1884 News found

Diary extract and interview with Hansjörg Auer after the first ascent of Waiting for Godot, Central Tower Torres del Paine, Patagonia, carried out with Much Mayr from Austria.

The strong Italian climber Enrico Baistrocchi has managed the first repeat of the boudlery Oniyx 8c, first ascended by Markus Bock at Chironico, Switzerland. Massimo Malpezzi has the story.

Will Gadd from Canada teamed up with Tim Emmett from Britain to carry out the first ascent of Spray On, a 30m ice climb at the Helmcken Falls they tentatively graded WI10.

Centercourt, the new extreme testpiece first climbed by Albert Leichtfried and Benedikt Purner at the start of Janauary, has been repeated twice, by the Slovenians Aljaz Anderle and Klemen Premrl and the Austrians Rudolf Hauser and Helmut Holleis.

Last December the South Tyroleans Florian Riegler, Hannes Lehmyer and Tamara Lunger carried out the first ascent of Gratta e vinci (120m, M10, WI 5) at the Passo delle Pedale/Mendola. On 21/12/09 Florian and his brother Martin made the first redpoint ascent.

On 07/01/2010 Albert Leichtfried and Benedikt Purner made the first ascent of the 300m "Centercourt" in the Gasteinertal. Graded WI7+, this is the hardest pure iceline in Austria and one of the hardest in the world.

Climbing in Portugal has become more varied thanks to the recent discovery of the basalt sea cliff Casal Pianos. Located close to Lisbon, this crack trad cliff hosted an international meeting called "Pianos Rachados" in November.

It all took place at Terlago in Valle del Sarca, a stone's throw from Arco, Italy. But the story Manolo tells about this project which no longer exists could perhaps have taken place at any old crag...

One day Heinz opened two new routes in Valle San Nicolò (Val di Fassa, Dolomites) and 22 years later he gave the route to Mario, who freed them. This is the story of "Alice e l'imperatore" and "Basic Instinct", told by Heinz Mariacher and Mario Prinoth.

Located close to picturesque Ascoli Piceno, with over 100 routes San Giorgio is a little rock climbing gem in central Italy.

Dave Macleod analyses his ascent of Echo Wall on Ben Nevis. Climbed in July 2008, this terrifying route represented a new level of trad climbing for the 29 year old Scottish climber.

This autumn Italian climber Mario Prinoth discovered, bolted and freed The Search, a 35m line up the smooth limestone face close to Capanna Bill on the Marmolada, Dolomites.

Albert Leichtfried and Benedikt Purner have carried out the first ascent Moonwalk WI6/M7, at 1000m the longest icefall in Austria.

Hansjörg Auer has carried out the first free ascent of Vogelfrei (8b/8b+ 400m), on the South Face of the Schüsselkarspitze, Austria.

British climber Stevie Haston has made a flash ascent of Greenspit in Valle del Orco, Italy

Austrian Mountain Guide Albert Leichtfried has made the first ascent of La lingua pura (7c, 6c oblig, 200m) on the North Face of Monte Monaco close to San Vito lo Capo in Sicily, Italy, together with Paul Mair.