The news

The report by David Lama about his first free ascent of the Compressor route up the SE Ridge of Cerro Torre (Patagonia), carried out by the Austrian climber from 20 - 21 January 2012.

Michele Caminati talks about the first ascent of his latest creation, Ultimo dei Moicani 8B+ freed on 19 January at Amiata in Tuscany.

In Andorra history repeated itself yesterday. The first stage of the Ski mountaineering World Cup 2012 was won once again by Kilian Jornet Burgada and Laetitia Roux.

At Siurana in Spain Jacopo Larcher from Italy has flashed the climb Kale Borroka 8b+. His story.

On 17/01/2012 Hayden Kennedy and Jason Kruk climbed the SE Ridge (the Compressor route) of Cerro Torre (Patagonia) via a route "by fair means" with difficulties up to 5.11 A2. In descent the two removed a significant portion of the Compressor route established by Cesare Maestri in 1970.

News from Nanga Parbat: Simone Moro and Denis Urubko continue to explore their hopes and the mountain itself. Yesterday they ventured to beyond 5800m to reach the base of the couloir which they will attempt to climb via their (new) route to the summit.

A short interview with Alex Honnold after his first ascent of the boulder Too Big To Flail at the Buttermilks, Bishop, USA.

On the North Face of Petit Dru (3754m) Ueli Steck and Jonathan Griffith have carried out what is likely to be the first free ascent of the Voie Lesueur (ED3, M8+, 900m) with some drytooling sections and a new variation finish.

Video of American climber on Red Bull and Vodka at Vail, Colorado, USA.

18/01/2012. Mario Merelli died this morning at 8:00am while climbing up Pizzo Redorta (Val Seriana, Bergamo, Italy). Merelli was one of the most famous Italian alpinists and Himalayan mountaineers and one of the driving forces of the Bergamo mountaineering scene.

On 12/01/2012 Florian ande Martin Riegler made the first free ascent of Non ci resta che piangere IX+/X- (Sella, Dolomites).

Another video of Jorg Verhoeven and Katharina Saurwein bouldering at the Buttermilks, Bishop, USA, where they climbed Evilution Direct and Saigon direct.

At the Buttermilks in Bishop (USA) Alex Honnold has freed Too Big to Flail, a super highball up the immense Luminance Block.

Recep Ince introduces the Turkish delights of rock climbing at the Kazikli Canyon in the Ala Daglar region.

The video of Enzo Oddo climbing La Rambla 9a+ at Siurana, Spain.

On 22,23,24 December 2011 the Italian Mountain Guide Andrea Di Donato and the alpinist from Chile Andres Zegers ascended the South Face of Aconcagua (6962m, Andes, Argentina), establishing a probable 800m new start variation to the Direct French route.