The news

The 17th Mezzalama Trophy will take place on 19 April 2009. This classic ski mountaineering marathon takes place once every two years and dates back to 1933. As usual it starts at Breuil-Cervinia and finishes at Gressoney la Trinité via the Monte Rosa glacier and the summit of Monte Castore.

Irrespective behaviour on behalf of climbers may result in access restrictions in Valle Verzasca, Switzerland.

At the start of March the Norwegian Alpine Club (Norsk Tindeklub, NTK) hosted an international climbing meeting on the remote Lofoten islands. 40 climbers from 15 different nations attended the event designed to raise awareness of the climbing potential on the islands and to highlight the importance of Norway's immense...

After failing to even reach Kangchenjunga and being forced therefore to change plans, Nives Meroi and Romano Benet are currently attempting the South Face of Annapurna in orderto climb their 12th 8000m peak. Prevailing conditions on the mountain continue to be difficult and our man in the field Manuel Lugli...

Polish mountaineer Piotr Morawski died on Dhaulagiri on 8 April after falling 20m into a crevasse. Piotr Drozdz, a friend and editor of the Polish Gory magazine, has sent us this text in memory of Morawski.

Due to the earthquake which hit the Abruzzo region of Italy, the Vertigo sports club has decided to cancel the International Lead Master at Penne, scheduled for 18 and 19 April 2009.

Due to the abundant snowfall this winter, Gerhard Hörhager has launched the following avalanche warning for Austria's Zillertal prior to Easter.

On 17 March Bernd Zangerl carried out the first repeat of "From Dirt Grows The Flowers", the Fb8c problem first climbed by Dave Graham in 2005 at Chironico, Switzerland.

Petrohrad is the best bouldering area in the Czech Republic, situated 50km northwest of Plzen and 80 km west of Prague. Much like Fontainebleau, the area is divided up into many sub-areas in a mysterious forest and offers thousands of problems and an enormous potential for the future.

On 23 March Fabrizio Pina, Alessandro Lafranconi and Alberto Marazzi skied the route "Cittadini della galassia" (V/4) on the NW Face of Monte Legnone. In doing so they made the first ski descent of this long gully high above Collico, Italy.

An advertising campaign concerning Switzerland's efforts to clean its mountains, promoted by the Swiss Tourist Board.

The Czech Mountaineering Union has passed a bill, still to be accepted by the Ministry of Environment, approving the use of chalk on Czech sandstone.

On 14/03/2009 Luca Zardini carried out the first ascent of "La linea dei Sogni" (8c+), the extension to the legendary "Sogni di Gloria" at Erto (Italy).

On 13 and 14 March Luca Vuerich and Massimo Laurencig carried out the first winter ascent of the difficult Fessura Lomasti (400m, VI, pass. di VIII-) on the pre-summit of Cima Grande della Scala (Val Riofreddo, Julian Alps, Italy).

Fabio Salini and Emanuel Panizza have carried out the first ascent of Stalattica (60m, IV,5,X), a beautiful ice fall in the Livingo area, Italy.

On 21 March Luca Maspes, Emanuel Panizza and Christian Turk carried out the first ascent of the ESE Face of Morteratsch (3751m) in the Bernina mountain range.