UIAA-Handbook_FLIP__

Warning
The practice of alpine activities and the
use of technical equipment are inherently
dangerous and may result in severe injury
or death. Specific training by a qualified
instructor on the use of technical equipment
is essential. You are responsible for your own
actions and decisions.
This handbook is intended for hikers, climbers
and mountaineers who wish to expand the
practice of their favourite activity by acquiring
additional skills and knowledge. It has been
developed specifically as a reference for
instructors and future trip leaders in clubs and
mountain organizations within the International
Mountaineering and Climbing Federation. To
name the trainees or the mountaineers, the
pronouns «he» or «she» will be used alternately
throughout the book randomly without gender
stereotype.
The handbook does not pretend to provide
the only acceptable, nor the best, techniques.
Techniques other than those recommended
here may be equally valid or required at some
future date. Individual practitioners’ physical
skills and coordination also have their limits,
potentially requiring more complete risk
analyses in certain cases. The purpose of
this handbook is to present tried-and-true
techniques that can be learned and mastered
Caution!
only through formal training. Despite the care
with which this handbook has been compiled,
it may contain errors or inaccuracies, making
a critical eye and professional mentoring
indispensable.
In the margins beside the illustrations,
the danger sign draws the reader’s attention
to any maneuver or incorrect equipment
usage that could result in injurious or fatal
consequences.
The information provided is not exhaustive.
Consult each manufacturer’s product manual
for any recommended piece of equipment.
Everyone is responsible for his or her
actions and decisions. Before heading into the
mountains and using technical equipment,
each participant must:
– Read and understand all instructions pertaining
to proper equipment use;
– Receive proper training on how to use the
equipment;
– Familiarize him- or herself with the
equipment; know its performance capabilities
and limitations; and,
– Understand and accept all risks associated
with the use of this equipment.
Ignoring any of the above warnings may
result in severe or fatal injuries.
© UIAA - Petzl Foundation
First English Edition – Legal registration, Septembre 2013
ISBN 978-0-920330-69-2
Rights: All rights reserved by UIAA and Petzl Foundation.
Partial or complete reproduction of this work via printing, electronic or mechanical
duplication of any kind is strictly prohibited. Authorization for the reproduction or
use of the text or illustration is provided by the Petzl Foundation.
Contributor on page 330.
Printed in Canada by McCallum Printing Group Inc.
Cover photo: Jean-François Hagenmuller.
Alpinists climbing the Aiguille D’Argentière, Mont-Blanc, France.
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