which has contributed to the interest to some degree. Weve had a few access issues where climbers have been behaving badly. It often refers to poor parking, littering and unnecessary noise (shouting abuse for example) near homes. In some cases there have been climbers ignoring bird restrictions, which of course is very serious. International climbers are always welcome to Sweden to enjoy our beloved crags. But we do hope that they treat our crags, environment and locals (both climbers and non-climbers) with respect. The sign we produced was made possible by grants from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvrdsverket) and we are now working in cooperation with local climbing clubs to get these signs up at some of our most important crags.

How to prevent Legionella infections in mountain huts
An Italian mountain hut (photo: CAI) 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 a severe pneumonia from a Legionella infection. While taking into account international guidelines, the paper, Legionella in Mountain Huts, recommendation for prevention and control of Legionella, keeps in mind the problems and the difficulties existing in these structures. This includes advice on various ways of reducing the health risk including tips on how to disinfect the water supply and water container before reopening of the hut for the season. Comprehensive recommendations The Legionella document is the 19th and latest in a comprehensive series of recommendation papers that can be downloaded from the UIAA Medical Commissions page. The documents provide essential tips on issues of importance to mountaineers or anyone going to high altitude. Many have also been translated into German, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Polish. The UIAA Medical Commission is a global forum of doctors who meet regularly to up date information on medical issues related to the mountains.

Colombia considers applying for UIAA membership
Colombian alpine scenery (UPAME) UIAA Vice President Jordi Colomer recently held talks in Colombia with authorities from the national mountaineering and climbing federation, FECDME, which hopes to apply for UIAA membership in 2011. Colomer also met with officials from Coldeportes, the governmental authority for sports in Colombia. The talks were held from November 26 30, which also included a meeting with the Colombia Olympic Committee. After several years in which the Colombian Mountaineering Federation was inactive, several clubs have started to build a committee to start the organization and Executive Board elections in order to pursue mountaineering and climbing activities, Colomer said after a talks with FECDMEs restructuring committee. The Comit pro Federacin was lead by Fernando Gonzalez Rubio, Silvio Alejo Martinez and Oscar Agera. The objective was to start activities from June 2011. They want to apply to becoe a UIAA member in 2011. On November 29, Colomer met with Carlos Gomez, a Coldeportes adviser. Colomer said Gomez is very involved in assisting the Colombia federation to begin mountaineering activities, and that he had asked for UIAA collaboration in this matter. These talks were followed by a meeting with the Colombia Olympic Committee president. Jordi Colomer The UIAA Vice President said the Colombian federation still had a lot of work to do to reach its objectives, but he was optimistic they could achieve their goals due to the enthusiasm of the people involved, and their experience in the management of clubs. FECDME also expressed an interest to begin collaborating with the Latin American continental federation, UPAME, and asked Colomer about participating in the UIAA Training Standards in 2011.

To bolt or not to bolt, discussed at Mountaineering Commission meeting
UIAA Training Standards and attempts to find a global consensus on bolting were two of the highlights discussed at the meeting in Moscow of the Mountaineering Commission. The following report is from Phil Wickens, commission secretary: The UIAA Mountaineering Commission met in Moscow, Russia, in November 2010. The meeting was hosted by the Russian Mountaineering Federation (RMF) and was very well attended by 20 delegates from 14 different countries, and the UIAA President, Mike Morrtimer, again highlighting the increasing strength and value of the Commissions work on a global scale. The group were welcomed by Andrei Volkov, who also arranged for a number of parallel meetings between the mountaineering federations from countries of the former Soviet Union, all of whom are very interested in strengthening their ties with the UIAA and in developing their own national mountain training systems. Russian advance Delegates of the UIAA Mountaineering Commission in Red Square The RMF has re-instated a national training and guiding school, and has put a lot of work into developing a modern mountaineering infrastructure. The Mountaineering Commission is very pleased to be working with the RMF and are excited to be involved with the development of climbing in the former Soviet states. Training The Mountaineering Commission is pleased to announce that the UIAA Training Standards Working Group has now come of age, having demonstrated that it provides a service that is highly valued by the member Federations. In order to cope with the increasing demand for its services, three working parties were created to streamline its structure, standardise its procedures and allow for sustainable development. The group also investigated expansion of its programme in order to provide UIAA training standards to non-Federation organizations. Advice on the business aspect of the group was provided by Jean-Jacques Eleouet, General Secretary of the Petzl Foundation charity, whose involvement with the group has added enormous value to the development of mountain leader training in India and Nepal. Discussing Training Standards for Voluntary Leaders To bolt? The Mountaineering Commission Bolting Working Group is in the process of compiling policies and statements from the member federations regarding the placement of fixed equipment. By understanding the different approaches and views to this emotive issue, the group aims to develop a UIAA Bolting Policy that will be adopted by all member federations. The group then aims to establish guidelines, based on existing policies, to assist federations in developing their own policy and guidelines for the placement of fixed protection. Accident