Ice Climbing World Cup in Kirov, Russia

Austria wins lead, Russia takes speed
Last year’s overall winner, Austria’s Markus Bendler, has proven he is still the man to beat on the Ice Climbing World Cup circuit. Bendler took first place in the challenging Lead competition this weekend (January 7- 9, 2010) in Kirov, Russia. For the women, Italy’s Angelika Rainer came first, letting the world know she is ready to challenge for the overall top spot, after finishing second in 2009. Russian men and women climbers are continuing their domination of the Speed event. Russian men captured the first 12 spots, led by Maxim Vlasov. For the women, it was Nadezda Shubina who finished first, followed by 15 of her countrywomen. Read more.

Lead and Speed
UIAA recognizes Ice Climbing as a competitive sport and is responsible for organization and promotion of the Ice Climbing World Cup and International Championships. There are two Ice Climbing disciplines, Speed and Lead. 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.

Next event
The next World Cup event will be in Val Daone, Italy, on January 16 and 17, which will also include Speed and Lead competitions. See full list of events.

RedFox and Zamberlan
Presenting Sponsors of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup 2010 are Russian mountaineering clothing and equipment company RedFox and Italian footwear maker Zamberlan. Read more.

Sochi, Russia
In its commitment to developing the sport, the UIAA plans to expand the circuit with the intention of showcasing Ice Climbing competitions in Sochi, Russia at the same time as the 2014 Winter Olympics. Discussions with the Sochi Olympic Organizing Committee have indicated that Ice Climbing competitions could be welcome as part of the “Live Events” being planned for the general public.

Global reach
The UIAA, with 80 member organizations in 57 countries, represents more than 1 million people worldwide. It’s the International Olympic Committee’s recognized international federation for mountaineering and natural surface climbing.

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