The news

Will Gadd has made the first ascent of Steel Koan in Cineplex Cave, Alberta, Canada.

Maurizio "Manolo" Zanolla has managed to redpoint "Diaboluna" 8c at Fonzaso, N. Italy.

Adam Ondra from the Czech Republic has redpointed Alien Carnage 8c+ at Castillon, France.

On 21 December Martina Cufar from Slovenia redpointed her first 8c, Vizija at Misja pec, Slovenia.

Cristian Brenna climbed in the Czech Republic andSardinia where he repeated "Sapientino" (8c) and "Anime Salve" (8b+) and on-sighted "XL" 8a/a+, "Raoni" 8a and "Totem" 8a at Cala Fuili, and "Manifesto" 8a at Jerzu.

Scottish climber Scott Muir has made an impressive repeat of what is believed to be Europe's hardest continental mixed climb, Game Over M13 at Drylands near Innsbruck, Austria.

Markus Bendler has made the first ascent of "Das Erbe der Väter" 8c+ at the Schleierwasserfall, Tyrol, Austria.

Denis Burdet, Nicolas Zampetti and Jacques Vouilloz have made the first on-sight of "Sul filo della notte", Taghia, Morocco

On 01/11/2005 Christian Bindhammer made the first ascent of "Big Hammer" 9a at the Pinswang, Austria and "Pandaemonium" 8c.

Harald Berger from Austria becomes the second person to send the Trilogy, comprised of “Silbergeier” 8b+ (Beat Kammerlander), “End of silence” 8b+ (Thomas Huber) and “Kaisers neue Kleider” 8b+ (Stefan Glowacz).

Pietro dal Prà from Italy has made the first repeat of "Unendliche Geschichte" 8b+, climbed by Beat Kammerlander in 1990.

On 23 September Rolando Larcher, Maurizio Oviglia and Andrea Giorda, made the first free ascent of their "La cruna dell'ago" on the SE face Ancesieu (1885m, Vallone di Forzo, Gran Paradiso).

Just two weeks after Caldwell's astounding repeat of the Nose, the young American has pushed things further by phenomenally climbing both the Nose and Freerider on El Capitan, Yosemite, in under 24 hours!

The future of Sardinia's most famous southern crags, Castello dell'Iride is uncertain as climbing has recently been forbidded by the town council.

Patxi Usobiaga becomes the third person in the world to on-sight an 8c, 'Gaua' at Lezain (N. Spain). Wolfgang Güllich's Action Directe 9a has been repeated by Dai Koyamada and Markus Bock. Martina Cufar on-sights Paieda' 8a+ at Rodellar, Spain and Fred Rouhling makes the first ascent of "La voie...

Yosemite news roundup. On 17 October Tommy Caldwell made a sub-12 hour ascent of the Nose, just days after his free ascent together with wife Beth Rodden. Nicolas Favresse from Belgium makes first ascent of L'Appât on El Capitan (VI 5.12d). Leo Houlding from England onsighted Half Dome's Regular Northwest...