The news

On 20 December 2018 Polish mountaineer Dariusz Sokołowski made the first free ascent of Parallel World, a dry tooling climb that crosses a 60-meter horizontal roof at crag Tomorrow's World in the Italian Dolomites. Graded D16, if the grade is confirmed, this checks in as one of the most difficult...

Enrico Sasso reports about his 11 December 2018 solo first ascent of Rose (ED, 380m, WI4, M7) a new mixed route up the north face of Marguareis in the Ligurian Alps, Italy.

In memory of Agostino 'Gustin' Gazzera. Born in 1927, the Italian alpinist died on 11 January 2019 after demonstrating a lifetime’s love for the mountains.

Slovenia’s Luka Lindič and Germany’s Fabian Buhl have established Sau hladno!, a new mixed climb up Cima Tosa in the Brenta Dolomites.

Andrea Simonini introduces the crag Lo Specchio in Val d'Adige, close to Verona, Italy. 13 sports climbs from 6b + to 8a+.

Tomas Franchini recalls the first ascent of Selvaggia Sorte up Cima Tosa, 3133 m, in the Brenta Dolomites. After a first solo attempt, the mixed climb was established by Franchini and Alessandro Lucchi in 2013

On 18/12/2018 Sébastien de Sainte Marie skied a line, possibly new, down the North Face of Hübschhorn, Lepontine Alps, Switzerland.

South Tyrolean alpinists Simon Gietl and Patrick Seiwald have made the first ascent of Räuber Hotzenplotz (M9 Wi5). This mixed climb is located to the left of the famous Koflerbach icefall close to Sand in Taufers in the South Tyrol, Italy.

Brenta Dolomites winter climbing: on 01/01/2018 alpinists Ines Papert and Luka Lindič have made the first repeat of Selvaggia sorte up the west face of Cima Tosa 3133m. The route was first completed by Tomas Franchini and Alessandro Lucchi in 2013.

The video of Federica Mingolla and Gabriele Carrara making the first ascent of L'isola che non c’è, the rock climb established in summer 2018 up Aiguille Croux in the Mont Blanc massif.

Winter mountaineering in the Brenta Dolomites: on the east face of Cima Brenta, Alessandro Beber and Matteo Faletti have made the first ascent of the important new ice and mixed climb CRAM (550m, AI5, M6, 90°). Beber and Faletti report.

Climbing alone and ground-up, last spring German alpinist Alexander Huber made the first ascent of Mauerläufer (200m, 8b+) up Waidringer Steinplatte in Austria.

Roundup of recent redpoints at Margalef, Siurana and Perles in Spain by the Italian climbers Laura Rogora, Marcello Bombardi, Stefano Carnati and Marco Zanone. In addition, noteworthy attempts at Saint Loup in Switzerland by Riccardo Scarian and Alessandro Zeni.

The video of the first winter solo ascent of Aguja Guillaumet in Patagonia, carried out on 8 September 2017 by Austrian mountaineer Markus Pucher.

In October 2018 Spencer Gray and Aivaras Sajus made what is likely to be the first ascent of Sharphu II (6328m) in Nepal's Kangchenjunga region. The route climbs the mountain’s east face, was climbed alpine style over a six-day period and has been called Saṃsāra (ED2 AI5 M6).

The film No country for old bolts, featuring Nina Caprez and Cédric Lachat climbing at Rocher Crespin in France.