The news

During a 40 day trip to Japan Josune Bereziartu and Rikar Otegi redpoint "Logical Progression" 9a at Jo Yama. Bereziartu on-sights "Steroid Performance" at Horai.

At the start of December Giovanni Ongaro, Fabio Palma, Simone Pedeferri and Marco Vago travelled to Kalymnos, Greece, where they made the first ascent of two new multi-pitch routes.

On 8 december Andrea Poli sent "Talk is cheap" 8c, on 12 December "Missing Link" 8b+ at Misja Pec, Slovenia.

On 5 November Ines Papert redpointed Schattenkoenig 8b at Berchtesgaden, Germany.

On 15/09/2004 Steve McClure made the first ascent of Ring of Fire, 8b+, Holy Grail Wall, Mana Island, Croatia, the hardest deep water solo in the world.

Patxi Usobiaga has onsighted Millenium 8b+ at Misja Pec, while Fred Rouhling has made teh first ascent of Mandallaz Drive at d’Allonzier la Caille, Haute-Savoie

The eigth stage of the Difficulty World Cup 2004 was won last weekend by Flavio Crespi and Alexandra Eyer.

At the start of October more than 500 climbers from all over the world gathered in Kalymnos for the second Kalymnos Rock Climbing Festival.

In mid-October Jean-François Beaulieu from Canada pinkpointed an old aid project, La Zébrée at Mont-King, Val David, Québec, grading it 8b+

At the end of September Massimo Farina and Ezio Marlier put up two new routes in the mythical granite Valle dell' Orco (Italy), Tatanka (270m, max 7c, 6c obbl.) and Tomawauk Dance (165m, max 7c, 7a obbl.).

A brief resumè of hard ascents by Markus Bendler, Steve McClure, Gérôme Pouvreau, Martina Cufar, Tomàs Mrazek, Patxi Usobiaga, Ueli Steck and Ines Papert.

Lisa Rands from America becomes the first female climber to ascend gritstone E8 by climbing End Of The Affair (E8 6c) at Curbar, Peak District, England

On 10 October 2004 Monique Forestier climbed "Staring at the Sea" 32 (f8b+) at on Wave Wall, Blue Mountains, Australia.

On September 28 Martina Cufar, together with Marko Lukic, made the first female ascent of Hotel Supramonte, Gole di Gorropu, Sardinia.

On 6/10/2004 Yuji Hirayama made the first-ever 8c onsight: White Zombie, Baltzola Cave, Spain.

28 September marks the 10th anniversary of Roberto Bassi's death. To remember the Italian climber but also share his masterpieces with those climbers who do not know about him, the Italian Alpin Club Sezione CAI SAT di Mattarello (TN) and Bassi's friends have organised an evening at the hall at...