The news

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.

Ismael Santos, the great Spanish basketball player and passionate mountaineer based in Italy, shares his views about how the public opinion and Spanish and Italian media perceives the achievements of Nives Meroi and Edurne Pasaban. We believe this to be an important contribution which helps comprehend what is happening and...

Edurne Pasaban with Kanchenjunga and Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner with Lhotse have reached the summit of 12 8000m peaks. Nives Meroi and Romano Benet on the other hand have had to abandon their Kanchenjunga summit bid and have therefore climbed 11. The thoughts of Manuel Lugli about this female "race" to complete...

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.

Rock climbing at the splendid limestone crag Plakias on Crete, Greece.

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 XVII Mezzalama Trophy took place on Monte Rosa on 02/05/2009. The legendary ski mountaineering competition was won by Manfred Reichegger, Matteo Eydallin and Denis Trento in a record breaking 4:01'22. The women's event was won by Francesca Martinelli, Roberta Pedranzini, Laetitia Roux in 4:43'31".

The sixth Melloblocco 2009, the world's most important bouldering meeting, broke all records from 07 - 10 May 2009. At least 2500-3000 climbers gathered in Val Masino and Val di Mello and more than 6000 people visited the valley for this happening which embodies the joy of bouldering.

The second stage of the Bouldering World Cup 2009 was held in Austria's Hall last weekend. Kilian Fischhuber won the men's event, while Anna Stöhr (AUT) and Akiyo Noguchi (JPN) won female gold.