The news

Luisa Iovane and Christian Sordo win the first stage of the Italian Cup 2003

At the end of April the Croatian Paklenica National Park, famed for its natural beauty and, amongst climbers, for its compact Verdon-like limestone, will host the fourth edition of the “Big Wall Speed Climbing”.

The classic international ski mountaineering race was won by the duo Patrick Blanc and Toni Sbalbi, vice world champions and winners of the Pierra Menta 2003, and the world champions Valérie Ducognon and Delphine Oggeri.

Ines Papert and Evgeny Krivosheitsev win the Ice Climbing World Championship 2003 held in Kirov, Russia

Anna Torretta and Stephane Husson win the 6th Festiglace 20003 The North Face of Quebec in Canada

The first ever Quebec Cup took place in Canada this January and February and was won by Martin Lajoie and Myriam St-Louis

The Italian ice climbing competition circuit 2003, entitled Alpin Cup, came to a close last Sunday and was won by Orietta Bonaldo and Diego Mabboni.

Ines Papert and Harald Berger win the third stage of the ice World Cup 2003 in Saas Fee and the fourth Ice World Cup 2003

Alexei Tomilov and ines Papert win the second stage of the Ice World Cup in Daone 2003

Ines Papert and Harald Berger are the provisional leaders of the Ice World Cup second stage in Valle Daone 2003

No great surprises after the Open in the Ice master Valle di Daone

Valle di Daone, here we go! The second stage of the IWC 2003 gets underway tomorrow with the Open, comprised of 50 male athletes and 21 female athletes.

The Russian Dmitry Bychkov and the German Ines Papert win the first stage of the Ice World Cup 2003 in Pitztal, Austria

Valle di Daone: it's freezing! The intense cold that has gripped Italy has sped up work at the Ice Climbing Stadium in Valle di Daone and the structure is now completely frozen in ice.

The Frenchman Sebastien Foissac and the Italian Attilio Munari have recently qualified to become international Ice World Cup routesetters. Together with the three new judges Irina Ryzhenkova (RUS), Andrej and Jasna Pacjak (SLO) they completed a four-day course in Italy's Valle di Daone.

Over 400 climbers gathered in Bishop, California at the start of December in a highly successful three-day event designed to raise funds for the American Access Fund.