The news

Download free of charge today’s crag in the climbing advent calendar by Vertical Life and planetmountain.com: Spiaggia dell’Arenauta, Sperlonga with 88 sport climbs from 4a to 9a.

The short film dedicated to Armin Holzer, the champion slackline and highline athlete who died in paragliding accident on Monte Piana (2324m, Sesto Dolomites) on 4 December 2015.

The film "Mont Blanc: the land of toys" by Luca Rolli, starring the skiers, snowboarders and alpinists Davide Capozzi, Andreas Fransson, Francesco Civra Dano, Giulia Monego and Julien Herry.

American rock climber Chris Sharma tests his skills on Magie blanche, a sport climb at Mouriès in France bolted by Marc Le Ménestrel and freed by Didier Raboutou back in 1989. At the time, this slab was hailed as one of the hardest climbs in the world...

Italian rock climber Gabriele Moroni has made the first ascent of Maestri di Vita, Life Masters, a difficult and dangerous trad climb at Metanodotto in the Aosta Valley.

During the Christmas period Vertical Life and planetmountain.com give away, in the advent climbing calendar, six crags that can be downloaded free of charge onto mobile devices. Today’s crag is Poo de Cabrales in Spain.

The first stage of the Ice Climbing World Cup 2016 begins in Bozeman, USA on 11 December 2015.

The alpinists Simone Moro and Tamara Lunger have set off for the Pakistan’s Karakoram to attempt the first winter ascent of Nanga Parbat (8125m).

Jacopo Larcher has repeated Lapoterapia, the 8c at Osso (Piemonte, Italy) freed by Alessandro Manini in 2012, this time greenpoint ie skipping the bolts and using trad gear to protect the climb. The report and photos by Riky Felderer.

On the climb Antonello Cardinale up Monte Disgrazia together with Ivo Ferrari: alpinism carefully balanced between reason and passion.

On 07/12/2015 at Gaby in Valle d'Aosta, Italy, Niccolò Ceria made the first ascent of Ziqqurat, a boulder problem he suggests may be 8C.

The report by Francesco Groppelli about Sogni di Gloria (M4, 360m), a possible new ice and mixed climb up the North Face of Punta Angelo (Adamello - Presanella massif) climbed on 29/11/2015 together with Maurizio Piller Hoffer.

The short film entitled Zamba by Pietro Bagnara / OpenCircle documenting the first ascent of Simonini - Bellamoli (370m, 7a max, 6b/c oblig), the new rock climb put up by Gianluca Beliamoli and Andrea Simonini in Val d'Ambiez, Brenta Dolomites, in memory of the late Andrea Zambaldi.

The video entitled All Roads Lead to Scotland, featuring British climbers Nick Bullock and Tim Neill.

At Andonno in Italy Giorgia Tesio has repeated Noi, the historic sports climb freed by Andrea Gallo graded 8b+.

Italy’s Silvio Reffo has made the third ascent of Under Vibes, the 9a/+ sports climb at Massone, Arco (Garda Trentino, Italy).