The news

On 17/01/2009 Luca Vuerich and Marco Milanese carried out the first ascent of 'Per Leila' (120m, III/6+) in Val Riofreddo (Cima delle Cenge, Julian Alps). 0n 9/01, Luca Vuerich, Eros Busetto and Michele Martina made the first ascents of Eros and The Prophet (Fusine, Mangart, Julian Alps).

On 16/01/2009 Fabio Salini and Manuel Panizza carried out the first ascent of Mello's Moon (180m, III-5+), a rare ice formation in Val di Mello, Val Masino.

Interview with Alex Honnold, the American climber who burst into international limelight with his solos in America and hard extremes on Britain's gritstone.

Markus Bendler from Austria and Angelika Rainer from Italy won the Ice Climbng World Championship and the second stage of the Ice Climbing World Cup, held in Switzerland's Saas Fee last weekend. Russian athletes Maria Tolokonina and Pavel Gulyaev doubled their Daone success and won the Speed event.

Interview with Ueli Steck from Switzerland after his 13 January speed climb of the Matterhorn in a record 1 hour 56 minutes via the Schmidt route.

On 18/01/09 Francesco Vaudo, Andrea Gamberini and Elio Bonfanti made the first ascent of Gondo Gully (300m, II-M4-4), a gully on the Parete nascosta in the Gondoschlucht (Simplon Pass, Ossola, Switzerland).

On 11 January Gainluca Daniele made the first ascent of "Grandi Gesti", proposing 9a for this long route which climbs through the massive roof at the Grotta dell'Areonauta and combines a series of exiting lines.

Between Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 January four Italian mountaineers from Turin lost their lives while attempting to climb on the NW Face of Aiguille du Midi.

The 24th edition of Valtellina Orobie, valid as the second stage of the ski mountaineering World Cup, took place on 18/01/2009 in took place at Albosaggia and was won by Laetitia Roux from France and Florent Troillet from Switzerland.

Ines Papert debuts in the Himalaya with Cory Richards and forges 'Cobra Norte' (WI5, M8, TD & R) up the North Face of Kwangde Shar 6093m, Nepal, Himalaya.

On 18/01/09 Markus Bendler from Austria and Maria Tolokonina from Russia won the 8th Ice Master in Valle di Daone, valid as the first stage of the Difficulty Ice Climbing World Cup 2009. Maria Tolokonina also won the Speed event together with teammate Pavel Gulyaev.

Last weekend Gabriele Moroni visited the historic Lumignano Classica in N. Italy and returned home with a climbing sweep-stake: flash ascents of Boomerang 8a+ and Atomic Café 8a, and a fantastic 2nd go ascent of Mare Allucinante 8b+.

The 8th Ice Master will take place in Valle di Daone, Italy from 16 - 25 January. With its Difficulty and Speed events, this competition marks the start of the ice Climbing World Cup 2009. The 11th edition of the La Sportiva International Ice Meeting is open to all and...

Bogdan Rokosz establishes 'Sprawa Honoru' 9a at the Mamutowa Cave in Poland.

A selction of some of the best and most representative icefalls in the Tyrol, Austria, by local Mountain Guide Albert Leichtfried.

Ryan Pasquill has made the first ascent of the impressive gritstone line to the left of The New Statesman at Ilkley, England. The route has been called Gerty Berwick.