The news

On 28 December 2016 the President of the United States Barack Obama established the Bears Ears National Monument. This proclamation permanently protects a region which includes Indian Creek, Lockhart Basin, Arch Canyon, Texas Canyon, and many other sandstone climbing areas...

At the Spanish crag Oliana Jakob Schubert has repeated Joe Mama, a 9a+ sports climb freed by Klemen Bečan.

On 23/12/2016 the mountain guides Vittorio Messini and Isidor Poppeller made the first ascent of 'Pinzga Stier' (WI5, 1200m), a new ice climb up Hochbirghöhe in Austria.

Climbing video: Alexander Luger making the first ascent of The Gift (8c, 350m) on the Drusenfluh the Rätikon massif in Austria in 2015.

Alessio Tait introduces the stunning crag Malga Spora at Croz of Giovan. Another little sport climbing gem in the Brenta Dolomites.

On 23 December 2016 on the Drei Zinnen / Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Dolomites) Simon Kehrer and Christoph Hainz completed a beautiful winter trilogy by climbing Via Comici-Dimai up Cima Grande (in 2:30), Via Cassin up Cima Ovest (in 3:25),...

The video of British rock climber Ned Feehally climbing Ned Zepplin at the Roaches, one of the UK's hardest mantels.

Big wall climbing: interview with South Tyrol’s Jacopo Larcher who last autumn, together with Barbara Zangerl made the third free ascent of Free Zodiac up the SE Face of El Capitan, Yosemite.

Italian rock climber Gabriele Moroni has repeated the famous highball boulder problem Ambrosia at Buttermilks, Bishop, USA.

Swiss skier Samuel Anthamatten unstoppable as he rides through a labyrinth of crevasses and seracs.

The video of Tom Ballard and Marcin Tomaszewski making the first ascent of ‘Titanic' (A3/M5/6b, 2000m), a new climb up the North Face of the Eiger (Switzerland).

On 16/12/2016 the two Swiss mountain guides David Hefti and Marcel Schenk climbed the ice and mixed combination 'Nordest supercombo' (800m, M7, R) a demanding line that joins Via Cassin with via Memento Mori up the NE Face of Pizzo...

On 20/12/2016 Simone Elmi, Davide Carton and Davide Ortolani made the first ascent of 'Lato B' (M4, WI4, II, R3, 100m), a new mixed climb up Cima della Paganella, Brenta Dolomites.

Francesco Vascellari and Loris de Barba introduce '4000m Peaks in the Alps. Ski Touring and Steep Skiing', their guidebook to the 4000m mountains in the Alps. Three routes presented on planetmountain.com: Barre des Écrins, Pizzo Bernina and Dent d'Hérens.

The film documenting the ski mountaineering and speed riding expedition to the Chauki Dolomites in Georgia, undertaken in earlier this year by Wolfgang Hell, Aaron Durogati, Daniel Ladurner and Alessandro d’Emilia.

On 15 December 2016 Vivian Bruchez, Tristan Knoertzer and Ben Tibbetts skied what is believed to be a new line down the West Face of Pointe de la Fouly (3611m) in the Mt. Blanc massif.