Union internationale des associations d’alpinisme

Medals for Merit for Alpinism were presented three times at the Olympics: at the Chamonix 1924 Winter Games, and at the Los Angeles 1932 and Berlin 1936 Summer Games.

Alpinism is governed internationally by the Union internationale des associations d’alpinisme (UIAA), also well known by its English name, International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation. The organization was created in August 1932, in Chamonix, France. The first Climbing World Cups were held in the 1990s, and the federation became recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1995.

The federation organizes the UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup since its inaugural edition in 2000, and also oversees the discipline of skyrunning.

A member of the Association of the IOC-recognized International Sports Federations (ARISF), the UIAA has 99 member associations and federations in 77 countries as of January 2026. The federation’s office is located in Bern, Switzerland, and its current president is Canada’s Peter Muir.