The news

On 25 Janaury 2011 Simone Moro, Denis Urubko and Cory Richards installed Camp 2 at 6500m on Gasherbrum II. In doing so they carried out another important step in their attempt to carry out the first winter ascent of the 13th highest mountain in the world.

On 17/01/2011 Davide Capozzi, Luca Rolli, Roch Malnuit, Laurent Dupré and Lionel Hachemy made the first descent of the SW Couloir on Aiguilles du Brouillard (P.ta Saviotti), Mont Blanc

On 6/01/2011 the Italians Dario De Rossi, Renato Bortolato & C., carried out what is thought to be the first ascent of Il Regalo della Befana (110m II,4), inVal Grande (Santo Stefano di Cadore, Belluno, Dolomites).

At the start of January 2011 the American alpinists Neil Kauffman and Jim Toman carried out the first ascent of Cerro Pollone East (Patagonia) by climbing Re Puesto! (V 800m 5.10 A1).

On 22 December 2010 the Slovenian alpinists Francek Knez and Silvo Karo were awarded the Order of Merit by Slovenia's President Dr. Danilo Tuerk. This high state decoration was confirmed on the pair for "their achievements in Slovenian mountain climbing and for their contributions to the reputation of Slovenian mountaineering...

Albert Leichtfried and Gerry Fiegl have established Dripping Elegance (M10/WI5+ 110m) in the Ötztal in Austria.

The first stage of the Ice Climbing World Cup took place in Cheongsong, Korea, on 8 and 9 January 2011 and was won by Markus Bendler from Austria and Maria Tolokonina from Russia. The Speed event was won by the Russians Maxim Tomilov and Irina Bagaeva.

American alpinists Colin Haley, Mikey Schaefer and Jens Holsten have established 'Jardines Japoneses', (650m AI4 M5 5.10 A1) on Aguja Mermoz in Patagonia.

In just 10 days Paul Robinson has sent three Fb8B+ eand four Fb8B at Fontainebleau in France.

48-year-old Dario Corradi, commissioner for agriculture and forestry in Daone, died yesterday at Trento. The Daone Ice Master World Cup, of which Corradi was an active promoter, has been cancelled as a sign of mourning and respect.

At the end of 2010 James Pearson, Mark Synnott, Renan Ozturk and Alex Honnold established a series of new routes in the Ennedi Range in Chad.

On 28 December 2010 the American climber Cody Roth carried out the first repeat of Malvasia at Dvigrad in Croatia, the route bolted in 1987 and freed in 1988 by Maurizio 'Manolo' Zanolla which no one had managed to repeat. Roth believes the route to be a good 8c+... The...

A brief introduction to seven freeride itineraries in Alta Badia, Dolomites, by Mountain Guide Francesco Tremolada.

Over a four day period in winter 2007 the experienced Swiss ice climbers Markus Stofer and Bernd Rathmayr established "Scharf, mit alles…" in the Gasterntal close to Kandersteg in Switzerland.

On 21 December Giuseppe 'Beppe' Ballico and Marco Milanese climbed "Cascata Per Leo" (270m, IV, WI 5+ XR) a beautiful icefall which rarely comes into condition on the SW Face of Croda Marcora (Sorapiss, Dolomites).

Joel Kauffman reports about the ascent of Night Terror (VI WI5+ AI4 M7 85°) on Lobuche East, Nepal, carried out with fellow American Jared Vilhauer.