The news

Sport climbing: at Oliana in Spain Italy’s Laura Rogora has redpointed Joe Blau 8c+, while Stefano Ghisolfi has onsighted the 8c Fish Eye.

A somewhat different climbing duel between the star Czech climbers Adam Ondra and Martin Stranik.

The Journey, a short film by Johannes Mair about Guido Unterwurzacher, Simon Berger, Max Berger and Christian Hechenberger ice climbing in Canada.

At the crag Specchio del Grifone (Angelone) above Lecco Giuseppe Pippo Nolasco has repeated Riti Tribali, the 8c/+ sports climb freed by Adam Ondra in 2009.

Alpinism: on 7/12/2016 Enrico Bonino and Olivier Colay made a dry-tooling reinterpretation of the routes Pinelli-Sabbadini, Lenoir and Ottoz, to forge El Chico (M6+ 4° 250m) on Pyramide Du Tacul, Mont Blanc massif.

Winter mountaineering in the Julian Alps: on 18 December 2016 Enrico Mosetti, Alberto Giassi and Davide Limongi made the first ascent of ‘Amici per sempre’ (IV /4+, 350m), a new mixed climb up the North Face of Cima Verde del Monte Montasio.

The climbing video by Mike Hutton of Englishman Tom Randall taking a huge lob on the Crucifix project he and Pete Whittaker discovered at the White Rim, Canyonlands, USA

During the last few days various forest fires broke out across southern Switzerland, for reasons yet to be determined. Over three dozen people were evacuated, but thankfully no one was injured. Local climber Martin Keller reports from the world-famous bouldering area Chironico, where a fire lit by teenagers got out...

American rock climber Alex Honnold teams up with planetmountain.com to talk about his recent reenactment of Dan Osman’s famous speed solo up the climb 'Bear's Reach' at Lover's Leap, California, USA

On 28 December 2016 the President of the United States Barack Obama established the Bears Ears National Monument. This proclamation permanently protects a region which includes Indian Creek, Lockhart Basin, Arch Canyon, Texas Canyon, and many other sandstone climbing areas and is the first bill that specifically acknowledges rock climbing...

At the Spanish crag Oliana Jakob Schubert has repeated Joe Mama, a 9a+ sports climb freed by Klemen Bečan.

Climbing video: Alexander Luger making the first ascent of The Gift (8c, 350m) on the Drusenfluh the Rätikon massif in Austria in 2015.

The video of British rock climber Ned Feehally climbing Ned Zepplin at the Roaches, one of the UK's hardest mantels.

Big wall climbing: interview with South Tyrol’s Jacopo Larcher who last autumn, together with Barbara Zangerl made the third free ascent of Free Zodiac up the SE Face of El Capitan, Yosemite.

Italian rock climber Gabriele Moroni has repeated the famous highball boulder problem Ambrosia at Buttermilks, Bishop, USA.

Swiss skier Samuel Anthamatten unstoppable as he rides through a labyrinth of crevasses and seracs.