statistics At present there is no way of analyzing mountain accident statistics from around the world, even though the results would be of great importance for understanding mountain safety, and would have numerous applications, such as the development of insurance programmes. Chiaki Aoyama (Japan) has been investigating the feasibility of an international system for acquiring mountain accident data and presented this to the Mountaineering Commission. He is now looking at how such a system can be implemented so that accurate and reliable information can be collated and compared. In partnership with the Petzl Foundation charity, the Mountaineering Commission held courses and meetings in Leh and Manali to help develop mountain leader training in India. These courses were enthusiastically attended, and follow-up work is being carried out to ensure that a training structure and training courses that meet UIAA standards are organized and held in India. Phil Wickens (BMC), Secretary, UIAA Mountaineering Commission

image: Lukasz Warzecha The countdown to the 2011 Ice Climbing World Cup (January 8-March 8) has begun. For the first time, an event will be held in Asia, hosted by the Korean Alpine Federation. There will be Lead and Speed competitions in Cheongsong, Korea, as well as the established events across Europe. The UIAA would like to expand the circuit further, and organize or certify some North American events in order to make them part of the Ice Climbing World Cup. David Dornian of the Alpine Club of Canada, and newest member of the UIAA Ice Climbing Commission, explains the challenges the UIAA may face in bringing the UIAA World Cup brand across the Atlantic Ocean. A number of ice climbing competitions take place across North America each winter. Are they in any way co-ordinated as part of a common circuit, or are their common rules, common disciplines etc? They are not coordinated nor have they ever been. There have been some traditional annual events, and some quite high profile ones, too, but they have never been connected to each other in a series, or a common format for competition, or under any one organization. The competitions that exist tend to be associated with ice climbing gatherings or festivals, and they take a supporting role to the commercial or tourism-oriented focus of the programming. How successful are these events at attracting top climbers? How great is the sponsorship potential? These existing events usually invite top climbers to present or teach clinics as much as to compete. Prize money is quite minimal, and the organizers try to attract climbing stars, or sponsored athletes by other means. The sponsorship potential is quite good, though it is often already embedded, in the sense that it is the sponsors who are hosting the ice climbing festivals and they are not always so enthusiastic about seeking out climbers who might not be in their stable, or as well known to the audience they hope to attract. How would you see N.American events being integrated into the UIAA World Cup circuit, and what hurdles need to be overcome? Typical growth and ambition leads the established events to want to raise their profile, however, and offer something that the others do not. I find that many organizing committees are initially interested in having their event made into a World Cup or international calendar event, but they can become reluctant when they see the rules and the costs involved, and realise that they might have to limit the access of their local athletes. David Dornian Up until now, the World Cup has been limited to Europe. What demands do you think North American organisers would put on the UIAA? North American events could become a successful part of the UIAA World Cup circuit, if their organizers could somehow be given an expanded awareness of the excitement and attraction of a large international event. At the moment, the level of knowledge and will to participate is low among the UIAA Member Federations here, though there are many, many athletes who are curious about becoming involved. There is no real administrative infrastructure available, which is both a good and a bad thing. It means that ice climbing competition series could be built to integrate completely with UIAA formats and calendars, but it does mean that they would have to be built from the ground up. The expertise and instruction and regulation would have to come from the UIAA and its Ice Climbing Commission. North American organizers would need from the UIAA clear communications and instruction answers about costs, rules, expertise an event package, available in English, that could give those interested a complete picture of what they would need to do to be placed on the international calendar, and then what the competition would look like and how many athletes would attend. There is not much experience here in the climbing community about financing such events, yet a clear attitude that those events should be self-supporting potential organizers need as much reassurance and clear information as we can give them just because they will have never done such competitions before and are nervous about committing. How will you define your role as the new member of the IC Commission, representing N.America? What do you think you can contribute to the commission? I am personally trying to provide that information to the potential organizers of ice climbing World Cups here in North America. As a keen ice and mixed climber myself I am familiar with many of the events we are speaking about in this part of the world, and I have been involved off and on with ice climbing competitions and athletes since the inception of the sport as a commercial endeavor under Harry Berger and others. During that time there were World Cups in Quebec and interest was running higher. Indeed, Will Gadd, a Canadian climber, was the first world champion under that regime. For matters of experience and comparison, I have close to 15 years of involvement with competition climbing at an international level, and nearly a decade of similar work with ski mountaineering competition. I have seen the successes and trials of these other sports as they work to spread their influence and develop toward Olympic recognition, and I am both impressed with what the UIAA has accomplished with the Ice Climbing Competition so far, and wary of the size of the task remaining to take the sport truly around the world.

