About Slovak Mountaineering Union JAMES

The Slovak Mountaineering Union JAMES (SMU JAMES) is the national sports federation, founded in 1921. It encompasses a wide range of mountaineering activities, including sport and rock climbing, alpinism, traditional ski mountaineering, and bouldering. Currently, it brings together 8,828 active members and 135 sports clubs.

The association is a member of international organizations such as UIAA (Union Internationale des Associations d’Alpinisme), World Climbing and EUMA (European Mountaineering Association).
SMU JAMES regularly organizes prestigious international events, including the European Youth Cups and European Cups in Lead and Speed disciplines from 2021 to 2024. The association has also been regularly organizing the European Cup in Ice Climbing and Drytooling for several years. In addition, SMU JAMES hosts the Slovak National Championships and Slovak Cup competitions in all climbing disciplines and across all age categories, almost 40 events annually.

Each year, SMU JAMES also organizes dozens of international camps, courses, and climbing training camps. Through its subsidiary Horolezecká škola JAMES, spol. s r.o. (JAMES Climbing School Ltd.), it provides educational training and courses for climbers, instructors, and coaches.

Since 1969, SMU JAMES has been publishing the Horolezec magazine (formerly known as IAMESÁK), which informs the climbing community about the latest news and activities.
Another key activity of SMU JAMES is collaborating on the development of visitor regulations in national parks, rules for activity in protected landscape areas (CHKO), and the management of climbing areas.

Together with the Club of Slovak Tourists, SMU JAMES co-owns and manages four high-mountain huts in the High Tatras: Téryho chata, Zbojnícka chata, Chata pri Zelenom plese, and Chata pod Rysmi.
SMU JAMES plays a crucial role in the development and promotion of climbing sports in Slovakia, providing education, organizing competitions, and taking care of climbing areas and related infrastructure. It serves as the governing body for elite climbing sports and actively fosters the growth of the recognized sport of competition climbing.

Over the past 30 years, SMU JAMES has nurtured many world-class and European-class athletes who continue to inspire the next generation. Among the current top sport climbers are Martina Buršíková, Peter Kuric, and Lea Slobodová.