Four competitions will form the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour, which has been run since 2002.

The upcoming campaign also includes the World Championships, due to be held in Champagny-en-Vanoise in France on February 4 and 5.

Beijing,  host city of the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, has been earmarked for the opening UIAA World Cup event on January 7 and 8, which is yet to be confirmed by the governing body.

The series is then due to move to Cheongsong in South Korea for the second competition on January 14 and 15.

Saas Fee in Switzerland is scheduled to play host to the third event from January 19 to 21.

TUIAA Ice Climbing World Tour concludes with the final stop in Rabenstein in Italy.

The showpiece event of the season then comes to the fore as the top ice climbers from around the globe descend on the French resort, renowned for its famous ice tower, for the World Championships.

The UIAA has promised it will be the "most attractive and spectacular ice climbing competition of the forthcoming season", forming part of the effort to "raise the profile and prestige of the sport."

The inaugural edition of the biennial event was held in Rabenstein in Italy in 2015.

The UIAA Ice Climbing World Youth Championships immediately follow the senior equivalent on February 10 and 11.

Ice climbing, a demonstration sport at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics in Lillehammer, is hoping to be included on the full Olympic programme at Beijing 2022.

The UIAA is separate to the International Sport Climbing Federation, the body hoping to organise a sport climbing competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

The ISCF broke away from the UIAA in 2007.