The UIAA is the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation. In the spirit of sport and friendship it brings together nearly three million men, women and children joined by their passion for mountains. As a global community of volunteers, our members exchange ideas, give guidance and work together on the following areas:

Lobbying for the opportunity for everyone to responsibly access the world’s special and beautiful mountain environment.
Giving young people the opportunity to overcome differences and form friendships across borders and cultures – building a peaceful and better world through sports.
Preserving mountain environments for the good of all by supporting local communities to achieve sustainable development and respect nature.
Providing reliable safety standards for climbing equipment and advice on medical issues related to mountaineering.
Organising competitions in ice climbing and ski mountaineering with the ultimate aim of competing in the Winter Olympic Games. We fight doping. The UIAA was founded in 1932. It started as a European organisation, but now all continents are represented with 90 member organisations from 62 different countries. The UIAA is recognised by the International Olympic Committee as the international federation for mountaineering.

Since 1964 climbers have been able to look for the UIAA Safety Label when they buy climbing equipment. The label means that products have been tested to the highest standards. Since 2004 the UIAA has also awarded the Environment Label to those who follow UIAA environmental guidelines when organising activities in the mountains.

For More on the UIAA, Please visit: www.uiaa.ch

UIAA Safety Labels

More at:http://www.theuiaa.org/act_safety.html

Safety is a very important issue for the UIAA, as it is for all climbers and mountaineers.Therefore the UIAA has developed the UIAA Safety Label. When you see the UIAA label on a piece of mountaineering equipment, you know that it is up to the highest international standards for safety.The testing of safety equipment is carried out in UIAA approved Test laboratories. Here you can see a film of how these tests are carried out.

When you see the UIAA label on a piece of mountaineering equipment, you know that it is up to the highest international standards for safety. The UIAA started to test ropes in 1960 and now we have standards for 19 different categories of safety equipment, including helmets, harnesses and crampons.

The UIAA Safety Label can be awarded for mountaineering and climbing equipment that meets the requirements of the relevant UIAA standard. Climbing and mountaineering equipment, tested to the UIAA standards, is recommended by the UIAA for use by climbers and mountaineers.

The UIAA Safety Label logo trademark is registered internationally and may only be used for products that have been certified by the UIAA and registered as such.

UIAA Hut Stamps

Hut stamp order form

Alpine clubs in many countries throughout the world have erected huts to provide climbers with convenient, safe and economical staging points for climbs in major mountain ranges. The Union Internationale d'Associations d'Alpinisme (UIAA), makes hut stamps available to AAC members providing reciprocal membership privileges at mountain huts operated by alpine clubs throughout the world. The stamps provide discounts in Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Liechtenstein, Spain, and Switzerland.

AAC members can order a UIAA hut stamp directly through The American Alpine Club. The price of the stamp varies each year based on international exchange rates, but is typically about $75. Members staying more than four or five nights at a participating hut should recoup the cost of the stamp through the reciprocal membership rate.

The following web pages contain information about climbing huts that honor the UIAA hut stamps. Some clubs include very specific information about individual huts, including photos.

Austrian Alpine Club
Federation of French Alpine Clubs
German Alpine Club
Italian Alpine Club
Federation of Spanish Alpine Clubs
Swiss Alpine Club

Though not covered under the UIAA reciprocity program, the New Zealand Alpine Club owns and operates climbing huts throughout the country, including Mount Cook and Mount Aspiring National Parks, two of the premiere climbing ranges in New Zealand.

The Mexican Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing maintains a system of free huts near popular mountaineering destinations in Mexico. Currently are 10 active huts, including are two huts on Popocatepetl, three on Pico de Orizaba and six on Iztaccihuatl.

The Alpine Association of Slovenia provides information on mountain huts in Slovenia.

Commissions and AAC Representatives

Youth Commission: Ralph Erenzo
Canadian Alpine Club Liaison: David Jones
Access and Conservation Commission: Linda McMillan
Medical Commission: Jim Litch
Documentations/Expeditions Commission: John Harlin
Ski Mountaineering Commission: Andrew McLean
UIAA North American Honorary Vice President: Jim McCarthy
General Assembly/Senior VP/Honorary Member: William Lowell Putnam
Legal Studies Group of the Alpinism Commission: Jim McCarthy, Ted Vaill
Safety Commission: Dave Custer usuiaasafetyrep(at)yahoo.com, Mark Pilate (alternate)