Berlin: Stop of work for the Alpine Association climbing center
Written by jlBerlin: Administration court stops construction of the alpine association (DAV) climbing center
05/02/12: Berlin: According to an urgent decision of the administrative court Berlin chamber 20 the alpine association Berlin is not allowed to build or use a climbing center in Berlin-Mitte.
The Berlin section of the Alpine Association is planning the construction of a climbing center in Berlin-Mitte. The therefor selected site in Lehrter Straße is provided by the district administration Berlin Mitte under reference to the sports advancement law for a much lower rent then customary in the particular market (annual 1.132,92 Euro). The operator of a commercial climbing hall turned against this decision of the district administration, with the statement to pay a monthly rent of 17.500 Euro. She claims that the advancement for the Alpine Association is against EU subsidies law.
The chamber of the administrative court followed this position and gave the advice to the district administration to impose a stop of work for the climbing center against the Alpine Association. The petitioner, which is in a direct competition situation to the Alpine Association, has the right of the consideration of the EU implementation ban. This means that a subsidy not applied to the European Commission cannot be given. According with the view of the 20th chamber many facts support the existence of a subsidy. The chamber states that it is not important whether the purpose of the Alpine Association is commercial or not; the climbing center would not be a social facility without connection to the market. This causes that the association is a company that provides a service. The given subsidy is also able to influence the competition, because an analysis of the market shows the potential of a price war. Finally the state financed advancement of the Alpine Association would also be able to impact the trade between the EU member states even if the Alpine association is not directly acting cross-border.
The Alpine Association Berlin can appeal to the higher administrative court Berlin-Brandenburg.
Hospital Bamberg is in search of climbers for a study: accident risk in sport climbing
Written by jlThe hospital Bamberg is searching for climbers for a qualitative research of the accident risk in sport climbing.
11/08/12: Bamberg, Germany: The sport medical section of the hospital for orthopedic and accident surgery Bamberg is in search of sport climbers answering 4 periodical surveys regarding their accidents and injuries caused by their sport for a study with a time frame of 2 years. The hospital is asking for as many participants as possible to gain better information about injuries, causes for accidents and strategies to avoid these.
The sport medical section of the hospital has done in the past such a survey but not in accompanying way over a longer time. The study has the aim to answer the question of the potential risks in sport climbing.
Commonly appraisals of the sport rock climbing as a dangerous sport have not been proved by the hitherto existing data. It is now necessary to proof this data in sport climbing.
Those who are interested in taking part in the survey in interest of appraisals for climbers, trainers, and medics, please use the following link. After an initial registration you get participant and get the survey form.
Direct link for the registration: https://www.soscisurvey.de/studie_sportklettern/?q=01
Further information of the hospital Bamberg.
We are pleased to support the study and the hospital Bamberg on this way, especially as sport medical base of the DAV and especially Dr. Schöffl and Mr. Hartmann in their effort and are excited to hear of the results.
We will report about provisional and end results of the study for sure.
No Trash No Crash Tour 2011 by Petzl-Beal
10/07/12: Garmisch-Partenkirchen: Again the Petzl and Beal tour team is on the road to the german climbing halls from 14th to 24th of November 2011. Was the focus on east Germany in 2010 now the marketing strong Petzl safety-missioners are heading to the west of Germany.
In foreground of the tour are standing free workshops in which in 1,5 hours insides are given in possible but maybe to that point never aware risks in climbing and belaying. This is supported by a down fall simulator where the participants can experience what powers are working in a downfall of an lead climber and test several belay devises. Beside of that one can learn some belaying techniques with the GriGri and test other Petzl and Beal products.
The “testivals” are starting at 6pm in the climbing halls taking part; the workshops will start 6.30pm and 8.30pm. A registration is possible in the respective climbing halls in Troisdorf (11/14 Arena Vertikal), Bottrop (11/15 Sports Arena), Nieder-Olm (11/16 Bewegungsforum), Bensheim (11/17 High Moves), Ballingen-Ostdorf (11/21 Die Ostwand), Emmendingen (11/22 imPulsive), Ravensburg (11/23 DAV Kletterbox) and Scheidegg (11/24 Sportalm).
Further information on www.petzl.de .
Less avalanche death in Tirol this season
04/26/11: Innsbruck, Tirol, Austria: As the avalanche warning service Tirol notifies the amount of death in avalanches has been significant reduced this season. This is caused by less snow and the early start of warm periods. Whether there were 10 to 15 avalanche victims in the past years this year it was only one.
Despite of that the situation in the west-alps is quite different. On the Easter weekend 3 backcountry skiers were caught by an avalanche. The statistic should be much higher though.
The avalanche warning service has quit its work for this season.
New Data to the survival of avalanches -
Research compares survival period of people buried by avalanches.
03/22/11: European academy Bolzano, Italy:
The survival period after being buried by an avalanche depends to the region. This proofs a comparing study of avalanche accidents in Switzerland and Canada for a period of 25 years. This is caused by climatic differences that impact the snow quality.
In accordance with the study of the team of researchers from South Tirol, Switzerland and Canada the survivability after a total burying thru an avalanche rapidly sinks in Canada after 10 minutes. Pursuant to earlier studies in Switzerland this is the case in the Alps normally after 18 minutes. Crucial for that is the consistency and density of the snow, which is in Canada influenced by the humid maritime air and is causing a higher risk of suffocation in short time.
These results can be the basis for the education of background skiers and professional rescuing crews and can also change the requirements of the manufacturers that until now only focused on a time frame of 18 minutes.
