The news

Ueli Steck from Switzerland has set a new speed record on the Eiger North face, climbing the Heckmair Route in 2:47:33.

Ines Papert from Germany has made the first female ascent of "The Flying Circus" on the Breitwangfluh, Bernese Oberland, Switzerland

Markus Bendler (AUT) amd Woon-Seon Shin (KOR) have won the second stage of the Ice Climbing World Cup 2008 which took place in Busteni, Romania on 09-11/02/2008.

On 02/02/2008 Gabriele Moroni from Italy repeated Dreamtime (Cresciano, Switzerland), one of the most beautiful and famous boulder problems in the world.

Simone Moro, Shaheen Baig and Qudrat Ali are attempting Broad Peak, Pakistan in winter. At present they have established Camp 2 at 6200m,

Adam Ondra has climbed La Rambla 9a+ at Siurana, Spain, fifth go.

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.