The news

On 13/02/2010 Nikita Uboldi, Ean Barelli and Andrea Cairoli carried out the first ascent of La Piovra (4. WI6- M7R A1), in the Prosito mountain range in Canton Ticino, Switzerland

In January 2010 the Italians Alessandro Baù and Matteo Della Bordella carried out the first ascent of 'Fiducia al sentiero' (500m, 5.12c/7b+ max – 5.11d/7a obl.) on the South Face of Tatewari in the La Huasteca Natural Park, Monterrey, Mexico.

Dave MacLeod has carried out the first winter ascent of Anubis, at E8 6c one of the hardest summer routes on Ben Nevis which was, unsurprisingly, first ascended in 2005 by Macleod himself.

The story of an ice pillar collapsing. An adventure which thankfully resulted in no injuries, but which provides ample food for thought...

A handful of British climbers have established a series of new mixed routes at the Rive Gauche, Chamonix.

On 19/02/2010 Ines Papert and Ian Parnell made the first ascent of Little Nipper (60m, VI,8) a short new route up the Far East Wall of Beinn Eighe, Scotland.

On 15/02/2010 Enrico Bonino and Filippo Gonnelli carried out the first ascent of Drapeaux d’enfer (95m, 5+/6, M5+, X,II) in Valle di Champorcher (Valle d'Aosta), Italy.

On 15 February Albert Leichtfried and Benedikt Purner carried out the first free ascent of "Gorillas im Nebel" (120m, M10/WI6) in the Zillertal, Austria.

At the end of 2009 Enrico Bonino, Nicolas Melis and Francesco Cantù establised three new routes in the Khumbu valley, Nepal.

Climbing photographer Simon Carter explains the tricks of the trade in this interesting short video clip.

A three man Austrian expedition to Queen Maud Land in the Antarctica at the end of 2009 resulted in eleven first ascents.

Winter continues in full in Italy and four new icefalls have been ascened in the last couple of weeks.

Last week Andreas Proft from Germany climbed the route Path of Excess Power 8a+ at Echo Valley, Spain, without a rope and barefoot.

Daniel Woods has carried out the first ascent of The Game V16/Fb8C+ at Boulder Canyon, Colorado, USA.

On 04/02/2010 Alessandro Beber and Peter Moser carried out the first ascent of La Bella Addormentata (170m, 6+) in Valsugana, Northern Italy

Ellade Ossola interviews Swiss alpinist and mountain guide Simon Anthamatten, a key player in the mountaineering world with important ascents to his name which have their roots in his desire to maintain an "independent" alpinism.