The news

On 05/07/08 Andreas Bindhammer made the first ascent of Hades 9a at the Götterwand, Tyrol, Austria. His brother Christian repeated the route four days later.

At the start of July Josune Bereziartu and her partner Rikar Otegui repeated Zaratrusta (8a/a+, 400m) Ordesa National Park, Pyrenees, Spain.

At the start of June 31 year old Perttu Ollila made the first ascent of "Trad Master" at Pärkänvuori, describing it as "the best and hardest dihedral in Finland."

Hans Florine and Yuji Hirayama have set a new speed record on the Nose, El Capitan, Yosemite, climbing the route in 2:43:33.

On 13/06/2008 Roberto delle Fratte freed Shangai 8c, an old project at Pietrasecca (Italy) which waited for 20 years prior to the first free ascent.

The 5th stage of the Bouldering World Cup 2008 took place in Fiera di Primiero (Italy) last weekend and was won by the Austrians David Lama and Anna Stöhr. Kilian Fischhuber (AUT) and Sean Mccoll (CAN) placed second and third respectively in the men's event, while the women's podium was...

Nicolas Favresse and Sean Villanueva have just spent three weeks climbing in Wales, repeating a series of routes on Gogarth, Dinas Cromlech and Cloggy including John Redhead's masterpiece "Authentic desire" E7 6b.

Luigi Billoro and Daniele de Candido have repeated "Via di testa" max 8b+, 7c obb on Monte Cimo, Italy

Canadian Sonnie Trotter has made the second ascent of Rhapsody, Dave MacLeod's E11 at Dumbarton Rock, Scotland.

The seventh edition of the Arco Rock Junior (European Youth Climbing Days) lived up to its reputation as being the greatest Youth Climbing Festival in Europe.

On 20/05/2008 Steve McClure freed North Star, the extension to Northern Exposure 9a+ at Kilnsey Crag, creating one of his hardest routes to date.

At the start of May Barbara Zangerl sent Pura Vida, the boulder problem located in Switzerland's Magic Wood graded Fb8a+/8b.

At the start of May Barbara Zangerl sent Pura Vida, the boulder problem located in Switzerland's Magic Wood graded Fb8a+/8b.

On 19/05/2008 Adam Ondra repeated Action Direct 9a in the Frankenjura, Germany first ascended by Wolfgang Güllich in 1991.

Angela Eiter repeats Strelovod 8c at Misja Pec, Slovenia. The Belgrade stage of the Bouldering World Cup 2008 has been cancelled.

The fifth edition of the legendary Melloblocco exceeded all expectations. Over 4000 people gathered in Val Masino for the world's most important, three-day bouldering meeting. A weekend with a thousand and one stories, all of which "mythical".