The news

On 01 January 2010 Fabio Giacomelli, the 51 year old mountaineer from Trentino, Italy, died in an avalanche at the base of the East Face of Cerro Torre. After a three day search climbing partner Elio Orlandi managed to locate the lifeless body.

It all took place at Terlago in Valle del Sarca, a stone's throw from Arco, Italy. But the story Manolo tells about this project which no longer exists could perhaps have taken place at any old crag...

Dorota Dubicka takes a look at the event which took place in Poland at the strat of December and attracted over 5000 visitors.

A selection of icefalls in Valle di Cogne, one of the most important valleys not only in Valle d'Aosta but also in Italy

Elio Bonfanti introduces three new icefalls at Lys Balma, Gressoney, Valle d'Aosta, Italy

Two hikers died on 26/12/2009 in Val Lasties (Dolomites), as did four members of the Val di Fassa Mountain Rescue Squad. At Solda a 12 year old boy went missing while skiing off-piste.

One day Heinz opened two new routes in Valle San Nicolò (Val di Fassa, Dolomites) and 22 years later he gave the route to Mario, who freed them. This is the story of "Alice e l'imperatore" and "Basic Instinct", told by Heinz Mariacher and Mario Prinoth.

On 18/12/2009 Chris Sharma made the first ascent of Neanderthal 9b at Santa Linya, Spain.

Paolo Tassi and the joy of skiing: skiing freely between the emotions of art which renews itsself with each snowfall.

Located close to picturesque Ascoli Piceno, with over 100 routes San Giorgio is a little rock climbing gem in central Italy.

After 10 years of trying the Italian climber Sandro Neri has managed to repeat Emicrania 8b at Ceresera (Belluno).

Dave Macleod analyses his ascent of Echo Wall on Ben Nevis. Climbed in July 2008, this terrifying route represented a new level of trad climbing for the 29 year old Scottish climber.

British alpinist and journalist Ian Parnell remembers Guy Lacelle from Canada, one of the world's leading ice climbers who died in an avalanche last Thursday in Hyalite Canyon, Montana, Canada.

This autumn Italian climber Mario Prinoth discovered, bolted and freed The Search, a 35m line up the smooth limestone face close to Capanna Bill on the Marmolada, Dolomites.

On 28/11/2009 the Danish climbers Kristoffer Szilas and Martin Ploug reached the summit of the hiterhto unclimbed Ren Zhong Feng (5800m) in the Sichuan range in China via their route Lost to Ice (TD: M4, WI4, 1300m). During that period four Hungarian climbers went missing on the same mountain.

A pleasant little crag above Positano, on the Amalfi coast, Italy, with fifteen pitches from 6a to 8a.