Save the date: UIAA Mountain Sports Symposium in Peja, Kosovo

Together with the hosting association, the Kosovo Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Federation (FBNSK), the UIAA will hold a second edition of the Mountain Sports Symposium, from 25-26 October 2025, and running alongside its General Assembly.

The Symposium is targeted primarily at climbers and mountaineers, whether beginners or experts, from Kosovo and neighbouring countries in the Balkan region, who wish to explore mountain medicine and safety topics from an international perspective. The event is partnered by the Petzl Foundation.

After a successful inaugural event last April in Bariloche, Argentina where the UIAA Medical Commission together with experts on training, and safety topics imparted their knowledge and know-how during a three-day course, the UIAA was approached to hold a similar event in Kosovo and as part of its General Assembly programme.

“The UIAA Mountain Sports Symposium is an excellent opportunity for climbers to tap into international safety, training and medical expertise across both theory and practical workshop sessions. As demonstrated by the inaugural event in South America it also presents a chance for climbers to develop a regional network of collaboration and develop projects of mutual interest.”
Urs Hefti, MD, UIAA Medical Commission President

The 2025 edition will run over two days and focus on topics of safety and mountain medicine, led by the respective UIAA Commissions. International experts have been invited to lecture and hold workshop on environmental hazards, high altitude topics such as the prevention of illnesses, as well as rock anchor placement, safe equipment and via ferrata regulations. Participants will spend two mornings in the classroom at Hotel Camp in Peja and the afternoons outdoors at a crag to workshop bolting, water treatment methods, knots and pulleys, stretcher rescue scenarios, and improvised splinting, among other topics.

Uta Ibrahimi, Mountaineer and Environmental Advocate, Mountain Guide and Founder of Butterfly Outdoor Adventures and Mrika Nikçi, Mountaineer, first Albanian and the youngest female in the world to climb the Seven Summits, are featuring among the many world-renowned speakers that are lined up for the event. The current list of confirmed speakers can be found below.

Engaging panel discussions on the environment and its challenges, and comparing rescue situations and operations across Europe will round the morning sessions of the course.

The Mountain Sports Symposium is led by a team of four people:

• Urs Hefti, President UIAA Medical Commission (co-chair)
• Lionel Kiener, President UIAA Safety Commission (co-chair)
• Arianit Nikçi, President Kosovo Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Federation
• Deni Hameli, President Kosovo Mountain Search and Rescue Service

Registration & Pricing

For anyone interested in attending, registrations will open at the beginning of August through both the UIAA and FBNSK websites. Please sign-up to the UIAA newsletter for updates including confirmation on when registration is open. The entry cost is:

• EUR 80 for General Assembly delegates.
  The fee covers participation in 1.5 days of lectures and workshops, dinner on 25 October, lunch on 26 October, coffee & snacks, transportation between lectures and workshops, and the certificate.
• EUR 100 for members of the Kosovo Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Federation and other UIAA member federations in the Balkan region.
  The fee covers participation in all lectures and workshops, 2 hotel nights from 24-26 October, 2 dinners on 24 and 25 October, 2 lunches on 25 and 26 October, coffee & snacks, transportation between lectures and workshops, and the certificate.
• EUR 130 for participants not falling in the above two categories.
  The fee covers participation in all lectures and workshops, 2 hotel nights from 24-26 October, 2 dinners on 24 and 25 October, 2 lunches on 25 and 26 October, coffee & snacks, transportation between lectures and workshops, and the certificate.

Confirmed Speakers

A list of confirmed speakers can be found below. Please note that additional presenters will be added to this list.

Climbing & Mountaineering Organisations
Gebhard Barbisch, President Commission for Terrestrial Rescue of ICAR (AUT)
Deni Hameli, President Kosovo Mountain Search and Rescue Service (XKX)
Arianit Nikçi, President Kosovo Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Federation (XKX)
Mrika Nikçi, Mountaineer, first Albanian and the youngest female in the world to climb the Seven Summits (XKX)
Kyriakos Rossidis, East European Mountain Guide Association Technical Director (CYP)
Andre von Rotz, UIAA CEO (GER)

Medicine
Urs Hefti, MD, UIAA Medical Commission President, Orthopedic Surgeon, Swiss Sportclinic (SUI)
David Hillebrandt, MD, UIAA Medical Commission, General Practitioner (GBR)
Matthias Hilty, MD, UIAA Medical Commission, Senior Physician, Institute of Intensive Care Medicine University Hospital Zurich (SUI)
Linda E Keyes, MD, UIAA Medical Commission, University of Colorado, Adjunct Associate Professor (USA)

Safety
Per Forsberg, UIAA Safety Commission, Health and Safety Specialist and Rope Access Technician (SWE)
Lionel Kiener, UIAA Safety Commission President, Mechanical Engineer (SUI)
Alexis Mallon, UIAA Safety Commission Vice President, IFMGA Mountain Guide Teacher (FRA)
Géza Toth, UIAA Safety and Training Commissions (BEL)

Sustainability
Paul Kwakkenbos, UIAA Mountain Protection Commission President, Sustainability and ESG reporting practitioner (NED)
Uta Ibrahimi, Mountaineer and Environmental Advocate, Mountain Guide and Founder of Butterfly Outdoor Adventures (XKX)

Event page

A dedicated website page has been created for the event and is under development. The latest information, including registration links and a list of speakers, will be posted here.

Partners

 

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