The news

On Friday 8 August at 13.00, at the same time as the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in Peking, teams worldwide will light flares to demonstrate their solidarity for the Tibetan people and to underline their support for basic human rights.

Italian mountaineer Marco Confortola has been transported by helicopter down to valley. People are now slowly beginning to think about what happened during these last few days on K2.

On 01 August 2008 Valery Babanov and Viktor Afanasiev climbed a new route up the SW Face of Gasherbrum I (8068m). The ascent comes in the wake of the Russian climbers new route on Broad Peak (8047m), carried out on 17 July.

Marco Confortola has descended from Camp 1 together with George Dijmarescu, the American mountaineer who together with two high altitude porters climbed up to join him. He is expected soon in Base Camp, while details about the turn of events which marked the last 4 days on K2 begin to...

Marco Confortola is currently descending to Camp 1 at 5900m in the company of an American mountaineer and a high altitude porter.

Marco Confortola is reputedly still descending from Camp 3 with a high altitude porter. No definitive news as yet from the high camps on K2.

Wilco van Rooijen, Cas Van de Gevel and Pemba Sherpa have reached Base Camp, Marco Confortola is in Camp 2.

12 mountaineers including Marco Confortola have been forced to bivvy above the Bottleneck due to a serac fall which swept away the fixed ropes. They are currently attempting to descend.

On 31/07 the Italian mountaineers Mario Panzeri and Daniele Nardi and Viekka Gustaffson from Finnland reached the summit of Broad Peak, the 12th highest mountain in the world.

On 28/07/2008 Dave Macleod made the first ascent of his project on Echo Wall, Scotland, his hardest lead to date.

On 28/08/2008 David Lama from Austria made a second go ascent of "Il guerriero del futuro" 8c+/9a at Covolo, Italy

Gino Pavoni has repeated Dead man walking 8b/c at Warmbad (Austria)

Kilian Fischhuber and Corny Obleitner repeat Memento Fb 8c+ while Berni Schwaiger repeats Anam Cara Fb 8c, all freed by Bernd Zangerl in the Silvretta, Austria.

On 18/07/2008 Nicolas Favresse made the second ascent of Cobra Crack, first climbed by Sonnie Trotter at Squamish, Canada in 2006.

Interview with Japanese climber Yuji Hirayama after his recent record speed ascent of The Nose on El Capitan, Yosemite, together with Hans Florine.

On 17/07/2008 the Russians Valery Babanov and Victor Afanasiev reached the summit of Broad Peak (8047m) after having climbed a new route up the northwest face of the 12th highest mountain in the world.