The news

In January 2016 Alexander Huber made the first ascent, alone, of Onda Azzurra up Monte Donneneittu at Codula di Luna in Sardinia. 240m high and with difficulties up to 8a+, this multi-pitch sports climb was freed by Huber together with Michael Althammer in April 2016.

Swiss climber Nina Caprez reports about her July 2016 ascent, carried out with Merlin Benoit, of 'Divine Providence' (ED+, 7b+, 900m) up Grand Pilier d’Angle, Mont Blanc. This is likely to be the first free female ascent of this route established from 5 -8 July 1984 by Patrick Gabarrou and...

On the 4th Kirchlispitze (2494m) in Switzerland’s Rätikon massif Marcel Dettling and Michael Bechtel have made the first ascent of Prix Garantie (7c, 220m).

At the end of August 2016 Iain Miller and Paulina Kaniszewska made what is believed to be only the second ascent of the iconic Dún Briste sea stack at Downpatrick Head, Ireland.

Paolo Spreafico reports about 'La lunga attesa', the new rock climb established together with Fabio Palma up the marvellous Wenden limestone in Switzerland.

Aris Theodoropoulos introduces Arginonta Valley and Black Buddha, two new crags on the island of Kalymnos, Greece.

Manuel Baumgartner reports about PukaNaka (7b+, 325m) a new route he climbed with Martin Baumgartner and Toni Oboles up the SW Face of Sas Tamersc (Fanes, Dolomites).

The video of Jacopo Larcher repeating Rhapsody, the superbly difficult trad climb at Dumbarton Rock in Scotland.

In spring 2016 Austrian climbers Much Mayr and Guido Unterwurzacher made a rare free ascent of The Shaft (Muir Wall free variation) on El Capitan, Yosemite, accompanied by Ben Lepesant who provides the report.

The video of Austrian climber Kilian Fischhuber making the first repeat of Headless Children (8b, 250m) in the Rätikon massif.

At Bohinjska Bela in Slovenia Maja Vidmar has repointed the 8c+ sports climb 'Privid'.

The route description of the Peitlerkofel / Sass de Putia circular walk. An easy hike around one of the most spectacular mountains in the Dolomites.

Slovenian climber Martina Cufar has redpointed her second 8c sports climb, 'Max power' at Bionnassay, France.

The short film 'A Brief, Biased History of Big Wall Climbing' animated by Jeremy Collins and narrated by Timmy O’Neill.

On Hoher Göll in the Berchtesgadener Alps, German rock climber and alpinist Ines Papert has repeated Scaramouche (300m, 8a), a rarely repeated climb put up by the Huber brothers in 1989.

The video of the 7th Tor des Géants, the trail running competition won by Oliviero Bosatelli and Lisa Borzani across the Valle d'Aostra mountains from 11 - 18 September 2016.