The news

The VTNO is urging all climbers to sign an online petition to resolve access problems in Presles, France.

After Rolando Garibotti and Colin Haley's successful linkup of the Torre traverse (Aguja Standhardt, Punta Herron, Torre Egger and Cerro Torre), Ermanno Salvaterra offers insight into the history and the dream of the traverse and his vision of the future of mountaineering in Patagonia.

An Austrian team comprised of Hansjörg Auer, Thomas Schreiber and friends have made numerous first ascents in Oman, including the 8b multi-pitch 'Al Hamar' in the Jabel Sham Canyon.

On 30/01/08 the European Outdoor Group announced its decision to keep the OutDoor in Friedrichshafen, Germany, until 2013.

On 29/01/2008 Florian Riegler and Herbert Klammer repeated Illuminati, the difficult mixed route (150m, M11+, WI6+) in Val Lunga - Selva Gardena, Dolomites, Italy.

From 21 – 24 January 2008 the Italo-Argentine mountaineer Rolando Garibotti and Colin Haley from the U.S.A. carried out the first traverse of Aguja Standhardt, Punta Herron, Torre Egger and Cerro Torre, one of the most coveted projects in Patagonia.

On Sunday 20.1.2008 Slovenian climbers Pavle Kozjek and Dejan Miskovic made the first ascent of Yel-la sadik on the south-east face of Jebel Misht (2090 m), Oman.

On Friday 18 January Lisa Rands made the first female ascent of The Mandala V12, one of the most famous boulder problems at the Buttermilks, Bishop, America.

Bernd Zangerl reports about his hardest boulder to-date, Anam Cara high in the Silvretta mountain chain in Austria.

On 20/01/2008 Maurizio Manolo Zanolla repeated Bimbaluna 9a/9a+ at Saint Loup, Switzerland.

On 20/01/08 Simon Anthamatten and Petra Müller from Switzerland won the first stage of the Ice Climbing World Cup 2008 in Valle di Daone. Jenny Lavarda from Italy and Markus Bendler from Austria placed second.

The first stage of the Ice World Cup Difficulty and Speed takes place in Valle di Daone from 18 - 20 January 2008.

Siurana in Spain: high in Catalonia close to Barcellona lies one of the most famous crags in the entire country, ideal as a winter climbing destination.

Andrea Arici and Raffaele Mercuriali have developed a new drytooling crag in Valsavarenche, above the famous Haston cave.

On 05/01/2008 Pete Whittaker made the first ascent of "Grandad's Slab" E7 6c on the gritstone Burbage South, England.

Over three days at the start of January Robert Jasper from Germany and Bernd Rathmayr from Switzerland ascended three immense icefalls in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland climbing over a kilometer of vertical ice in the Lauterbrunnental and Kandersteg.