New safety laboratory proposed in China

From left to right: Li Guowei Director of Exchange Department, Chinese Mountaineering Association (CMA); Sophie Gerard, UIAA Office Manager; Stephanie Stettbacher, UIAA Office Coordinator & Safety Label Administrator; Wang Youngfeng, Vice President, CMA; Jean-Franck Charlet, UIAGM Mountain Guide and former UIAA Safety Commission President

Representatives from the UIAA office visited Beijing during the last week of February, first running a booth at ISPO Beijing, the largest outboor business event in Asia, before meeting the Chinese Mountaineering Association (CMA) at their headquarters.

The UIAA and the CMA took the opportunity to exchange a number of ideas. Chief among these was the extension of the UIAA/CMA collaboration in relation to the UIAA Safety Label development in China. As part of this process, Mr Wang, Vice President of the CMA, confirmed the CMA’s intention to create a new safety laboratory in China. The laboratory will have the capacity to test all 22 of the current UIAA safety standards. This is a groundbreaking move, resulting in the creation of the first laboratory capable of testing all UIAA standards under one roof.

Meanwhile, during ISPO Beijing, the UIAA met a number of current and potential UIAA safety label holders and promoted its activities in mountain safety to a wide and influential audience. During the four day conference, Jean-Franck Charlet, UIAGM Mountain Guide and former UIAA Safety Commission President, gave a presentation at the ISPO Climbing Forum covering the topic ‘The development of the UIAA Safety labels in the Asian market’.