UIAA Safety Standards Update: Crash Pads

A new safety standard has been created by the UIAA Safety Commission dedicated to the safety requirements and test methods for crash pads for use in bouldering climbing. The document is available to view and download here. The Test Method UIAA 161, CRASH PADS Determination of the critical fall height,...

Raising the Roof

UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour, supported by The North Face Korea World Cup Saas Fee, Switzerland 22-23 January, 2016 All images: Eugenia Alekseeva for the UIAA Saas Fee is always a popular destination on the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour. It’s easy to see why. A truly unique venue, an atmospheric amphitheatre...

Youth Olympic Games welcomes ice climbing

Following on from its popular appearance in the Olympic Park at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, ice climbing will feature as part of the sports initiation programme at the 2nd edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games to be held in Lillehammer, Norway, from 12-21 February. Ice...

Ice climbing wall open at Lillehammer 2016

IOC President Thomas Bach was among the guests to visit the ice climbing wall during the opening weekend of the 2016 Youth Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer. Main image: IOC President Thomas Bach visits the ice climbing demonstration at Lillehammer 2016 (Photo: UIAA) Ice climbing is one...

John Ellison, a true inspiration

The UIAA is saddened to hear about the death of inspirational British climber John Ellison. John passed away on 27 December after a four-year battle with an incurable cancer. Following his diagnosis in 2012, John founded and spearheaded Climbers Against Cancer (CAC), raising hundreds of thousands of...

Total Domination

That was impressive. Two athletes have laid down a marker following the first World Cup round of the 2016 UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour supported by The North Face Korea. In the highly-anticipated season opener in Bozeman, Montana, Russian athletes Maxim Tomilov and Maria Tolokonina earned the...

Celebrating International Mountain Day

The annual International Mountain Day will be held today, Friday 11 December, with the mountain community throughout the world engaged in initiatives to celebrate and raise awareness about mountain life. The theme proposed this year is ‘Promoting mountain products for better livelihoods’ with details provided at...

Douglas Tompkins 1943-2015

The UIAA is saddened to hear about the passing of Douglas Tompkins, a legendary and inspirational figure in the climbing and mountaineering world. Douglas, co-founder of The North Face, was truly passionate about nature and dedicated much of his life to conservation. He was the driving...