The news

The first stage of the Salewa RockShow 2012 took place on Sunday 15 April 2012 at the El Cap climbing gym. 120 athletes celebrated this new beginning for L'Aquila in the competition circuit.

The ninth Melloblocco, the world's most important bouldering meeting, takes place in Val Masino, Sondrio, Italy from 3 - 6 May 2012.

El Cap in L'Aquila will host the first leg of the Salewa Rockshow 2012. Daniele Adriani, the president of this historic climbing club, talks about the event which marks a yearned-for new beginning after the terrible earthquake which devastated the Italian city in 2009.

April heralds the start of Rockshow 2012, the tour promoted by Salewa and open to everyone. This journey across nine European cuontries aims to discover the climber with the "vertical X-factor" and will culminate in July with the final at the Outdoor fair in Friedrichshafen. Registration is open for all...

The videos of the six ascents nominated for the Piolet d'Or 2012, awarded to the Slovenians Nejc Marcic and Luka Strazar for their ascent of K7 West (Pakistan) and the Americans Mark Richey, Steve Swenson and Freddie Wilkinson for their ascent of Torre Egger (Patagonia) by Bjorn-Eivind Aartun and Ole...

The Piolet d'Or 2012 was awarded to two ascents, K7 West in Pakistan climbed by the Slovenians Nejc Marcic and Luka Strazar, and Saser Kangri II in India climbed by the Americans Mark Richey, Steve Swenson and Freddie Wilkinson. The ascent of Torre Egger in Argentina by Bjorn-Eivind Aartun and...

The Piolet d'Or gets underway in Courmayeur and Chamonix today and 2012 celebrates the 20th anniversary of the world's most famous alpinism award. Four days of international alpinism at the foot of Mont Blanc to discuss, watch and celebrate alpinism in all its forms, to pay homage to Walter Bonatti...

Everest Guide Lakpa Tsheri Sherpa and kayaker Sano Babu Sunuwar have won the National Geographic People's Choice Adventurer of the Year 2012.

Planetmountain.com goes online today with its Gallery, the zone dedicated to mountain photography, climbing, alpinism, trekking, and skiing, with currently more than 10,000 photos.

The North Face of the Jungfrau (4158m) in Switzerland is currently being illuminated to celebrate the centenary of the Jungfrau Railway.

Once again Climb For Life raises awareness amongst climbers about the need for bone marrow transplant. The initiative by Pietro Dal Prà e Giovanni Spitale includes Climb for life T-shirts at indoor climbing walls.

On 17/11/2011 at 20:30 CET Planetmountain will live stream the London stage of The North Face Speaker Series with Simone Moro, Cory Richards and Denis Urubko about the first winter ascent of Gasherbrum 8035m.

The 36th Banff Film Festival was celebrated in the small Canadian town last week and the winners of the various categories have now been announced.

Kazakh alpinists Denis Urubko and Gennadiy Durov have won the Piolet d'or Asia for the new route they established last August on Pik Pobeda (7439m).

The impressive video of American Jeb Corliss flying through the Tianmen Hole in China.

Registration is now open for the Rock Junior, which will be held Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 October 2011 in Arco, Lake Garda, Italy.