The news

At 2.00am local time on 08/02/08 Cristian Brenna and Hervé Barmasse reached the summit ofl Cerro Piergiorgio (Patagonia) via a direct line up the NW Face.

The Italian Ragni di Lecco expedition will continue its attempt on Cerro Piergiorgio, despite teammember Giovanni Ongaro suffering severe hand injuries.

Adam Ondra (15) has made swift work of "Novena enmienda" 9a+ and "Fuck the system" 9a and on-sighted "Digital system" 8c.

Leopold Sulovsky and Josef Lukas from the Czech republic have climbed a new route up the West Face of Aconcagua (6962m), Argentina.

James Pearson from Great Britain made the most of crisp winter conditions on 02/02/2008 to carry out the first ascent of The Groove E10 7b at the gritstone Cratcliffe Tor, Peak District.

The VTNO is urging all climbers to sign an online petition to resolve access problems in Presles, France.

After Rolando Garibotti and Colin Haley's successful linkup of the Torre traverse (Aguja Standhardt, Punta Herron, Torre Egger and Cerro Torre), Ermanno Salvaterra offers insight into the history and the dream of the traverse and his vision of the future of mountaineering in Patagonia.

An Austrian team comprised of Hansjörg Auer, Thomas Schreiber and friends have made numerous first ascents in Oman, including the 8b multi-pitch 'Al Hamar' in the Jabel Sham Canyon.

On 30/01/08 the European Outdoor Group announced its decision to keep the OutDoor in Friedrichshafen, Germany, until 2013.

On 29/01/2008 Florian Riegler and Herbert Klammer repeated Illuminati, the difficult mixed route (150m, M11+, WI6+) in Val Lunga - Selva Gardena, Dolomites, Italy.

From 21 – 24 January 2008 the Italo-Argentine mountaineer Rolando Garibotti and Colin Haley from the U.S.A. carried out the first traverse of Aguja Standhardt, Punta Herron, Torre Egger and Cerro Torre, one of the most coveted projects in Patagonia.

On Sunday 20.1.2008 Slovenian climbers Pavle Kozjek and Dejan Miskovic made the first ascent of Yel-la sadik on the south-east face of Jebel Misht (2090 m), Oman.

Interview by Elio Bonfanti with the French mountain guide Gerard Pailheiret who has always carried out been a tireless promoter of ice climbing.

On Friday 18 January Lisa Rands made the first female ascent of The Mandala V12, one of the most famous boulder problems at the Buttermilks, Bishop, America.

Bernd Zangerl reports about his hardest boulder to-date, Anam Cara high in the Silvretta mountain chain in Austria.

On 20/01/2008 Maurizio Manolo Zanolla repeated Bimbaluna 9a/9a+ at Saint Loup, Switzerland.