Indonesian Climbing Federation (FPTI) just confirmed that sport climbing already decided to be a competed sport in the SEA Games 2011 in Indonesia. The sport climbing planned will be held in South Sumatera Province. SEA Games is multi-event sport competition among ASEAN countries, this year 2009 the Games scheduled to held in Laos.

The above good news based on the issuance of formal statement from Indonesian National Olympic Committee on any sport will be compete in the Games 2011. This importance step is started from 2005 when climbing strive to be demonstration event in the SEA Games 2005 in Philipines with a big support from Quizon City.

The next follow up is all climbing community in the region will have to do any necessary actions to ensure the sport will held the Games 2011, especially to convince their own NOC to support climbing sport in the SEA Games movement. See you soon in South Sumatera in 2011.

This year meeting attended by all federation members except BSCF. Meeting was held in Manila (PHI) chaired by Ms Crissie Malay on behalf of the President of SEACF who can not attend the meeting to to travel document problem.

The main result is acceptance of the minutes of last year meeting was held in Bangkok (THA). The others important points are: SEA Games movement must be started by each federation members to reach the goal to be a competed sport at the latest in SEA Games 2011 in Indonesia in order to reach the goald each federation will make any necessary action to improve their own relation to their own national Olympic committee or sport council.

SMF will effort to include sport climbing in the ASEAN University Games will be held in 2012. While PMM will host ASEAN Expedition July this year. FPTI will host ASEAN Climbing Championship July 15-18 this year in Semarang (Central Java). SCAT dan SCAPI will organize instructor training course on Nov 2009 and Feb 2009 respectively, while the next annual meeting will be held in Bali 2010 prior IFSC Plenary Assembly.

SEACF will held this year annual meeting in Manila on first week of March. The meeting will evaluate the activities did in 2008, and planning for the upcoming time.

Main issue keep up to date are SEA Games and popularity of the sport. How we manage activities related to sport competition and adventure will also attractive issue in the meeting.

Of course each member federation will share information on their own main activity in the past year, which could be inspirational one to the others.

Manila, here we come..!!

Since our first meeting in 2004 in Jakarta we have a dream to make our sport as one of competed event in SEA Games. We have chase the dream accordingly where we attend many meeting of SEA Games Federation in Manila before 2005 SEA Games Manila, and fortunately we could held climbing competition in the Quizon City during the SEA Games. We got very big support from our friend in SCAPI who has been local government aware of our event.

Now, we are approaching the next 2009 SEA Games in Jakarta, could our dream be realised in the city where we put our dream in 2004? The answer of the question relies much on all of our hand where we have to make necessary efforts in our own country to get a strong support from national sport council (NSC)or national olympic committee (NOC) or other agency such as ministry of sport. In addition to the effort, of course we have to improve our own sport in front of them such as increase climbing competitions or events. Good luck for all ASEAN climbing community.

A climber is making a climbing route in Bukit Batu Bujang Pahang (Brunei Darussalam). The formation is about 60 meter above the ground, lies close to Malaysian border. There is a kampong close to the cliff where we can find food and drink.

Today (8/20) at about 7am eleven mountaineers from Indonesia and Malaysia get the top of Rinjani (3.726 m above sea level). Some climbers can not reach the top got exhausted, and some are staying in the base camp for supporting. This expedition led by Roy (PMM) and Tedi Ixdiana (FPTI), 25 team members come from Malaysia while the remaining 27 for the host country.

This achievement will be a sign for new era of ASEAN mountaineering activity, where we do joint expedition under SEACF. Now we could have a dream to summit more challenging mountains, either in our region or other side of the world with wider public attention.

Today (8/19) more than 50 mountaineers from Malaysia and Indonesian start to reach the summit of Rinjani in Lombok Island. This activity is part of SEACF programe for the year of 2008. The aim of the activity is to promote mountaineering activity in the Southeast Asia region and to strengtening friendship among ASEAN mountaineers.

Next year SEACF will try to held the similar activity to summit one of the mountain in Malaysia which will attract more mountaineers from the region such as from Singapore, Filipina, Brunei Darussalam and Thailand.

Supported by FPTI and Indonesian Army, Tedi will run another ASEAN standard climbing course located in two cities, Cilodong (north of Bogor) and Citatah (close to Bandung). The course will be held on August 28-30. Participants around the country will attend this course, unfortunately due to limited equipment the organizer only accept maximum 30 participants.

