8121 News found

Interview with Andreas Proft, the German climber who has managed to climb up to 8b without climbing shoes.

On 10 August the Italian expedition Karakorum 2009 comprised of Rolando Larcher, Fabio Leoni, Michele Cagol and Elio Orlandi completed their new route The Children of Hushe (1100m, 7b A2) up the West Pillar of K7 (Charakusa Valley, Pakistan). On 14/08/2009 Rolando Larcher and Fabio Leoni carried out a fast...

Robert Jasper from Germany and Roger Schäli from Switzerland have made the first free ascent of the famous "Japanese Diretissima" on the North Face of Eiger. The route now goes free at 8a and is a very serious alpine undertaking indeed.

52 year old British climber Stevie Haston has made the first ascent of Descente Lolitta 9a at the Grotte de Sabart in Ariege, France.

Patxi Usobiaga from Spain has climbed Hades 9a at the Austrian crag Götterwand second go, just like Adam Ondra on Der Heilige Graal 9a in Germany's Frankenjura.

In August Ines Papert from Germany and Lisi Steurer from Austria made the first ascent of 'Power of Silence' 400m, 5.13a on the Middle Huey Spire in the Cirque of the Unclimbables, Canada.

Planetmountain publishes its new WebTV section with videos of the Rock Master in Arco, won by Ramon Puigblanque and Angela Eiter.

In August 2009 the Spanish brothers Eneko and Iker Pou carried out the first ascent of Orbayu 8c+/9a, 510m Naranjo de Bulnes, Picos de Europa, Spain which they describe as their most important route ever.

Nicolas Favresse, Sean Villanueva, Stéphane Hanssens and Olivier Favresse have recently returned from an expedition to Baffin Island where they carried out the first ascents of 3 different routes and attempted to free climb the Bavarian Direct on the South Face of Mt. Asgard.

Angela Eiter from Austria has won her fifth Rock Master, Ramòn Julien Puigblanque his fourth. With these victories the two equal the records set by legendary climbers Lynn Hill and Francois Legrand.

On 24/08/2009 Maurizio Manolo Zanolla made the first ascent of "Eternit", the extension to "O ce l’hai… o ne hai bisogno" at Baule. The grade put forward is 9a but above all Manolo believes this route has taken his vertical slab climbing into a completely new dimension.

Nicolas Favresse, Sean Villanueva, Stéphane Hanssens and Olivier Favresse have recently returned from an expedition to Baffin Island where they carried out the first ascents of 3 different routes and attempted to free climb the Bavarian route on the South Face of Mt. Asgard.

The 23rd Rock Master will take place on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September in Arco (Lake Garda, Trentino, Italy). The classic Arco Rock Legends will prelude the event on Friday 4 Septembr with the Salewa Rock Award and the La Sportiva Competition Award, the sport climbing Oscars. Information about...

On the Sella Towers Manuel Stuflesser and Norbert Weiss have carried out the first ascent of Batajan (7+, 325m), while Massimo da Pozzo added Via Zoe (300m, 7b max, 7a oblig) on the Lastoni di Formin, Dolomites.

In August Eliza Kubarska and David Kaszlikowski from Poland climbed a virgin peak and established two big new routes in remote area of Torsukattak fjord in southern Greenland.

At the start of August a strong British team travelled to Italy's Valle del Orco where they managed to carry out the third ascent of Greenspit and forge five new routes high above the valley floor.