Does the UIAA represent the interests of Member Federations?
How well does the UIAA look after the interests of the worlds mountaineering federations and clubs? At the 2010 UIAA General Assembly in Bormio, Italy, representatives from around the globe voiced their desires which are as diverse as the mountain cultures they come from. The following statements are excerpted from a small survey of presidents of UIAA Member Federations: Lee Injeong, President Korean Alpine Federation The UIAA has up to now been focused on European countries. From now on, cooperation and friendships should be increased with Asian countries. The Korean federation, Lee said, is in the process of expanding its mandate beyond expeditions and climbing. Now we have a project for mountain culture programmes and youth education, as well as ecology and the environment. And we should do more to improve relations with other countries. Georges Elzire, President French Alpine Club (FFCAM) A national approach cannot be as effective as a global approach. When federations meet, new ideas are found that promote mountaineering, said Elzire about his nations desire to have the UIAA help improve relations between associations all over the world. The French federation is a founding member of the UIAA. France would like to preserve traditional climbing values. We live in a society where we strive to make equipment that makes mountaineering more easy. But we must keep it human, so we face mountains as they are unequipped. We must learn to face risks. Too often we only see the bad side of risks but you learn who you are when you take risks. Zdeněk Hrub, President Czech Mountaineering Federation We greatly appreciate international projects and activities, but we would also like to see more direct value for our federation. Hrub said the Czech federation benefitted little from the UIAA with the exception of services provided by the Medical and Safety Commissions. Many years ago if you belonged to a club represented by a UIAA Member Federation you had a discount staying in huts. This was greatly appreciated. The Czech Mountaineering Federation is an umbrella organisation for many climbing and outdoor sports, from alpine skiing to indoor climbing. Zimba Zangbu Sherpa, President Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) In the past, the NMA and the Expedition Commission did a lot of work on mountaineering regulations in Nepal. We changed many of them because we had a lot of problems with liason officers and how to get permits etc. For this reason, Zangbu said, the NMA delegation at the UIAA GA is accompanied by an official from the Nepal tourism ministry. This is so he understands the problem of Himalayan expeditions, regarding permits and government issues. Nowadays you can open a permit in one day, before you needed 15-20 days. He sees the UIAA as a facilitator, and would like to see the Expedition Commission reactivated. A large part of the NMAs work is to lobby the government to open new peaks. There are more than 300 unclimbed peaks in Nepal, Zangbu said. Dave Jones, President Mountain Club of South Africa For our members the question is often asked, what does the UIAA do for me? And what they would like - if they go climbing overseas is to make contact and make use of reciprocal facilities like huts, and get information from local clubs, and assistance on finding routes and the best guides. Thats not really happening. Jones said the South African club, considered white elitist, has introduced outreach programmes to introduce climbing and mountaineering to the countrys black population, particularly its youth. Alfredo Velzquez, President Mexican Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (FMDME) We want to participate in the UIAAs Training Standards programme. We are a proud UIAA member (since 1942) but we would like to have more for our climbers such as participation in the Training Standards. It is also very important to have UIAA support for access and traditional climbing in Mexico. The Mexican federation has about 3,000 members in 12 associations, which in turn represent 116 clubs. We need to preserve the values of our sport, and the spirit of adventure, Velzquez added about his federations support for traditional climbing.

