The news

Video portrait of American climber Alan Watts, one of the driving forces behind the development of Smith Rock and sport climbing in the USA.

Daniel Ladurner reports about the probable first ski descent of the West Gully of Verdinser Plattenspitze (2680 m), Sarntal Alps, carried out with Stefan Grüner and Aaron Durogati.

At Gozen Rock in Japan Sachi Amma has made the first ascent his Soul Mate. Graded 9b, this is now the country’s most difficult sport climb.

The video of Niccolò Ceria climbing and bouldering close to Helsinki in Finland.

Siebe Vanhee reports about El Matédor a new climb first ascended with Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll up the East Face of Aguja Desconocida in Patagonia.

The video of American climber Daniel Woods at Oliana, Siurana and Margalef, questing for his first 9b. A legendary grade in sport climbing.

In February 2018 Georgian mountaineers Archil Badriashvili and Giorgi Tepnadze climbed alpine style for 8 days to establish a new route up Mt. Shkhara (5,203 m), Georgia. In doing so they also made the first winter ascent of the mountain’s 2300 m high South Face.

Davide Capozzi and Denis Trento completed a rare descent of the Couloir Sud Est du Grand Capucin in the Mont Blanc massif, on snowboard and skis respectively. Capozzi reports.

On 24/03/2018 Austrian alpinist David Lama made the solo first ascent of Nord Pfeiler, a new mixed climb up the North Face of Hohe Kirche in Valsertal, Austria.

The report of the first week of Red Bull Der Lange Weg, rhe ski mountaineering traverse across the Alps from Vienna to Nice currently being attempted by Tamara Lunger, Núria Picas, Janelle Smiley, Mark Smiley, David Wallmann, Philipp Reiter and Bernhard Hug.

The Los Picos 6500 expedition comprised of Italian alpinists Franco Nicolini, Tomas Franchini and Silvestro Franchini continues at a rapid pace and the trio has now climbed 7 of the 16 highest peaks above 6500 meters in the South American Andes.

Spanish rock climber Edu Marin is currently establishing a huge new multi-pitch climb up the Grand Arch at Getu in China.

The video of James Pearson, Cedar Wright and Yuji Hirayama climbing Cape Enniberg on the Faroe Islands.

In Iceland the Austrian alpinists Albert Leichtfried and Benedikt Purner have made the first ascent of the new mixed climb Shelter of the gods M10.

At Pietra del Toro in Basilicata Niccolò Ceria has made the first ascent of Goemon, describing the line as one of the most beautiful boulder problems in Italy.

On January 15th 2018 Tom Ehrig, Felix Getzlaff and Lutz Zybell climbed the new route La Torcida (450m, 12 pitches, 7a M) up Aguja Val Biois in Patagonia. Tom Ehrig reports.