The news

Melloblocco 2017 seen through the eyes of Maurizio Panseri. After having climbed in Val Masino and Val di Mello for 30 years, the Italian alpinist now took part in this, his first-ever, grand bouldering meeting.

Pietro Biagini repeats Ombra (8b/+), the historic sport climb freed in 1988 by Andrea Gallo at Rocca di Perti close to Finale Ligure in Italy.

Tomorrow heralds the start in Italy’s Val Masino – Val di Mello on Melloblocco 2017, the world’s most famous international climbing meeting. Over 2000 climbers have already registered for the 14th edition.

From 25 - 30 April 2017, Silvan Schüpbach and Dimitri Vogt repeated the Muir Wall up El Capitan in Yosemite. During 6 days on the 1000m southwest face the two Swissmen climbed all 33 pitches free at 5.13c (8a+).

At Annot in France James Pearson has made the first ascent of Le Voyage, a trad climb graded E10 7a that might well be one of the hardest single pitch pure trad routes in the country.

At Laghel close to Arco, Italy's Stefano Ghisolfi made the first ascent of One Punch, a new 9a+ sports climb. Stefano Carnati repeated Il Frutto del Diavolo 8c+/9a at Bus de Vela and at Narango Alexander Megos made one of the hardest onsights on Italian soil.

Austrian climber Anna Stöhr has sent two extremely difficult boulder problems on the same day, New Base Line 8B+ and Steppenwolf 8B at Magic Wood, Switzerland.

In April 2015 the American paraclimber Ronnie Dickson managed to send the 7C+ boulder problem Resident Evil at Joe's Valley, USA, nine years after having his lower leg amputated. This is his inspirational story, in a film by Alton Richardson and Jordan Shipman.

The video of Nina Williams making the first female ascent of the famous highball boulder problem Ambrosia at Buttermilks, Bishop, USA.

The latest sport climbing news concerning not only Adam Ondra, who at San Rocchino close to Camaiore in Italy made the first ascent of Naturalmente 9a+, but also Klemen Bečan, Felipe Camargo, Sasha Di Giulian, Matty Hong, Anna Liina Laitinen, Alexander Megos, Silvio Reffo, Angelina Scarth-Johnson, Laura Rogora, Jonathan Siegrist,...

The second stage of the Bouldering World Cup 2017 took place at Chongqing in China on 22 and 23 April, as did the first stage of the Speed World Cup. Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret and South Korea’s Jongwon Chon won the Boulder, while the Russians Iuliia Kaplina and Vladislav Deulin won...

Czech climber Adam Ondra has made the first repeat of Lapsus, the 9b sport climb freed by Stefano Ghisolfi at Andonno, Italy. This is Ondra’s second 9b in just two days, after his first ascent of Queen Line at Laghel (Arco). Ondra ended the day in style by making a...

Richard Felderer introduces the new crag Cengia Giradili at the foot of famous Punta Giradili close to Baunei in Sardinia. 22 new routes from 5b to 8b in a spectacularly beautiful setting.

As of 14/04/2017 Trango has elected to voluntarily recall all Vergo belay devices in batch numbers 16159 and 16195 that were sold after 1 October 2016.

Yesterday at Laghel close to Arco (Italy) the Czech climber Adam Ondra made the first ascent of Queen Line, the first sport climb in the area to be graded 9b.

Maurizio Oviglia introduces the new crag Coa ‘e Littu at Lula in Barbagia, the mountainous region of central Sardinia.