The news

On 11 June 2006 the Austrian Hansjörg Auer made a rare solo repeat of one of the most classic routes in the Dolomites, the 850m Tempi Moderni situated on the south face of the Marmolada, Dolomites.

On 12 July the Italian Ragni di Lecco Simone Pedeferri, Fabio Palma and Andrea Pavan made the first ascent of "Qui io vado ancora" 7c max, 7a oblig with two pitches of A1 in Peru's Quebrada Rurec valley.

Two million cubic meters of the Eiger's East Face are poised to crash down into the valley hundreds of meters below due to a 300m horizontal fissure.

On Friday 23 June the 22 year old Italian Jenny Lavarda sent her second 8b+, "Le dita del guerriero" at Covolo, Vicenza.

Josune Bereziartu and Rikar Otegui have made the first free ascent of the 1981 aid route Divina Comedia 7c in the Ordesa National Park, Spain.

Maurizio "Manolo" Zanolla has climbed the 150m "Solo per vecchi guerrieri", 8c/9a max and 7c/8a obligatory on the Vette Feltrine, Dolomites.

On 1-2/07 Alessio Roverato and Luca Matteraglia repeated the Diretta alla parete Sud Ovest on Mt. Pelmo (Dolomites). First ascended in 1977 by Franco Miotto, Riccardo Bee and Giovanni Groaz, the route had been repeated only once in 1986.

Located at the foot of Lecco's Grigna, the Nibbio tower holds an important place in Italian mountaineering history, with the likes of Cassin, Bonatti, Messner and Comici all passing this way.

The European Bouldering Championship 2006 has been cancelled due to insufficient safety measures.

First verdict from the European Championship in Yekaterinburg, Russia, with climbing's new school taking home the biggest prizes. The men's title goes to the young and super powerful Austrian David Lama, who continues to amaze all, while the women's title goes to the 16 year old Charlotte Durif.

Canadian Sonnie Trotter has made the first ascent of what he believes to be the hardest pure crack climb in the world, Cobra Crack 5.14 b/c (8c/8c+) at the Cirque of the Uncrackables, Squamish, Canada.

14 year old Rudi Moroder from Italy has managed to send his first 8b, the 55 move stamina testpiece Super Polentin at Pian de Schiavaneis, Dolomites.

On 25/06 Olga Bibik and David Lama won the 6th stage of the Bouldering World Cup 2006 in Hall, Austria. Frenchman Jerome Meyer won his record third overall title.

Australian born photographer Simon Carter has spent the last decade ceaselessly documenting some of the most important climbers and climbing areas in the world. The result - an incredible display of photos which capture climbing at its best.

One of the most famous and best climbing areas in the heart of Greece.

The traditional Tout a Bloc bouldering meet at L'Argentière-La Bessée - Ailefroide (Ecrins - France) will take place from 26 -29 July.