Some courses to come will be scheduled to be held within this year, but precise date still uncertain. Harau in West Sumatra in the most potential one to hel soon, since there are many cliffs there which is one of the great attractor for climbers to come. Click here for the brochure of the course (377kb).

Two climbers reach the top of Batu Layar rock lies close to Nikoi Island (Indonesia) which is located in the South China Sea.

Tedi Ixdiana has successfully held the first climbing course sanction by Southeast Asia Climbing Standard (SEACS) in Indonesian. Due to non-existence of artificial rock the course was held in natural rock know as Batu Tumpang close to City of Garut, West Java.

The course could held by support from several bodies such as national local army force and local mountaineering club in the city. Total participant accumulated was 50 (fifty) climbers, all participated in sport climbing level one, which is conduct in 5 (five) batches in difference days which was end on June 25, 2008.

Next course will be held by Tedi in Lembah Harau (West Sumatera) in July 2008 and Bandung (West Java) estimated in August this year. If you are interest to participate in the course please contact your local federation.

SEACF in cooperation with Indonesian Climbing Federation (FPTI) will organise Rinjani summitting in August 18 - 22 2008. Each member country will have quota to send 20 mountaineers, except Indonesia. This activity is part of independence anniversary of Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia which are done all in month of August.

In addition to the climbing activity, there will be a social activity in Sembulu and Senaru. Semburu is our point to start, where we would held camp and provide a charity event to community nearby. In Senaru where we get rest after 3 days trekking, we could do another social event to comuunity.

All mountaineers will have a nite in Segara Anakan lake just after summitting the top Rinjani before getting Senaru. This event could be a first catalist to melt down ASEAN mountaineers, where SEACF aims to held joint mountaineering expedition annually.

A Site of Batu Cave rock in KL, Malayasia.

Below are list of some important targets to be achieved by SEACF during 2008-2012 terms:

Organisation

1. Number of federation members go up to be 9 (nine) members.

2. 4 (four) members represention in Asian level, 2 (two) members representation in international level.

3. Expand SEACF to other region.

Sport Climbing

1. Sport climbing part of SEA Games.

2. Sport climbing part of ASEAN Inter-university Games.

3. SEACF has at least 1 (one) international route setter, 3 (three) routesetters Asian level, and 5 international level judges . Each federation must have 1 (one) Asian level judges.

4. Annual climbing kids and youth competition all disciplines.

5. 50 (fifty) climbing instructors.

Mountaineering

1. Annual joint expedition.

2. ASEAN Joint expedition to Cartenz Pyramid (Indonesia)

SEACF Annual Meeting was held in Asia Hotel, Bangkok (Thailand) on March 30, 2008. All members were attend the meeting: Thailand, Singapore, Philipinnes, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei Darussalam.

The meeting results many important point for improvement of future climbing activity in the region, one of it is SEACF Vision 2008-2012 which will be the direction for the organization. Maman Hermansyah (INA) still got mandate to be SEACF president for the next term.

SEACF has proofed significant role for the development of climbing activity in Asia, and SEACF still committed to keep increasing his role also in international level. Support from all members is a key role of this achievement, each members has to maintain their own organization in align with the vision.

The meeting will be held in Bangkok (Thailand) on March 30, 2008. Five members out of six SEACF members already confirmed to attend the meeting, only BSCF (Brunei Darussalam) still unconfirmed.

The most important agendas of the meeting is implementation of SEACF label system which will be a hope for any climbing equipment producer of the region. Other issue are calender and organisation structure of SEACF to prepare the implementation of AFTA in 2010.

Most of climbing equipment still use UIAA label although the UIAA has no been managing the climbing activity since January 2007 world climbing federations established International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC).

Since initial climbing development equipment provider dominate by European companies, which assist to grow by the popularity of the sport, especially for significant equipment such as carabiners, ropes, and belay devices.

This month SEACF will try to discuss possibility to implement SEACF standard for climbing equipment. With the label, companies from ASEAN could produce equipment and get standard from SEACF then could go to the ASEAN market.

The idea of SEACF label is based on the goal to stimulate outdoor equipment manufacturers from the region, beside it become one important financial source for SEACF. Of course in the next other region could get benefit from our effort in this field.