The news

On Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th of May 2007, Val di Mello will host the fourth edition of Melloblocco, the international outdoors bouldering meeting in Northern Italy

The American Alpine Journal is available online as of today.

In February Gabriele Moroni repeated Odi social 8c+ at Siurana (Spain), the latest in his long list of extreme repeats.

At the end of December a German team led by Stefan Glowacz and Kurt Albert travelled to Venezuela where it established "Fegefeuer" IX, a new 700m route on Akopan Tepui, 2200m.

Guido Giacomelli and Hansjoerg Lunger, and Roberta Pedranzini and Francesca Martinelli have won the 13th edition of the Sellaronda ski mountaineering competition. 720 athletes competed in this classic night ski mountaineering marathon in the Dolomites, cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd.

On 09/02/2007 Ines Papert repeated "Law and Order", Markus Bendler's M13 at the Diebsöfen in Austria. This is the first-ever M13 female ascent.

Albert Leichtfried, Markus Bendler, Ines Papert and Audrey Gariepy have set off for Iceland to explore its potential in memory of their friend Harald Berger who died tragically in December 2006.

From 21 - 26 January 2007 the Italians Elio Orlandi, Michele Cagol, Fabio Leoni and Rolando Larcher made the first ascent of "Osa ma non troppo", a 700m line up the E Face of Cerro Cota 2000 (Torres del Paine, Patagonia). A beautiful route, great company and a fantastic adventure...

Dave MacLeod has climbed his first 8c+, "L’odi Social" at Siurana, Spain to discover how this compares to cutting edge trad routes in Britain, such as his Rhapsody E11 7a.

Riccarda de Eccher's exhibition "Watercolor, Pastel"is on show in Cortina at the "libreria Sovilla" until 15 April 2007

Valdo Chilese redpoints El sior Favonio 8c at Fonzaso, N. Italy, and together with climbing partner Nicola Pesavento repeats Belfagor 8b+.

On 11/02 the third and final stage of the Ice Climbing World Cup took place in Busteni (Romania) and was won by Evgeny Krivosheitsev from the Ukraine and Jenny Lavarda from Italy.

Winter ski mountaineering in the Julian Alps is both severe and complex, but at the same time it offers a great deal and reveals itself slowly to those willing to find out more.

On 03/02 Evgeny Kryvosheytsev and Jenny Lavarda won the second stage of the Ice World Cup 2007 in Saas Fee and in doing so also won the Ice Difficulty World Championships.

Last December four Italian Ragni di Lecco climbers travelled to Mali where they made three new first ascents in the Hombori region of the African republic.

On 01/02 Simone Moro and Shaheen reached Camp 3. In a few days time they will make their first summit attempt.