The news

David Lama from Austria and Jorg Verhoeven from Holland have carried out the first ascent of "Desperation of the Northface", an 820m line with difficulties up to 7b on the Sagwand (3227m) in the Zillertal Alps, Austria.

The expert Slovenian mountaineer Pavle Kozjek has been missing on Muztagh Tower, Karakorum, Pakistan since 25 August. His partner Dejan Miskovic has been rescued and is safe in Base Camp.

The qualifiying round in World Cup Climbing competitions will no longer be carried out with the standard on-sight format, but flash according to an IFSC rule change

Interview with Renzino Cosson, mountaineer, mountain guide and Mont Blanc expert after the accident on Mont Blanc du Tacul which cost the lives of 8 mountaineers on Sunday 24 August. An occasion and analysis of the “rules” of nature and the spirit of mountaineering.

On 6/08 American climber Dean Potter carried out the first FreeBASE ascent of Deep Blue Sea (Eiger, 5.12+/7b+), climbing without a rope but with a B.A.S.E. parachute.

Martina Cufar has made the 4th ascent of Tom et je ris 8b+, Verdon Gorge, France.

The programme, athletes and all the news in the run up to the 22nd Rock Master and the 3rd edition of the Arco Rock Legends scheduled for 5 - 7 September 2008 in Arco, Italy.

Aleksandra taistra from Poland is currently on form in France and Spain, redpointing Botanics 8b/b+ (Rodellar) and Le Mur de six Clopes 8b/b+ St. Leger du Vetoux.

Interview with the English climber James Pearson, the man responsible for some of the hardest pyscholgical outings on gritstone and flashes of Font 8b boulder problems.

E. Bonfanti, E. Bonino, L. Maspes, R. Roetti and P. Stroppiana have completed 'Diretta allo scudo Le demon du Midì', a new route up the ESE Face of Punta Grassi (3095m) at Rochefort, Val Ferret - Mont Blanc.

Rock climbing at Pietrasecca in Abruzzo, Italy, with 70 routes from 5a to 8c, presented by Cesare Giuliani.

On 1 August 2008 Italian mountaineers Simone Moro and Hervè Barmasse reached the hitherto unclimbed summit of Beka Brakai Chhok (6940m) in Pakistan's Karakorum.

From 8 – 24 August a hike around Mont Blanc has been organised in support of the Tibetan people. The march is synchronised with the XXIII Olympic Games in Peking.

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.