The news

PlanetMountain has been voted best climbing site according to Forbes, the world's premier magazine for business and financial news.

Hannes Pfeifhofler and Jenny Lavarda win the second stage of the Alpin Cup 2004/5 in Val Passiria

Anna Torretta talks about the icefalls at Kandersteg, Switzerland

On 1 January 2005 Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, the President of the Italian Republic, named Lino Lacedelli "Cavaliere di Gran Croce" Knight of the Great Cross of the Italian Republic.

On 18 December Yuri Parimbelli made the first ascent of the super technical Zuper-Mandrake 8c/8c+ at Cornalba, Italy.

Bubu Bole and Silvia Cian have won the first stage of Alpin Cup, held in Campitello di Fassa on 26/27 December.

The six Piolet d'Or 2004 nominees for the most important alpine achievements of the year

During a 40 day trip to Japan Josune Bereziartu and Rikar Otegi redpoint "Logical Progression" 9a at Jo Yama. Bereziartu on-sights "Steroid Performance" at Horai.

The ski mountaineering competition calendar for the winter season 2004-2005.

On Tuesday 14 December at the Italian University of Padua the websites Planet Mountain and La Sportiva were the protagonists of a university thesis entitled "Web Marketing and community management in mountain products: La Sportiva and PlanetMountain.com"

At the start of December Giovanni Ongaro, Fabio Palma, Simone Pedeferri and Marco Vago travelled to Kalymnos, Greece, where they made the first ascent of two new multi-pitch routes.

On 8 december Andrea Poli sent "Talk is cheap" 8c, on 12 December "Missing Link" 8b+ at Misja Pec, Slovenia.

On 5 November Ines Papert redpointed Schattenkoenig 8b at Berchtesgaden, