The news

The 8th Rock Junior in Arco was a triumph of the game of climbing. Once again this is an unmissable event for youth climbing and for the hundreds of youngsters who, with their parents, assaulted the Climbing Stadium.

There can be few crags in Wales, and the entire UK, as important as Dinas Cromlech. Situated high above the Llanberis valley this historic cliff, famously shaped like an open-book, boasts some of the best extreme rock climbs anywhere.

The 8th Rock Junior will take place at Arco (Garda Trentino, Italy) on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June 2009. This great European climbing festival for young climbers is organised for the 8th year running by the Rock Master association.

The latest news from the crags, or rather, when 9a isn't that difficult anymore and 8c approaches a rest... Dani Andrada, Markus Bock, Edu Marin, Adam Ondra, Gérôme Pouvreau, Chris Sharma, Maja Vidmar but also Dino Lagni and Luca Zardini.

The letter by Andreas Dick concerning 'A question of style: Meroi, Pasaban, Kaltenbrunner and all the 14 8000m peaks' and the reply by the author of the article, Manuel Lugli. Furthermore we've published the thoughts by Cristina Castagna, the Italian mountaineer from Valdagno who has climbed 4 8000m peaks and...

The OutdoorDays 2009, the open air sports trade fair, took place in Italy's Garda Trentino last weekend. Organised by the Riva del Garda Fierecongressi, the second edition attracted over 1000 participants to the guided activities and more than 10,000 visitors to the Outdoor Village at Riva del Garda and the...

In April 2009 Dino Lagni repeated Drumtime at Fonzaso while on 10 May he sent SuperAle 8c+ at Covolo, Italy.

It's summit time in the Himalaya, summits with a truly important specific weight. On 20/05/2009 Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner from Austria reached the summit of Lhotse, her 12th 8000m peak, together Ralf Dujmovits and David Gottlie from Germany and Hiro Takeuchi from Japan.

On 22, 23, 24 May the second edition of the OutdoorDays, the festival for outdoor sports and activities, will take place in the Garda Trentino. This is an appointment for all sports men and women, beginners, companies and clubs which have the passion for nature as their Leitmotif.

On 18/05 at 2.30 pm Ferran Latorre from Spain reached the summit of Kangchenjunga. His companions Edurne Pasaban, Juanito Oiarzabal, Asier Izguirre and Alex Chicon summited circa two hours later, at 4:45pm. The Italians Nives Meroi and Romano Benet have abandoned their attempt and returned to Base Camp.

Denis Urubko, with his recent new route up the SE Face of Cho Oyu, has climbed all fourteen 8000m summits.

In June 2008 Diego Cociancich, Stefano Zaleri and Marco Zebochin made the first ascents of two new routes in Turkey's Ala Daglar mountain range, Obelix 6b, 340m and L’armata Brancaleone 7a, 360m.

In January the Slovenian climbers Urban Azman and Boris Lorencic made a rare ascent of Cia del Tehuelche up the North Face of Fitz Roy, Patagonia.

Achille Compagnoni, the Italian mountaineer who together with Lino Lacedelli first set foot on the summit of K2 at 18.00 on 31 July 1954, died in Aosta two days ago.

Video of the first ascent of Magic Bus Fb 8a+ by Adam Ondra in Val Masino, during the Melloblocco 2009.

The sixth Melloblocco starts today in the splendid Val di Mello, Val Masino, Italy. Thousands of climbers gather every year at this international bouldering meeting, which will come to an end on Sunday 10 May.