The International Mountain Summit tackled urgent issues
The International Mountain Summit (IMS), took place this year from October 30 to November 7, and celebrated its partnerships with leading organisations that work to protect mountain regions. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Alpine and Carpathian Convention and the UIAA all supported the weeklong event in Brixen/Bressanone, Italy. UNEP organized the IMS congress day on Sustainable Tourism in the Mountains. Other timely issues on the agenda included: Handling World Heritage Sites the right way, women and mountaineering, the right to risk and rescue from the worlds highest mountains. Manaslu Camp 2, 6.250 m(image: Air Zermatt) The latter was organised by the The EURAC Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine. EURAC is the first research institute in the field of Mountain Emergency Medicine, and it was founded in 2009. Leading scientists, alpinists and stakeholders attended the seminar on rescues to discuss the contrasting points of view: favouring a rapid response team based in Europe, or the idea of initiating education and technical support to empower local alpinists and mountain rescuers. President of the UIAA Medical Commission, Buddha Basnyat, was one of the keynote speakers, making an address titled, Approaching a new chain of survival in the Himalayas.

Can UIAA reconcile diverse demands of global community?
How well does the UIAA look after the interests of the worlds mountaineering federations and clubs? At the 2010 UIAA General Assembly in Bormio, Italy, representatives from around the globe voiced their desires which are as diverse as the mountain cultures they come from. The following statements are excerpted from a small survey of presidents of UIAA Member Federations: Lee Injeong, President Korean Alpine Federation The UIAA has up to now been focused on European countries. From now on, cooperation and friendships should be increased with Asian countries. The Korean federation, Lee said, is in the process of expanding its mandate beyond expeditions and climbing. Now we have a project for mountain culture programmes and youth education, as well as ecology and the environment. And we should do more to improve relations with other countries. Georges Elzire, President French Alpine Club (FFCAM) A national approach cannot be as effective as a global approach. When federations meet, new ideas are found that promote mountaineering, said Elzire about his nations desire to have the UIAA help improve relations between associations all over the world. The French federation is a founding member of the UIAA. Like Mexico, France would like to preserve traditional climbing values. We live in a society where we strive to make equipment that makes mountaineering more easy. But we must keep it human, so we face mountains as they are unequipped. We must learn to face risks. Too often we only see the bad side of risks but you learn who you are when you take risks. Zdeněk Hrub, President Czech Mountaineering Federation We greatly appreciate international projects and activities, but we would also like to see more direct value for our federation. Hrub said the Czech federation benefitted little from the UIAA with the exception of services provided by the Medical and Safety Commissions. Many years ago if you belonged to a club represented by a UIAA Member Federation you had a discount staying in huts. This was greatly appreciated. The Czech Mountaineering Federation is an umbrella organisation for many climbing and outdoor sports, from alpine skiing to indoor climbing. Zimba Zangbu Sherpa, President Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) In the past, the NMA and the Expedition Commission did a lot of work on mountaineering regulations in Nepal. We changed many of them because we had a lot of problems with liason officers and how to get permits etc. For this reason, Zangbu said, the NMA delegation at the UIAA GA is accompanied by an official from the Nepal tourism ministry. This is so he understands the problem of Himalayan expeditions, regarding permits and government issues. Nowadays you can open a permit in one day, before you needed 15-20 days. He sees the UIAA as a facilitator, and would like to see the Expedition Commission reactivated. A large part of the NMAs work is to lobby the government to open new peaks. There are more than 300 unclimbed peaks in Nepal, Zangbu said. Dave Jones, President Mountain Club of South Africa For our members the question is often asked, what does the UIAA do for me? And what they would like - if they go climbing overseas is to make contact and make use of reciprocal facilities like huts, and get information from local clubs, and assistance on finding routes and the best guides. Thats not really happening. Jones said the South African club, considered white elitist, has introduced outreach programmes to introduce climbing and mountaineering to the countrys black population, particularly its youth. Alfredo Velzquez, President Mexican Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (FMDME) We want to participate in the UIAAs Training Standards programme. We are a proud UIAA member (since 1942) but we would like to have more for our climbers such as participation in the Training Standards. It is also very important to have UIAA support for access and traditional climbing in Mexico. The Mexican federation has about 3,000 members in 12 associations, which in turn represent 116 clubs. We need to preserve the values of our sport, and the spirit of adventure, Velzquez added about his federations support for traditional climbing.

