The news

For organisational reasons, the date for Melloblocco 2017 has been changed. The most important climbing and bouldering meeting in the world, which has been taking place ever since 2004 in Val Masino - Val di Mello (Italy) will take place from Thursday 11 to Sunday 14 May 2017.

During the first 12 stages of Rebuild Boulder, the series of informal bouldering competitions currently taking place at climbing walls throughout Italy, over 11,000 euro have been raised to help those affected by the earthquakes that rocked central Italy in August and October 2016.

Interview with Polish alpinist Marek Raganowicz who, from 11 - 26 January 2017, made the first solo winter ascent of Troll Wall (Trollveggen) in Norway by repeating the climb Suser gjennom Harryland (6/A3).

Alpinism: the video documenting the first ascent of Pleishornwasserfall, the new ice and mixed climb established on 13/12/2016 by Daniel Ladurner and Johannes Lemayer up the NE Face of Ortler (3905m).

From Thursday 11 to Sunday 14 May 2017 Italy’s Val Masino - Val di Mello will host the 14th edition of Melloblocco, the world’s biggest international climbing and bouldering meeting. Just like every year the event will be organised by Associazione Operatori Val Masino.

Winter mountaineering: first ascent video and interview with Romano Benet who, with Slovenia's Tine Cuder, made the first ascent of the new icefall Hysteria at Rio Vandul in Val Raccolana (Italy).

The last stage of the Ice Climbing World Cup was held last weekend in Corvara; HeeYong Park and Han Na Rai Song won both the stage in Val Passiria and the overall World Cup. The fastest Speed climbers were Pavel Batushev and Ekaterina Feoktistova, while the Speed World Cup was...

Video and interview with Italian climber Stefano Ghisolfi who yesterday, on 30/01/2017, repeated 'First Round, First Minute' at Margalef in Spain. This 9b sport climb was freed by Chris Sharma in 2011 and had been repeated previously by Adam Ondra and Alexander Megos.

On 30/01/2017 Italian climber Stefano Ghisolfi repeated 'First Round First Minute', the famous 9b sports route at Margalef, Spain. Freed in 2011 by America’s Chris Sharma, so far the line had only been repeated by Adam Ondra from the Czech Republic and Alexander Megos from Germany

Winter mountaineering in Italy’s Piedmont region: in Valle Orco Marco Appino and Umberto Bado, together with David Sacchetti, completed Vanessa neire robe, a mixed climb they had begun in 2010. Umberto Bado provides the report.

Winter mountaineering: Enrico Mosetti reports about the first ascent of Panta rei, a new mixed climb in Valbruna (Julian Alps, Italy) first ascended on 24/01/2017 with Tine Cuder.

Over the coming weekend the small village of Corvara in Val Passiria, Dolomites, Italy, will host a stage of the Ice Climbing World Cup 2017. A total of 100 ice climbers from 20 countries and three continents have registered. Live streaming of all Saturday and Sunday stages.

Alpinism: on 18/01/2017 German alpinist Michi Wohlleben, climbing with Lukas Binder, made the first ascent of 'Stirb langsam' (M11+/WI6+, 200m) a difficult new ice and mixed climb in the Wetterstein massif, Tyrol, Austria.

The video of American climbers Emily Harrington and Alex Honnold repeating Solar Flare, the 5.12d rock climb first ascended by Conrad Anker and Peter Croft up Incredible Hulk, High Sierra, California, USA.

World-class alpinist Aleš Česen introduces Slap Peričnik, the famous waterfall below Mt. Triglav. In winter this transforms into one of the most spectacular icefalls in Slovenia and an unforgettable experience for all ice climbers.

We willingly publish the appeal of the Italian Corps for Mountain and Speleological Rescue to help the families of the victims of helicopter crash at Campo Felice, in Abruzzo, Italy. On 24/01/2017 the aircraft crashed during a rescue mission, the five members of its crew and the injured person were...