The UIAA Respect the Mountains project, supported by outdoor footwear brand KEEN, comprises a series of events organised across Europe aimed at promoting a sustainable mountain environment for future generations.

The events look to encourage local sport enthusiasts, mountain visitors, tourists and outdoor sport companies to actively participate.

The Spanish island of Tenerife will host the first on June 18, with Snowdonia National Park in Wales staging the second on June 26.

Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise in Italy will also welcome participants, on July 2, as will Schwarzwald in Germany on July 10, and Mayrhofen-Hippach in Austria on July 20.

Completing the schedule are events in Samoëns, France on August 11, Mount Kazbek in Russia from August 19 to 20, and Tignes, France on August 25.

Each one-day experience consists of a morning clean-up action, followed by lunch and outdoor sport activities.

The UIAA incorporated the Respect the Mountains project into its sphere of sustainability activities during the autumn of last year. 

Among the project’s goals, through the UIAA’s Seven Ways to Respect the Mountains practices, is raising awareness for sustainable environmental practices and spreading the word within the outdoor community.

It also aims to preserve mountain ecosystems and cultures in their natural state for future generations, promote sustainable mountain tourism and activities, and educate the next generation of mountain explorers and encourage them to be sustainable followers. 

Among the supporters of the UIAA Respect the Mountains campaign is Dutch climber Peter Boogaard, who in April begins his quest to climb Mount Everest, the last of his Seven Summits.

Boogaard is active in teaching young climbers about sustainable practices and will use his expedition to promote the campaign.

The UIAA governs ice climbing which has ambitions of securing inclusion at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

It is a separate organisation from the sport climbing governing body, the International Sport Climbing Federation (ISCF), after the ISCF broke away from the UIAA in 2007.

Ice climbing was one of five demonstration sports to feature in a Sports Lab at last month’s Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer.

"We were delighted to be part of Lillehammer 2016," said UIAA President Frits Vrijlandt.

"Following on from Sochi in 2014, it is vital we maintain this momentum and presence within the Olympic family.

"The engagement from the public was incredible and it reiterated how engaging and appealing this sport is.

"Furthermore, being part of the youth movement is crucial.

"The UIAA recently hosted an extremely competitive World Youth Championships and the commitment and passion of these young athletes is key to the sport’s growth."