The news

Film premieres and top speakers feature highly in the Alpine Village program of the Arcteryx Alpine Academy 2019, the unique event from 4 - 7 July for climbers of all abilities wishing to learn more about climbing and alpinism directly at Chamonix Mont Blanc.

Simon Gietl and Vittorio Messini have made the first ascent of Alles im Kasten, a five-pitch climb up Mittlere Kasten close to Klas in the Hoher Tauern massif in Austria.

25-year-old Chiara Hanke has repeated Sever the wicked hand in the Frankenjura and, in doing so, has become the first German woman to climb 9a.

Ecuadorian - Swiss mountain guide Karl Egloff has set a new speed record on Denali in Alaska, climbing the West Buttress route in 7:40 and returning to his starting point in 11:44. In doing so he beat the previous fastest known time set in 2014 by Kilian Jornet Burgarda.

The award-winning film Ice & Palms that documents the extraordinary journey carried out by Jochen Mesle and Max Kroneck across the Alps by bike and of skis from Germany to Nice in France

On Tuesday morning a plane containing two Swissmen landed circa 400 meters below the summit of Mont Blanc, before being intercepted by police.

Daniel Joll, Kim Ladiges, Alastair McDowell and John Price have made the first ascent of King Cobra (550m, 5.11), a 350m variation to the famous Cobra Pillar on the East Face of Mount Barrill (2332m) in the Ruth Gorge, Alaska.

Interview with the Italian mountaineer Tomas Franchini after his solo ascent of the virgin East Face of Lamo She (6070m) in China. The 1500m new climb is called Wild Blood and was graded WI5, M5, V°, 90°

Interview with Alex Chabod, vice president of the Gran Paradiso Mountain Guides, after the decision to recommend an ascent route and a different descent route on Gran Paradiso in order to avoid queues forming on the final meters to the summit.

Seb Bouin from France yesterday made the first repeat of Move at the Hanshelleren cave in Flatanger, Norway, established in 2013 by Adam Ondra.

Scottish rock climber Dave MacLeod has made the first ascent of The Golden Road. Located at  Creag Mo on the Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides, this trad climb checks in at E9.

A group of Italian mountaineers comprised of Matteo della Bordella, Maurizio Giordani, Massimo Faletti and David Hall are about to embark on a one-month expedition to explore unchartered mountains in Pakistan.

Germany’s Michi Wohlleben has repeated the E9 trad climb Prinzip Hoffnung at Bürs in Austria, as well as the 9a sport climb Speed Integrale at Voralpsee in Switzerland.

American climber Jimmy Webb has made the first ascent of The Healing at Rocklands, describing the 8B+ boulder problem as 'one of the absolute best lines I’ve ever touched.'

In September 2019 the Polish mountaineer Krzysztof Wielicki will receive the Piolets d'Or Carrière 2019. In the past this prize has been awarded to Walter Bonatti, Reinhold Messner, Doug Scott, Robert Paragot, Kurt Diemberger, John Roskelley, Chris Bonington, Wojciech Kurtyka, Jeff Lowe and Andrej Štremfelj.

On Croz dele Mirandole (Roccione di Ranzo) at Ranzo in the Sarca valley, Italy, Nicola Cont, Martin Giovanazzi and Elio Mazzalai have made the first ascent of Speta che Vegno, a new multi-pitch climb they established ground-up.