UIAA initiates dialogue to reduce climbing red tape
Suma Brak summit above Choktoi glacier (image: Mark Richey) Leading members of the global climbing community have discussed the concerns of climbers and challenges of undertaking expeditions to high and remote mountain ranges. The frank and open debate took place on the sidelines of the 2010 UIAA General Assembly in Bormio, Italy on October 8. Sometimes just getting to the base of a mountain is a hurdle as great as climbing the peak itself, the well-attended meeting heard. Mark Richey of the American Alpine Club (AAC) led the discussion and outlined the aims of the Expeditions working group set up by the UIAA. He said some of the pressing issues are the following: opening new and closed areas for climbers; developing a consistent and appropriate permit and fee model; reducing fees for young climbers and ensuring fair treatment of local guides and Sherpas. Legendary British climber Doug Scott, a member of the working group, said climbers in Europe take for granted that there are no regulations in the Alps and said the goal was to get as close to alpine conditions as we can. Scott also said it was absurd that mountaineers were willing to pay huge sums of money to launch an expedition and cover fees, and then try to save by underpaying local guides and porters. He recommended the introduction of guide/porter minimum wages. Nepal concerns Ang Tshering Sherpa, immediate past president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, reminded the gathering that the Nepal government had declared that certain areas were free of fees for five years (2009-2014). These are the Mid Western and Far Western Mountains of Nepal. Also all previous summiteers of Everest and Dhaulagiri are eligible for a free entry visa this year and in 2011 as a way of honouring them as good will ambassadors. He also emphasised the importance of mountain tourism for the Himalayan nation, and that without it illegal activities with devastating consequences would increase, such as logging and poaching. Tshering said the UIAA must do more to address environmental issues in the Himalayas. He said the use of personal toilet bags are helping expeditions reduce the amount of human waste left on the mountains. Colonel Neeraj Rana, the Principal of Indias Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, said a goal had to be to lessen the burden on the regions most frequently climbed peaks. Clare Bond, president of the UIAA Access Commission, responded by saying that it could be the role of the UIAA to raise awareness of lesser known mountains. Commercial guiding companies should be given a voice in the UIAAs work on improving access since this will lend the process greater credibility, added John Nankervis of New Zealand. The head of the defunct UIAA Expeditions Commission, Renato Moro, said a main challenge of the UIAA is to find reliable partners in Asian nations to work with on these issues. In conclusion, Richey said creating a forum for international discussion in itself was important. To be effective, he added, any future expeditions commission would need to be small but have corresponding members representing all countries.

General Assembly discusses safety, environment issues
Bormio, seen from Stelvio Pass (image: Snowdog) A host of new initiatives to make travelling in mountains safer and more environmentally friendly were discussed at the UIAA General Assembly (GA). The 2010 GA was held in Bormio, Italy on October 9, and hosted by the Italian Alpine Club (CAI). It was preceded by a meeting of the members of the UIAA Management Committee, as well as a special event assessing mountain huts. Many of our federations operate mountain huts. By providing a place on our website we can create an electronic resource centre which will allow our Federations to provide or seek information regarding best practices in the management of facilities, says UIAA President, Mike Mortimer. We can all learn from our fellow Federations. The number of new initiatives launched this year are unprecedented, adds UIAA Executive Board member, Silvio Calvi. They include a plan to introduce a Mountain Protection Label for tour operators - based on guidelines written by the United Nations Environment Programme, a database for mountain access information, the collection of accident statistics and the further development of internationally recognised training standards. On top of that, the UIAA is using the GA to discuss closer cooperation between the UIAA and museums and libraries affiliated with Member Federations. Benefits vs costs Confronted with the wide range of new activities, the Management Committee earlier this year agreed to a proposal by Calvi to make every effort to improve project management to ensure the right balance between costs and benefits. UIAA Executive Director Ingo Nicolay and UIAA President Mike Mortimer in Bormio Besides new initiatives, UIAA commissions reported on their activities over the past year, and future plans. The Medical Commission is working to expand its cooperation with the International Society of Mountain Medicine (ISMM) and the International Commission for Alpine Rescue (ICAR), and the Mountaineering Commission provided an update on the reform of its Legal Experts Working Group. Safety Label The Safety Commission, responsible for the UIAAs internationally recognised Safety Label, headed into the meeting having implemented additional services for manufacturers and agreed new research projects. As part of its efforts to raise the bar for safety standards, the commission is investigating corrosion of anchors in tropical, marine environments. The Youth Commission highlighted its international meets known under the name, Global Youth Summit. Commission President Anne Arran presented plans for an international youth festival and workshop in Khumbu, Nepal in 2011 for young climbers and their accompanying leaders. We are extremely grateful that the CAI hosted our General Assembly in Bormio. This is especially so since CAI is a founding member of the UIAA, Mortimer concluded.

