The news

In summer 2009 Toni Lamprecht, Uli Strunz and Benno Wagner carried out the first ascent of the multi-pitch "Le Vieux et la mer" 8b in the Verdon Gorge, France.

Interview with Jenny Lavarda after the first free ascent of "Solo per vecchi guerrieri" (150m, 8c+/9a, Vette Feltrine, Dolomites), first ascended by Manolo and repeated by Mario Prinoth and Riccardo Scarian. She was accompanied by Marco Ronchi who also managed to redpoint the route that day.

Manuel Lugli remembers Roby Piantoni, the Italian alpinist from Bergamo who lost his life yesterday on Shisha Pangma, Tibet.

Located on the border between Austria and Germany, the Chinesiche Mauer is one of best and biggest climbing areas in the Tyrol.

Aris Theodoropoulos introduces one of the most important crags on Kalymnos, this island climbing paradise in Greece.

The first international climbing meeting at San Vito lo Capo in Sicily took place from 9 - 11 October

The history of Eternal Flame and an interview with Alexander Huber after the first free ascent of the route which climbs the Nameless Tower, Trango, Karakorum.

Sarah Seeger climbs Steinbock 8c in the Frankenjura, Markus Bock creates his hardest to date, The Man That Follows Hell 9a+, while Adam Ondra makes swift work of two other testpieces in Germany's premier climbing area.

On 8 October French climber Alain Robert scaled the 152m high Tour Ariane, at the Defense quarter in Paris, France

In a mere two months 14 year old Enzo Oddo from France has redpointed four routes 9a or harder, three of which are located at the Gorges du Loup.

At the start of October Lisa Benetti climbed Progetto 8b+ at the Covolo, Italy.

On 26/27/08/2009 Leopoldo Faria and Pedro Nogueira carried out the first repeat of Quinto Imperio (550m 8b) on the Naranjo de Bulnes, Picos de Europa, Spain.

Three new alpine multi-pitch routes by Reinhold Scherer and Dieter Stöhr on the Karwendel, Austria.

Interview with Martin and Florian Riegler after their climbing trips to the Bugaboos, Canada, where they carried out the first ascent of "The flying penguin" (300m, 5.12b)on the South Face of Pigeon Feathers.

In August 2009 Kilian Fischhuber from Austria freed Airstar Fb8b, a long-standing problem at Rocklands, South Africa.

With a fantastic selection of climbs, Diamond Falls is one of the most famous crags in the Blue Mountains, Australia.