The news

The official website of the IFSC Climbing World Championship 2011 in Arco is now online. The portal also hosts all the information about the next edition of the classic Rock Master competition which has been brought forward to July 2010 as a World Championship pre-event.

At the start of April the Germans Robert Jasper, Jörn Heller and Ralf Gantzhorn reached the West summit of Monte Sarmiento (2145m) via a new route up the North Face.

CORRECTION 05/2010: the north face had already been climbed by an Italian Ragni di Lecco expedition in 1986

After 25 years the climbing ban at Face Ouest at Buoux has now been lifted.

In January 2010 Ueli Steck soloed the Ginat route (ED,V, M4+, 85°, 1000m) up the North Face of Les Droites in 2:08. Check out the video and interview.

Even if spring is at the doorstep, it's worth analysing the climbs of Simon Gietl from the South Tyrol, who this winter carried out the first ascent in Patagonia together with Roger Schäli before repeating the famous Phantom der Zinner on the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Dolomites together with Marc...

On 17 April Edurne Pasaban from Spain's Basque country reached the summit of Annapurna, her 13th 8000m peak, while Joao Garcia from Portugal completed the collection of the 14 highest mountains in the world. Asier Izaguirre, Alex Chicón, Nacho Orviz and the Sherpa Mingma, Pasang and Gempu from the Pasaban...

Gabriele Moroni and the first Italian ascent of Action Directe 9a, the route freed by Wolfgang Güllich in 1991 and which still today represents an important test for sport climbing.

Armando Menocal explores the delights of climbing in Cuba around the Valle de Vinales and suggests 40 superb routes at the main crag Mogote del Valle.

Video of Chris Linder making the second ascent of The Dunce Cap 5.13a at Joshua Tree.

Angelika Rainer and her repeat of Outsider at Cornalba.

Maja Vidmar from Slovenia has carried out her first ever on-sight of an 8b+, Humildes pa casa 8b+ at Oliana, Spain

Rainbow Slab is arguably the jewel in the crown of Llanberis slate. The immense, smooth face is broken by a series of smaller ripples and of course by the rainbow itself, a pulsing vein which arches steeply in all its beauty from right to left.

Climbing video of Nicola Tondini and Nicola Sartori during the first ascent, ground-up, of a new multi-pitch on Monte Cimo (Brentino), Italy.

17-year-old Adam Ondra has carried out the first ascent of Goldrake 9a+, a route bolted by Bruno "Camos" Tassi years ago at Cornalba, Italy.

8-year-old Tito Traversa has redpointed his first 8a, Faith at Donnas in Valle d'Aosta, Italy

Reducing the traffic in the Dolomites, an initiative promoted by the Governor the the Trentino region, the SAT, the CAI (Italian Mountaineering Club), the Bolzano Mountaineering Club and also Reinhold Messner.