The news

On 23 December Ivo Ferrari and Dario Spreafico repeated Lo Spigolo Maria Grazia on the East Face of Castello Provenzale (Valle Maira, Hautes Alpes). The report Ivo Ferrari.

Colin Haley and Jon Walsh have made the first free ascent of Tobogan (700m, AI4, M6) on Cerro Standhardt, Patagonia.

Switzerland's Claude Remy provides a chronological analysis of the evolution free climbing (bouldering and difficulty). An article which clearly is not and cannot be definitive, but is merely a stimulus for further analysis and discussion about the evolution of this sport.

The video profile of one of the strongest female boulderers, Stella Marchisio.

The interactive photo taken by David Breashears which explores Everest and the Khumbu glacier.

A sample of carabiners and quickdraws have been tested and analised by Emanuele Pellizzari at the Italian Mountaineering Club Gear and Techniques laboratory at Taggì di Sopra, Villafranca Padovana, Padova, Italy.

Interview with New Zealand rock climber Mayan Smith-Gobat. Her ascent of Punks in the Gym at Arapiles, the Salathé Wall on El Capitan, the Nose Speed and more...

Markus Bock has made the first ascent of four hard new climbs in Germany's Frankenjura, Reunion (8c), The Obsessed (8c+), The 4 Horsemen (8c+) and Witchtripper (9a).

At Siurana in Spain Argyro Papathanasiou from Greece has send her first 8b, El Figot.

On 8 and 9 December 2012 three new routes were established up the North Face of Piz Spallone Pizzo del Becco (Orobie, Alta Val Brembana, BG); Fò di B.A.L (250m, III - WI 2 - M5), Beccati questa Goulotte (250m, II - WI 2 - M4) and Bo (250m, II...

At Oliana in Spain Silvio Reffo has sent an 8c+, while at Siurana Jacopo Larcher has redpointed his second 9a.

Pre-registration for the The North Face Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc 2013 is available online from 19 December 2012 to 8 January.

The video of Andreas Fransson and his extreme skiing trip to Patagonia during which he carried out the first ski descent of the Whillans Ramp on Aguja Poincenot.

The video of Andreas Fransson and his extreme skiing trip to Patagonia during which he carried out the first ski descent of the Whillans Ramp on Aguja Poincenot.

In summer 2012 a group of young Swiss climbers established La chute de rein (600m, 6c, A1 pendulum) on peak Whale Top (1303m) in Southern Greenland.

The video of the climbing around Djebel Zaghouan in Tunisia.