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International Climbing and Mountaineering Organisation (UIAA)
Also known as	Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme (fr)
Type	International Mountaineering Club
Location	World
Website	http://www.theuiaa.org

[edit] General information

The UIAA is the organisation that represents several million mountaineers and climbers, world-wide, on international issues. Formed in 1932 in Chamonix, France, it now has over 88 members associations from some 76 countries, all of national importance. It is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the International Federation representing mountaineering and climbing. The association plays an important role in regulating safety standards for equipment used in climbing.

The UIAA headquarters is located in Bern, Switzerland.

[edit] Grading System

The UIAA grading system is mostly used for short rock routes in Western Germany, Austria and Switzerland. On long routes it is often used in the Alps and Himalaya. Using Roman numerals, it was originally intended to run from I (easiest) to X (hardest), but as with all other grading systems, improvements to climbing standards have led to the system being open-ended. An optional + or − may be used to further differentiate difficulty. As of 2004, the hardest climbs are XII−.