The news

Scottish Dave MacLeod has climbed the direct finish to Requiem at Dumbarton Rock, Scotland, calling the climb Rhapsody and grading the route E11 7a. This makes it a strong contender for one of the hardest trad pitches in the world.

The 12th international Tour du Rutor took place at Arvier in Valle d'Aosta last weekend and was won by the Italian team Dennis Brunod and Manfred Reichegger. The women's event was won the Italian/Swiss team comprise of Gloriana Pellissier and Gabrielle Magnenat.

Arnold Senfter and Martin Moser from N. Italy, have made the first ascent of "Clean è Morto" on the North Face of the Croda Rossa pre-summit (3146m) in the Dolomites.

From 28 April to 1 May Croatia's Paklenica National Park will host the seventh edition of the “Big Wall Speed Climbing”.

From 14 - 23 March Philippe Batoux and Lionel Daudet made the first ascent of “Little Big Men” (A3, 6a, M5), on the wild and grandiose East Face of the Grandes Jorasses, Mont Blanc.

Cesare Bugada, Simone Pedeferri and Marco Vago, establish "Le berbere et la gazelle" 7c+ on the Poisson Sacret wall, Todra gorge, Morocco

On Saturday 1 April Cristina Gravina (ex Downhill World Cup athlete and ski instructor in Corvara) and Alessandra Pescosta (ex Snowboard/Freestyle World Cup athlete and snowboard instructor in Corvara) carried out the first telemark and snowboard descent of Vallone d'Antermoia, Marmolada, Dolomites.

On 28 March Hervé Barmasse, Matteo Bernasconi, Lorenzo Lanfranchi and Giovanni Ongaro climbed a new mixed line up the grandiose and previously untouched North Face of San Lorenzo, Patagonia.

Melloblocco third edition, one can literally feel the anticipation grow. The classic and unmissable 3rd Melloblocco, or rather, the motley coloured bouldering meet in Val di Mello, is less than 40 days away and will be held on 6-7 May 2006

According to news reports published by The Associated Press, the four Polish trekkers kidnapped by Maoist rebels in Nepal have now been freed.

The O'Neill Xtreme 2006 took place in Verbier, Switzerland, from 17 - 19 March and was won by Sweden's Kaj Zackrisson and Italy's Giulia Monego.

The BBC has reported that four Polish trekkers have been kidnapped in Nepal by Maoist rebels.

Rich Simpson has made the first ascent of A Muerte 8c+/9a at Siurana, Spain

Olga Bibik from Russia and Jérôme Meyer from France won the first stage of the Bouldering World Cup 2006, held in Birmingham, England, last weekend.

Riccardo Scarian, fresh from his ascent of Bain de sang, has successfully made the first ascent of Drumtime, his 40m project at Fonzaso, N. Italy, which combines the first section of "Gladiatore" (8c+) with the second half of "Diabloluna" (8c).

Slovenian alpinist Marko Prezelj has returned from a five week trip to Patagonia where, dodging typical unstable weather, he made two fast ascents together with the Americans Stephen Koch and Dean Potter, one on Cerro Torre and one on Torre Standhardt.