The news

On 01/11/2005 Christian Bindhammer made the first ascent of "Big Hammer" 9a at the Pinswang, Austria and "Pandaemonium" 8c.

Harald Berger from Austria becomes the second person to send the Trilogy, comprised of “Silbergeier” 8b+ (Beat Kammerlander), “End of silence” 8b+ (Thomas Huber) and “Kaisers neue Kleider” 8b+ (Stefan Glowacz).

Pietro dal Prà from Italy has made the first repeat of "Unendliche Geschichte" 8b+, climbed by Beat Kammerlander in 1990.

On 23 September Rolando Larcher, Maurizio Oviglia and Andrea Giorda, made the first free ascent of their "La cruna dell'ago" on the SE face Ancesieu (1885m, Vallone di Forzo, Gran Paradiso).

On 10/11/2005 at 19.45 Disney Channel's Scooter program will air a Rock Junior 2005 Arco Special.

Just two weeks after Caldwell's astounding repeat of the Nose, the young American has pushed things further by phenomenally climbing both the Nose and Freerider on El Capitan, Yosemite, in under 24 hours!

The penultimate round of the World Cup Lead 2005 was won in Valence, France by Jorg Verhoeven and Angela Eiter.

The future of Sardinia's most famous southern crags, Castello dell'Iride is uncertain as climbing has recently been forbidded by the town council.

Patxi Usobiaga becomes the third person in the world to on-sight an 8c, 'Gaua' at Lezain (N. Spain). Wolfgang Güllich's Action Directe 9a has been repeated by Dai Koyamada and Markus Bock. Martina Cufar on-sights Paieda' 8a+ at Rodellar, Spain and Fred Rouhling makes the first ascent of "La voie...

The seventh stage of the World Cup Lead 2005 took place in Shangai, China, last weekend, and was won by Ramón Julián Puigblanque and Maja Vidmar.

The news was announced on Nepalese television yesterday: 7 French mountaineers/trekkers and 11 Nepalese Sherpa have been killed by an avalanche at Kang Guru Base Camp. Kang Guru lies in the Manang region, close to Annapurna, Nepal and is 6981m high.

Yosemite news roundup. On 17 October Tommy Caldwell made a sub-12 hour ascent of the Nose, just days after his free ascent together with wife Beth Rodden. Nicolas Favresse from Belgium makes first ascent of L'Appât on El Capitan (VI 5.12d). Leo Houlding from England onsighted Half Dome's Regular Northwest...

At the start of October Valerio Folco and Cristina Gaggini made the first ascent of the aid route Terra di Mezzo (A3), Caporal Valle dell'Orco, Italy

News just in report Richard Simpson from England having successfully made the sixth ascent of Wolfgang Güllich's Action Direct, Frankenjura, Germany

On 02/10/2005 Cesare Cesa Bianchi reached the summit of Cho Oyo (8201m), together with Ang Phurba Sherpa.

Josune Bereziartu has on-sighted Fuente de Energia, 8b at Vadiello, Huesca, Spain.