The news

On 15 May Russian alpinist Alexey Bolotov died above the Khumbu Icefall on the South Face of Everest.

The fifth stage of the Bouldering World Cup 2013 takes place in Austria's Innsbruck today and will be transmitted live via internet.

On 18/04/2013 Rolando Larcher made the first free ascent of Luce di Primo Mattino (435m, max 8a obl. A0), the route established by A. Andreotti, B. Menestrina e M. Furlani in 1991 on Piccolo Dain (Sarca Valley, Italy).

On 4 May Pete Whittaker made the first ascent of Baron Greenback ta the gritstone outcrop Wimberry in England, while Tom Randall made the first repeat of Appointment with Death and Nathan Lee repeated Order of the Phoenix.

On 8 May 2013 Davide Capozzi, Julien Herry and Luca Rolli made a ski and snowboard descent of the NE Couloir on Col Armand Charlet, Mont Blanc massif.

Using the recent first repeat of the NNE Face of Monte Forato, here is the first descent story by Slovenia's Marko Kern, followed by a report by Marco Milanese, his descent carried out on 7 April together with Enrico Mosetti and Andrea Fusari. Until 2011, this face was regarded as...

The video documenting Andrey Nefedov on Morcheka in Crimea: a free solo which concluded with a Base jump off the summit.

On 12 May the fourth stage of the Bouldering World Cup 2013 was won in Log - Dragomer (Slovenia) by Canada's Sean McColl and the incredible Austrian Anna Stöhr: this is her fourth consecutive victory.

The second selection of video clips of the 10th Melloblocco 2013 which took place in Val Masino – Val di Mello from 26 Aprilto 5 May.

On 03/05/2013 English climber Jordan Buys repeated Rainshadow 9a at Malham Cove, England.

In April 2013 Ines Papert, Lisi Steurer and Patrik Aufdenblatten made the first ascent of Azazar (400m, 8a) up the Tadrarate rock face in the Taghia Gorge, Morocco.

Last week the famous "lightening bolt" on Midnight Lightning in Yosemite Valley disappeared before reappearing the next day.

A first selection of video clips of the 10th Melloblocco 2013 which took place in Val Masino – Val di Mello from 26 Aprilto 5 May.

30 years after the first ascent, Maurizio Oviglia returns to "Anche gli eroi hanno paura - Even heroes feel fear" the route first ascended by Alessandro Cattaneo, Beppe Domenichelli, Mondo Liggi, Cecilia Marchi and Bruno Poddesuin in Sardinia's Sette Fratelli massif in 1983 and freed by Oviglia and Roberto Monchino...

On Saturday 4 May the XIX Mezzalama Trophy was won by the Italians Manfred Reichegger, Damiano Lenzi and Matteo Eydallin. The women's competition was won by the Italians Laura Besseghini, Raffaella Rossi and Elena Nicolini. Lorenzo Scandroglio provides the report, Marco Spataro the splendid photos.

5/05/2013. The last day of the 10th Melloblocco. 10 days of climbing and bouldering to reaffirm the indissoluble bond between Val Masino - Val di Mello and the Melloblockers. All 2,000 climbers have promised to return next year.