The news

On 7 December 2013 Cristiano Iurisci, Massimo Zulli and Antonio Di Martino made the first ascent of Il Grande Salto (TD+, 55/65°, 75°, M3+) in the remote, inhospitable, isolated and wild Valle Inferno in Italy's Majella National Park. The story by Cristiano Iurisci of what is likely to be the...

The first stage of the Ice Climbing World Cup 2014 took place in Cheongsong, South Korea, and was won by the Russian athletes Maria Tolokonina andAlexey Tomilov. Angelika Rainer from Italy placed third.

The thoughts of Andrea Tosi about the meaning of something new in climbing, that also provides insight into the past and what might be in the future.

Albert Leichtfried has put up three new ice, mixed and drytooling routes in the Tirol, Austria, together with Benedikt Purner and Christian Picco Piccolruaz: Black Denim (WI5/M5) at Ochsengarten, Figure 443 (M13) at Dryland and Bese Hexe (M9+, WI7-, 190m) in the Stubaital.

The video of Italian climber Stefano Ghisolfi on Grandi Gesti 9a at the Grotta dell'Arenauta, Sperlonga, Italy.

Interview with James Pearson after the first ground-up repeat of Is not always Pasqua E9 at Collina di Interprete (Monti Sibillini, Marche, Italy) and the first ascent of Pazienza E8 7a.

On 2 January 2014 the Americans Joel Kauffman, Neil Kauffman and Mikey Schaefer made the first ascent of Super Domo (V 600m WI5 M6) up the East Face of Cerro Domo Blanco in Patagonia.

The Lucky Monkey video by American climber Cheyne Lempe.

Enrico Bonino introduces B & B - Azione indecente, a new dry tooling area Cogne (Aosta), Italy.

Mountain Guide Giampaolo Betta introduces three ski mountaineering itineraries in the Apuan Alps: Carcaraia up Monte Tambura, Monte Sagro and Canale delle Rose on Monte Pisanino.

During the Christmas holidays Stefano Ghisolfi repeated Grandi gesti 9a at Grotta dell'Arenauta, Sperlonga, Italy. Furthermore, at Pietra di Bismantova he managed to flash an 8b+.

At Kandersteg in Switzerland Robert Jasper and Wolfram Liebich have made the first ascent of The Black Death, a new ice and mixed route graded WI7/M8, E5, 250m.

At the end of 2013 British rock climbers Tyler Landman and Pete Whittaker made the first ascents of two notable, unclimbed lines on Britain's gritstone: the boulder problem Smiling Buttress at Curbar and Headless Horseman Arête at the Roaches.

Quintessential winter climbing in Scotland: Ben Nevis and the classic routes Point Five Gully and Tower Ridge introduced by the Mountain Guide Mike Pescod.

Ralf Dujmovits and Darek Zaluski have abandoned their winter ascent of Nanga Parbat via the Diamir Face. Those still attempting the first winter ascent of Nanga Parbat are Simone Moro, Emilio Previtali and David Göttler, as well as the Poles Tomasz Mackiewicz, Marek Klonowski, Jacek Teler and Pawel Dunaj, all...

Nicolas Durand introduces Abella de la Conca, a beautiful crag in Catalonia, Spain, with circa 200 sport climbs from 3a to 8c+.