The news

At the end of December 2019 Czech skyrunner Martin Zhor raced to the summit of Aconcagua (6962m) in just 3 hours, 38 minutes and 17 seconds. In doing so he has set a new record for the journey from Plaza de Mulas Base Camp to the top.

From 16 to 17 December 2019, after a day of reconnaissance, alpinists Simon Gietl and Vittorio Messini established Pandora (600m, V, M5, A0, WI6) up the west face of Pordoi (Dolomites) . This ice and mixed climb links via Abram with via Niagara and tackles the huge hanging icefall that...

26-year-old Miles Adamson from Canada has made the first ascent of Too Tall to Fall, a huge highball boulder problem at the Buttermilks in Bishop, California, USA.

On 08/01/2020 Davide Capozzi and Alessandro Letey descended Trident de Comboé in the Aosta Valley, Italy. This may well be the first ski and snowboard descent of the exposed West Face. Capozzi provides the details.

The video of Giuliano Cameroni and Bernd Zangerl bouldering in Valle dell’Orco, Italy.

Two new ice and mixed routes were established in Valnontey, Valle d'Aosta, close to the legendary Repentance: Sputnik and Daddy cool, by Michele Amadio, Marco Farina, Remy Maquignaz, Roberto Meoli and Alberto Silvestri. Cogne Mountain Guides Marco Farina reports

15-year-old climber Viola Battistella has made the first female ascent of No Siesta, the historic 8b sport climb established over 30 years ago at Muzzerone, Italy.

The uncut footage of American climber Chris Sharma climbing high above the waves of Mallorca in Spain as he makes the first ascent of his Deep Water Solo Big Fish (8c+/9a, 20m)

The video of Adam Ondra on what the Czech climber describes as the best boulder ever built, an narrow arête located on an underpass near Brno in the Czech Republic.

In Langental (Val Gardena, Dolomites) Daniel Ladurner and Hannes Lemayer have made the first ascent of Happy New Year, a two-pitch mixed route graded M6+.

At the Italian crag Grotti, Elias Iagnemma has made the first ascent of an old project made famous by local climber Alessandro Lamberti, Ultimo Tango in Zagarolo. Iagnemma suggests the grade 9a/+

At Montsant in Spain Laura Rogora has managed to onsight her first 8b+ while at Margalef she redpointed the 9a La Bongada.

The video detailing the accident that occurred to Emily Harrington while attempting to free climb Golden Gate in a single day up El Capitan in Yosemite on 24 November 2019.

At the start of November 2019 German alpinist Thomas Huber frees his multi-pitch climb Stone Age (8b+) on Untersberg in Berchtesgaden Alps, Germany.

On 27/12/2019 Simon Messner and Martin Sieberer made the first ascent of Seitensprung, a new ice climb in Val Lietres - Langental, Dolomites.

A temporary ice climbing ban has been enacted in Valnontey (Cogne, Italy) to protect nesting bearded vulture. The Gran Paradiso National Park commission and the Cogne mountain guides have produced a Decalogue aimed at protecting the local wildlife.