The news

The 8th Rock Junior in Arco was a triumph of the game of climbing. Once again this is an unmissable event for youth climbing and for the hundreds of youngsters who, with their parents, assaulted the Climbing Stadium.

In mid December the British climbers Nick Bullock and Neil Brodie established 'Who needs sex, we get hotaches' WI6 100m at Mont Saxonnex, France.

Barbara Raudner has climbed Doubleoverhead 8c at the Adlitzgräben in Austria.

Interview with the English climber James Pearson, the man responsible for some of the hardest pyscholgical outings on gritstone and flashes of Font 8b boulder problems.

Marco Confortola is currently descending to Camp 1 at 5900m in the company of an American mountaineer and a high altitude porter.

On 17/07/2008 the Russians Valery Babanov and Victor Afanasiev reached the summit of Broad Peak (8047m) after having climbed a new route up the northwest face of the 12th highest mountain in the world.

At the start of June 31 year old Perttu Ollila made the first ascent of "Trad Master" at Pärkänvuori, describing it as "the best and hardest dihedral in Finland."

At the start of May Barbara Zangerl sent Pura Vida, the boulder problem located in Switzerland's Magic Wood graded Fb8a+/8b.

On 01/05/2008 Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner from Austria and Edurne Pasabán from Spain both summited Dhaulagiri (8167m), their 11th and 10th 8000m peak respectively. Ivan Vallejo from Ecuador topped out the same day, completing his collection of all 14 8000m peaks.

David Lama and Anna Stöhr have won the second stage of the Bouldering World Cup 2008 on the Reunion Island.

Ueli Steck and Simon Anthamatten have made the first ascent of the N Face of Tengkangpoche (Teng Kang Poche) via their route Schachmatt (2000m, VI/85° ice, M7+/6 A0).

On 22/04/08 Andrea Polo made a rare repeat of "Sogni di Gloria" 8b+/c at Erto, Italy.

At Misja Pec (Slovenia) Barbara Raudner redpointed Mrtvaski ples 8b, while at the Hirschwänden (Austria) she sent Das Ding Fb7c+

The first stage of the Bouldering World Cup 2008 took place in Hall, Austria, last weekend and was won by Kilian Fischhuber and Anna Stöhr.

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.

In a thrilling final Jenny Lavarda and Markus Bendler have won the first stage of the Ice Climbing World Cup 2007 in Valle di Daone, Italy.