The news

From 4 - 6 April 2013 Cortina d'Ampezzo, the pearl of the Dolomites, will host the Freeride Challenge Punta Nera 2013, a three day event dedicated to freeride skiing, ski mountaineering and climbing with the special boulder contest.

Climbing at the very limit: today Adam Ondra freed La Dura Dura at Oliana in Spain for which he suggests the super grade 9b+. The interview and first details directly from "magic" Adam himself.

At Oliana in Spain Silvio Reffo has succeeded in flashing 'Mind Control' (8c).

American climber Chris Sharma has freed Stoking the Fire 9b at Santa Linya in Spain.

Our video interviews with the great Austrian alpinist Kurt Diemberger, one of the strongest mountaineers of all times who will receive the "Walter Bonatti" Lifetime Achievement Award during the Piolets d’Or 2013 which will take place from 3 - 6 April in Courmayeur and Chamonix Mont Blanc.

This year's edition of The North Face Kalymnos Climbing Festival 2013 will take place from 10 to 13 October 2013.

From 3 - 6 April 2013 Courmayeur and Chamonix will be the world's capital of alpinism thanks to the 21st Piolets d’Or, the international award dedicated to alpinism.

Interview with Albert Leichtfried after the first ascent together with Benedikt Purner of Senza piombo, the new mixed climb established in Vallunga with difficulties up to M10 WI 5 protected only with trad gear and without bolts and pegs.

Luis Penín and Pablo Gomez from Spain have repeated Felsige Gärten in Austria's Tirol.

On 26/01/2013 Edoardo Falletta and Andrea Roche made the first ascent of the icefall Lall in Ice (30, III/3+/D3) on Monte Chaberton in Alta Val di Susa, Italy.

The video by Beau Carrillo and Tad Mccrea on the Whillans - Cochrane route on Aguja Poincenot in Patagonia.

Interview with American climber Chris McNamara, an expert big wall climber and author of the recently published book How To Big Wall Climb.

Andy Kirkpatrick, Tormod Granheim and Aleksander Gamme have made a winter ascent of the route Suser Gjennom Harryland on Trollveggen (Troll Wall) in Norway.

The Austrians Albert Leichtfried and Benedikt Purner have made the first ascent of Senza piombo in Val Lunga (Dolomites); a difficult mixed route protected only with trad gear and presumably the first M10 in the world established in this clean style.

On 01/01/2013 the Slovenian alpinists Andrej Grmovšek and Luka Krajnc made the first ascent of Zuko traverse (V 5.10+, 650m).

On 12/01/2013 Marco Conti and Mirella Becciu made the first ascent of La Bava della Sueur (III/5/D2, 80m), a new icefall at Rocce della Sueur, Bardonecchia, Italy.