The scientific original publication is available at www.cmaj.ca .
Theft of belays in ropes course Marburg
03/22/11: Marburg, Germany:
Not even open but the aim of thieves was the ropes course in the forest of the “Dammmühle” in Wehrshausen, Marburg, Germany. Between Saturday 19th and Monday 21st of March 3 installed mechanical fall arresters with a total value of 2100€ were stolen. Additional they took minimum one safety cotter pin of a shackle and cut off 5 meters of 15 meter trainer-ascend-rope. The Opening of the ropes course Marburg is planned for the middle of April. The stolen mechanical fall arresters are supposed to absorb the strength of a down fall. These belay devices are made of a black plastic body containing a rolled up steel rope with 2 carabiners, one getting attached to the rope leading threw the course and one to the harness of the visitor. The fall arresters were brand new and high quality with a price of 700€ each. Please give advice to the police Marburg.
Climbland wants especially appeal the operators of ropes courses and adventure parks for taking some attention on offers of cheap equipment of not identified sources and to notify if necessary the police in Marburg dialing +496421/406-0.
District Court Innsbruck: New special division for alpine accidents
Written by jlDistrict court Innsbruck: new specific division
02/24/11: Innsbruck:
The district court Innsbruck got a new specific division for the professional jurisprudence in climbing and alpine accidents. Until now judges where reliant to experts regarding for example the appraisal of the snow conditions if a mountain guide was claimed for a deadly avalanche accident in an area with avalanche warning 4. For years it has been criticized that many judges have been overextended with the professional alpine knowledge.
New competency for alpine accidents
Since February for this reason the district court Innsbruck installed a special alpine division. The special division alpine gets the competency for jurisprudence in mountain, ski, avalanche and climbing accidents. The division is led by a criminal court judge with an alpine education: Dr. Norbert Hofer is not only a judge but also the leader of the mountain rescue Telfs. Hofer proclaims that experts are crucial for the appraisal of an area that was buried of an avalanche or a skiing area after an accident: “I am glad that I made it after 2 years of convincing to install an alpine division in the Innsbruck district court…”
In the last winter season 2009/2010 45 people died on the Austrian ski slopes and in the “organized skiing area”. 39 of them died in an avalanche. In accordance with a statistic of the curatorship for alpine security from 1st of November 2009 to 1st of November 2010 33 backcountry skiers died and 18 free riders. But most of the alpine accidents in this time (306) happened in hiking or mountaineering.
Small accidents
In this season the condition of the slopes caused mostly small accidents, Hanno Bliek of the curatorship explains. Since 1st of November 2010 5 people died – 2 because of ski accidents in Tirol, 2 because of problems with their heart and one because of a collision in Salzburg. 2 people died in avalanches in Tirol and Salzburg. Caught by this statistic are all cases in which the alpine police was called.
In the “organized skiing area” 3480 accidents with the suspicion of third party fault were registered by the curatorship. It is estimated that 90% of the accidents are self-inflicted and 8 to 11% are caused by collisions with other persons, barriers, gear or trees.
Most of the people involved in accidents where Germans (2.275), followed by Austrians (1.586) and also 444 Dutch, 175 Brits, 166 Czechs and 105 Danish where involved. People aged 11 to 20 were with a part of 22% the most of the involved, followed by the 41 to 50 year old (19%) and the 21 to 31 aged (15%). Most of the accidents happen in Tirol, Salzburg and Voralberg.
Sources:
New release announced: Security readers of the Austrian Curatorship for Alpine Security
Written by jlNew release of security readers
Innsbruck-Berlin:
In 2011 there will be a new release and extension of the series: Security readers for alpine security, as the curatorship told us after request. The first aid reader will be renewed and rereleased as the 5th edition in February/March. The avalanche reader will be released in the end of 2011 in the 7th edition. 2 readers will extend the series during the year: the “via ferrata” and the mountain bike reader.
The readers are characterized by being up to date, compact, cheap and foremost correct in their content. They still cannot replace a well-founded education, but they can amend it. A renewal will also for the future be necessary because security knowledge in climbing and mountain sports are in consistent development and new materials and equipment is used as well as the number of people increases, which do these activities in all its ways.
Now available the cheap readers for avalanches, ice climbing, sport climbing, first aid and hiking. (Also in our stock)
Avalanche detector Mammut Pulse Barrivox available again
Written by jlAvalanche detector Mammut Pulse Barrivox available again
From now on Mammut’s avalanche detector Pulse Barrivox is available again. After a lost trial with the company Ortovox in patent matters no avalanche detectors of the company Mammut have been sold. Mammut has changed some details in their recent software and states that now patents are infringed no more. According with Mammut a loss in functionality is not occurred.
Mammut is also working hard on an update that supports the compass-linking again.
All customers that buy the detectors with the recent software 3.01.D get a coupon for the update to the new developed version.
The new Mammut avalanche detectors can now be ordered at climbland.
Everest: Mobile reception in Nepalese Base Camp
Kathmandu: The Nepalese net-provider Ncell has installed antenna poles around the Mount Everest Base Camp on 5200m above sea level that should provide mobile and internet reception for mountaineers up to the last part of their ascends. Until now this was only possible with expensive and heavy satellite-phones.
Ncell a subsidiary of the Swedish net-provider TeliaSoneira has installed 7 antenna poles. Every year thousands of tourists visit the Base Camp and several hundred are starting to ascend the top. The Base Camp on the northern side in Tibet has mobile reception for years.
Source: AP
