The news

On 29/05 Flavio Crespi and Angela Eiter won the first stage of the World Cup Lead in Puurs (BEL). 16 year old David Lama placed 2nd at his debut performance.

During the Easter break Luca Zardini carried out the first repeat of Drumtime, the route first ascended by Riccardo “Sky” Scarian at Fonzaso (BL) at the end of March.

American Lisa Rands continues to push for the psychological extreme with her first female ascent of Gaia E8 6c at Black Rocks, Peak District, England.

News about the structure of the Bouldering World Cup 2006 at Rovereto and the Parassiti Rock due to take place at the Palazzetto dello Sport in Rovereto from 12 - 14 May 2006.

The second round of the Bouldering World Cup 2006 held in Veliko Tarnovo (Bulgaria) last weekend was won by Kilian Fischhuber from Austria and Olga Bibik from Russia.

Kilian Fischhhuber repeats Dschungelfieber 8c/+ (Dschungelbuch, Austria). At Misja pec, Slovenia, he repeats Sanski par (extension) 8c+/9a together with Jorg Verhoeven, while Katharina Saurwein sends Mrtvaski ples (8b) and Corto (8a).

Josune Bereziartu has just on-sighted Hidrofobia 8b+ at Montsant, Spain and, in doing so, has become the first woman ever to on-sight 8b+!

Registration is now open for the fifth edition of the Rock Junior, the great European youth climbing festival which will be held in Arco on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 June 2006.

From 12 - 14 May world-class bouldering returns to the Italian town of Rovereto with the third stage of the Bouldering World Cup 2006. Three days dedicated to the competition, an open-to-all meeting and a congress entitled Born to climb, which will consider the therapeutic benefits of climbing...

Scottish Dave MacLeod has climbed the direct finish to Requiem at Dumbarton Rock, Scotland, calling the climb Rhapsody and grading the route E11 7a. This makes it a strong contender for one of the hardest trad pitches in the world.

The 12th international Tour du Rutor took place at Arvier in Valle d'Aosta last weekend and was won by the Italian team Dennis Brunod and Manfred Reichegger. The women's event was won the Italian/Swiss team comprise of Gloriana Pellissier and Gabrielle Magnenat.

Arnold Senfter and Martin Moser from N. Italy, have made the first ascent of "Clean è Morto" on the North Face of the Croda Rossa pre-summit (3146m) in the Dolomites.

From 28 April to 1 May Croatia's Paklenica National Park will host the seventh edition of the “Big Wall Speed Climbing”.

From 14 - 23 March Philippe Batoux and Lionel Daudet made the first ascent of “Little Big Men” (A3, 6a, M5), on the wild and grandiose East Face of the Grandes Jorasses, Mont Blanc.

Cesare Bugada, Simone Pedeferri and Marco Vago, establish "Le berbere et la gazelle" 7c+ on the Poisson Sacret wall, Todra gorge, Morocco

On Saturday 1 April Cristina Gravina (ex Downhill World Cup athlete and ski instructor in Corvara) and Alessandra Pescosta (ex Snowboard/Freestyle World Cup athlete and snowboard instructor in Corvara) carried out the first telemark and snowboard descent of Vallone d'Antermoia, Marmolada, Dolomites.