Russia has its first UIAA-certified climbing instructors
In the following report, Anna Stolbova of the Russian Mountaineering Federation (RMF) describes the successful conclusion of the first UIAA-certified course for Russian climbing instructors: Nine candidates successfully completed the training course on Rock Climbing Instructor programme which took place in the Mountaineering Camp Bezengi in the Caucasus region in June 2010. Organization of the Rock Climbing Instructor Course became possible thanks to the programme of cooperation between the RMF and the UIAA. The long-term aim of the RMF activities is the development and implementation of the new Russian standard of Mountaineering Instructors Training in view of the international requirements. In spring of 2009 the RMF and the UIAA achieved the agreement on international certification of the Central Instructors School (CIS) to meet the UIAA Training Standards requirements. Ronald Whitehead, the President of the Quebec national mountaineering school in Canada (ENEQ) was appointed to be the curator of the CIS from the UIAA. In summer 2009 Ronald Whitehead took part in the CIS work as a moderator. And at the beginning of June 2010 he ran Rock Climbing Instructor Course for CIS trainers on rock climbing technique. The Course had the following aims: - training and graduating the first instructors in Russia to be certified in full equivalence to a UIAA-accredited programme - development of the Russian standards on training rock climbing technique in CIS on the basis of the UIAA Course - training young instructors for the future work in the Russian School - exchange of experience The course trainers: Ronald Whitehead is the member of the Training Standards Commission UIAA, ENEQ President Benoit Waller is ENEQ trainer, Rock Climbing guide by the Canadian system. During the training process the following aspects were focused on: 1. UIAA Training Standard 2. practical training 3. teaching methodology 4. course feedback Roman Bryk, a candidate of the course comments on the training process: From the very beginning the Canadian trainers precisely stated their position: there are a lot of methods and techniques, but the training will be based only on the UIAA Standards. Russian techniques are different from the UIAA standards in details and peculiarities. So the candidates had to retrain to do many technical elements. Separately we were taught skills of work with carabiners, ropes, knots, fall factors with their characteristics and etc. Every day from early morning till evening the candidates perfected new techniques, in the evening they made presentations on definite topics, and so it lasted for nine days. The final examination consisted of three parts: 1. The written examination 2. The practical examination on methodology (teaching session). Each candidate was asked to teach six beginners one of the techniques: multi-pitch rappel, rope ascent and etc. As the beginners there were women working in the kitchen in the Base Camp. 3. The practical examination on multi-pitch climbing (5b, 5c) Nine candidates successfully passed the examination. In 2011 the modules on snow and ice techniques, bolting climbing routes, ski-mountaineering are planned for CIS trainers with the participation of the UIAA experts. The questions of CIS international certification will also be discussed at the Meeting of Mountaineering Commission UIAA which will be held in Moscow in November 2010. The RMF thanks Ronald Whitehead and Benoit Waller for their professionalism, proper administration of the project, attentive attitude to the candidates as well as it thanks the UIAA for the assistance in organizing this course.

