The season is set to conclude on March 4, which will be the final day of the UIAA World Cup event in Russian city Kirov.

Ten different countries will host events in all, with more than 400 athletes expected to take part during the campaign.

"The new season promises to be bigger than ever with a number of exciting competition formats and a chance for ice climbers to test themselves in a number of challenging international, continental and youth events," Carlos Teixeira, President of the UIAA Ice Climbing Commission, said. 

The highlights of next year’s calendar are the five World Cup competitions organised as part of the UIAA World Tour.

Swiss village Saas-Fee is scheduled to stage the opening event from January 18 to 20 before Rabenstein in Italy plays host to a leg from January 25 to 27.

Back-to-back competitions in Asia will then be held in China’s capital Beijing, from February 2 to 4, and Cheongsong in South Korea, from February 9 to 11.

Beijing is due to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, an event which the UIAA is targeting for ice climbing’s much-coveted entry into the programme.

Kirov will host the World Cup showdown from March 2 to 4 with the identity of the male and female winner of the World Tour to be announced thereafter.

The current champions in lead are South Korea's Hee Yong Park and Song Han Na Rai, while those in speed are Russia's Vladimir Kartashev and Ekaterina Koshcheeva. 

The 2018 season also sees the introduction of the European Tour.

The European Cup Lead in Domžale is the first of three events scheduled to take place before the end of January, taking place on December 2.

It will be followed by the European Cup in Slovakia’s capital Bratislava on December 9 and the European Cup Champagny/Pays des Ecrins in France from January 11 to 13.

The latter comprises an international combined test event with a new combined lead and speed format set to be introduced.

There is also a European Cup due to be held in Finnish city Oulu from February 24 to 25.

Non-European athletes are eligible for all the European Tour competitions, which also provide an opportunity for those new to the sport and under-16s to participate.  

Among the other events on the calendar is the annual UIAA World Youth Championships, which are due to take place in Malbun in Liechtenstein from January 5 to 7.

The UIAA Asian and European Championships are scheduled to be held as part of the Cheongsong and Kirov World Cup legs respectively.