The Chairman of Czech Mountaineering Union (CHS) Zdenek Hruby said that the new leadership of the Union try to solve the problem that foreigners who are not members of UIAA could not legally climb on Czech Rocks, which began be more important after German and Austrian Unions (Alpenvereins) left UIAA last year.

The Chairmen Zdenek Hruby said in on-line interview with the Czech readers of the www.lezec.cz (the Czech version of this website) that it depends on every specific exception argued with the state in every specific area. "At the new negotiated exceptions we try to get these discriminations away. It is strange, if we are in EU. Could you imaging you travel to France, Italy, Germany, Austria to the mountains or crags and somebody would you persecute because of your different members card? It could easily cause reciprocity action. Every climber everywhere has a duty to learn local conditions and regulations and keep them. If one brakes them, lets give him a penalty, effectively. But it has nothing to do with some members card..."

Zdenek Hruby in the interview emphasized that he would intent mainly to improve and stabilize position of the Union, decentralize the executive power to the expert and local levels and to finish some disputes from the history. He reflected mainly the long years dispute among progressive and traditionalists mostly focused on problem with climbing on Czech sandstones with chalk.


The Chairman of Czech Mountaineering Union Zdenek Hruby on general assembly of the Union in Marche 2009, Prague
archive photo © Standa@lezec.cz