Safety Label Holders reduce carbon footprint
Many UIAA Safety Label Holders are increasing efforts to reduce the environmental impact of their manufacturing processes. Three companies, Grivel, Beal and Mammut, tell the UIAA about their initiatives and why these efforts not only protect the environment but also make good business sense. Respecting the planet should be logical for outdoor industry players, says Betta Gobbi of Grivel about the Italian companys decision to cover the 7,000m2 roof of its factory with solar panels. Grivel says the solar panels will produce enough energy to reduce carbon emissions by nearly 700kg a day, and lower oil consumption by about 1,000 barrels each year. Rope manufacturer Beal has taken a very different approach. The French firm is working with the non-profit organization, Wood en Stock, to plant a tree in Madagascar for every rope it sells. Beal has a production facility on the island nation which has been greatly affected by deforestation. We consider it is a good return to help the country, explains Michel Beal of the one purchased rope, one planted tree project. The trees are planted in the Andringitra region, where the famous Tsaranoro mountain is located, with its very well known face - one the best spots in the world! Beal says that Wood en Stock has taught local people to grow and plant the trees and take care of the plantations, avoiding the use of small trees for cooking or heating. Swiss equipment and clothing manufacturer Mammut is offsetting the 280 tons of CO2 emissions each year from its rope production, and now claims that making the ropes is climate neutral. Mammut has teamed up with the climate offset organization MyClimate to fund sustainable energy programmes around the world. But Mammut is working hard behind the scenes too. Measures are taken on company level as much as on product level, Mammut Sports Group CEO Rolf Schmid tells the UIAA. An analysis of the eco impact at Mammut headquarters has been conducted in 2010. Based on this research, an internal eco data management and monitoring system will be established. The Swiss company is also undertaking a life cycle analysis of three Mammut products in order to better understand their eco impact. Schimd says other initiatives on the product level include the use of organic cotton, recycled materials and other environmental friendly fabrics. Good for business Betta Gobbi of Grivel firmly believes reducing her companys carbon footprint is good for business. It will lower the cost of energy and allow us to remain competitive, she says. Grivel invested 2 million in the solar panels, which have been guaranteed for 25 years. We also want to place products on global markets which respect the environment, and we believe this can be an advantage towards our competitors. Michel Beal agrees: Customers very much like our very concrete action. The One rope, One tree flyer attached to each rope has an individual number, which guarantees that we effectively plant the tree. Thanks to this programme around 150,000 trees have already been put into the ground in Madagascar. And when a single tree is only a few years old, Beal says, it already compensates for the entire carbon needed for the production of a rope. Both Gobbi and Beal think more companies should engage in actions easily recognisable by the customer. Similar to the One rope, One tree action, Grivel attaches a label to all of its products which states, Made in Italy with Solar Energy. Mammut's carbon offsetting contributions partly funded building of low energy Monte Rosa hut near Zermatt On a larger scale, the 50-strong members (including some UIAA Safety Label Holders) of the European Outdoor Group (EOG) have begun testing an Eco Index. The index is designed to help companies benchmark and measure their environmental footprint, according to the EOG website. Rolf Schmid says Mammut is actively engaged with the EOGs Sustainability Working Group, and has taken on a leadership role within its sub-working group on end-of-life solutions.

UIAA sends condolences to Graftiaux family
www.chloegraftiaux.com The UIAA is saddened to learn of the death of Chlo Graftiaux, who died on August 21 while descending from the summit along the South Face of Aiguille Noire de Peuterey in the Mont Blanc massif. We would like to express our condolences to her family and friends. She was a very kind person and a great climber, said Pavel Shabalin, president of the UIAA Ice Climbing Commission. In January of this year, Chlo Graftiaux attained a new peak when she won the Lead event at an Ice Climbing World Cup competition in Val Daone, Italy. Chlo was fourth overall for the season. Chloe was an extremly inspiring person. She competed in ice and sport climbing and was extremly sucessful, remembered Ice Climbing Commission member, Urs Stoecker. Besides this she also was a strong summer and winter alpinist. It showed me that such a combination is possible although I thought it was not! But most importantly, besides her superhuman performances she was still an extremly nice person with a big heart and a never ending smile! She will always live on by her impressive and nice spirit! The 23-year-old Belgian also won the overall bronze in the 2010 Bouldering World Cup - and captured the Belgian Lead title on various occasions. Out of competition, she challenged herself on the real ice found on Super Couloir on Mont Blanc and other famous icefalls, such as Polar Circus in Canada. In winter she carried out a series of impressive steep ski descents, and accomplished long rock routes - up the smooth limestone Verdon Gorge in France and the rough granite in America's Yosemite. (with input from PlanetMountain.com)

