The news

A January update by Maurizio Oviglia about the latest climbing news from Sardinia. This month: trad climbing at Regno di Onan, Capo Pecora, the Supramonte di Urzulei with the new route Sos de Urthullè and Villacidro with the new climb Dream Catcher on Torre Cinzia.

At the end of November 2013 Iker Pou and his brother Eneko made the first free ascent of La Tarragó at Montserrat in Spain. The 240m line boasted difficulties up to 8b+ but subsequently the bolts were removed by unknown climbers and, as such, no longer exists.

Maurizio Oviglia talks about the first ascent of Hydra, the latest route to be added to the trad climbing area Capo Pecora in Sardinia.

In June 2013 Austrian boulderer Bernd Zangerl made the first ascent of Shantaram, a difficult new boulder problem close to Trondheim in Norway.

The thoughts of Andrea Tosi about the meaning of something new in climbing, that also provides insight into the past and what might be in the future.

The video of Italian climber Stefano Ghisolfi on Grandi Gesti 9a at the Grotta dell'Arenauta, Sperlonga, Italy.

The Lucky Monkey video by American climber Cheyne Lempe.

During the Christmas holidays Stefano Ghisolfi repeated Grandi gesti 9a at Grotta dell'Arenauta, Sperlonga, Italy. Furthermore, at Pietra di Bismantova he managed to flash an 8b+.

At the end of 2013 British rock climbers Tyler Landman and Pete Whittaker made the first ascents of two notable, unclimbed lines on Britain's gritstone: the boulder problem Smiling Buttress at Curbar and Headless Horseman Arête at the Roaches.

Nicolas Durand introduces Abella de la Conca, a beautiful crag in Catalonia, Spain, with circa 200 sport climbs from 3a to 8c+.

Maurizio Oviglia provides another climbing news update from Sardinia. In this report: Isili and Lanaitto (Oliena).

Severe access problems have been reported on the Spanish island of Mallorca, in particular to the mountains and crags in the Sierra Tramuntana massif that spans the entire northern part of the island.

At the Italian crag Collina di Interprete James Pearson has made the first ground-up repeat of Is not always Pasqua, the E9 trad climb freed in 2002 by Mauro Calibani and repeated only by Cristian Brenna. Furthermore, two days previously the British rock climber freed a route at the same...

The video by Michele Caminati of him bouldering in Ticino, Switzerland.

American climber Paige Claassen has repeated Ganesh 8b+ at Badami, the most difficult sport climb in India.

Alessandro d'Emilia and Niccolò Zarattini walk the highline 'Lumignola' at Lumignano, Vicenza, Italy.