The news

The first video of Alex Honnold’s free solo ascent of Freerider on El Capitan, Yosemite, carried out by the American climbs on 3 June 2017.

At Malham Cove in England Steve McClure has freed Rainman, the first sports climb in Great Britain graded 9b.

Rock climbing beyond the limits: thoughts about the scope of Alex Honnold's recent free solo ascent of Freerider on El Capitan (Yosemite).

American rock climber Alex Honnold has made a free solo ascent of Freerider on El Capitan, Yosemite. In doing so he has become the first person to climb El Capitan without ropes.

The sport climbing crag Salto del Perro on Gran Canaria, Spain. Presented by Vertical-Life.info as part of our series 'Crags for each season', for which the routes and topos can be downloaded free of charge for a fortnight.

Interview with Alexander Megos who on Sunday, May 21, 2017 at Gravere in Italy managed to onsight the 9a sport climb TCT. This is the German’s second 9a onsight after the historic world’s first 9a onsight in 2013.

On Sunday 21/05/2017 Rolando Larcher and Herman Zanetti made the probable first repeat of Tra Nuvole e Sogni (200m, 8a max, 7b obligatory), the difficult climb put up by Nicola Tondini and Andrea Simonini in 2012 on Monte Cimo (Brentino, Val d’Adige, Italy).

The report and topo by Alessio Roverato of the new multi-pitch rock climb Distensione (180m, 7a+ max, 6c+ obl) on Monte Spiz in Val Gadena (Valsugana Italy), established with Angela Carraro.

At Black Canyon in Colorado, USA, the Austrians Hansjörg Auer and Much Mayr have established the new multi-pitch rock climb Mango Tango (5.11+ R/X, 600m).

At Sonlerto in Valle Bavona, Switzerland, Giuliano Cameroni has made the first ascent of Grande gigante gentile. Graded 8A and 12m tall, the 20-year-old Swiss climber has described the line as 'the perfect highball'.

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.