Plans announced to reduce environmental impact
image: Mark Richey On the occasion of World Environment Day (June 5), the UIAA highlighted its commitment by announcing plans for a Mountain Protection label. The UIAA wants to make it easier for mountaineers to minimise their impact on the environment. For this reason the international federation is preparing the launch of a certification scheme. It foresees a label being awarded to tour operators and mountain recreation organisations which commit themselves to acting according to high mountain protection standards. As the basis for certification, the UIAA intends to use the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) guidelines Mountains and Tourism A Practical Guide to Managing the Environmental and Social Impacts of Mountain Tours and the accompanying Check List. Because they harbour so much of the worlds biodiversity, mountain regions are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of tourism, climate change, and global warming, says Linda McMillan, UIAA Mountain Protection Commission president and Deputy Vice-Chairman, IUCN-WCPA Mountains Biome. The Mountain Protection Label is designed to be an easy to use high-value tool that enables tour operators and their clients to minimise impacts on our precious mountain landscapes. Nepal support President of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, and founder of the tour operator, Asian Trekking, Ang Tshering Sherpa is also enthusiastic about the plan: The Mountain Protection Label is a very exciting idea. Currently, we are investing a lot of time communicating with potential clients to convince them of our commitment to social, cultural and environmental protection. This Label will provide operators like us a convenient and trusted way to prove of our strong commitment to mountain protection ethics. According to the proposals under discussion in the UIAA, certified companies and organisations will be empowered to vote on the statutes and governance of the new label, receive invitations to Mountain Protection member events worldwide such as the forthcoming meeting on waste management organised by the American Alpine Club. There will also be occasions to come together with UIAA scientific partners and other label holders to discuss protection issues and research. image UNEP: World Environment Day World Environment Day, first held in 1972, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and encourages political attention and action. This years theme is Many Species. One Planet. One Future. According to UNEP, it echoes the urgent call to conserve the diversity of life on our planet. A world without biodiversity is a very bleak prospect. Millions of people and millions of species all share the same planet.

UIAA partners with International Mountain Summit
The UIAA is a partner with the International Mountain Summit, a multi-faceted event that brings together some of the greatest climbers the world has ever known. The IMS, taking place this year from October 30 to November 7 in the South Tyrol town of Brixen/Bressanone, includes talks with such renowned mountaineers as Reinhold Messner, Kurt Diemberger and blind climber Andy Holzer. The IMS Congress will tackle issues such as risk taking and rescues, climbing ethics and women in mountaineering. The congress is divided into five themes: Mountains and Culture, Mountains and Safety, Mountains and People and Mountains and Organizations But the IMS is more than a talk shop and this is what makes it unique. It also includes walks with some of the top participating climbers, a boulder workshop and competition as well as mountain film screenings. UIAA spoke to one of the IMS founders, Alex Ploner, about the IMS and its partnership with the UIAA. UIAA: What is the main aim of the IMS? Alex Ploner: The goal of the International Mountain Summit is to be a platform for everyone who is in involved with the mountains in some way. Its an open platform, not connected to any party or with commitments to any association or federation. Its an open competition for ideas. New ways forward should be considered, existing state of affairs debated and even crazy approaches assessed so that mountain environments as habitats and as places to visit are preserved for all living things. IMS highlights and presents mountains in all of their facets. Ploner, UIAA President Mike Mortimer, UIAA staff member Gurdeepak Ahuja, UIAA Executive Director Ingo Nicolay (from left to right) UIAA: Why is it important for the IMS to be recognised by the UIAA? Alex Ploner: As the international federation, the UIAA has a long tradition and a lot of experience. Its important for us - a young company and a new platform to have access to the UIAA network, and to be seen as part of it. Were convinced that only through cooperation can we address the concerns of everyone in the mountains, and to discuss and resolve problems together. UIAA: Why do you think the world's mountaineering community needs to be united by an international federation like the UIAA? Alex Ploner: People living in the mountains, or who live for the mountains, or are travelling in the mountains are exposed to similar problems. Their expectations and fears are often the same, no matter where they come from. Organisations and platforms are required to bring people together to discuss these issues. We must become better acquainted with one another and talk about our fears, problems but mainly look for solutions. Mountain issues must become much more present in peoples minds, so that we can also understand ourselves better.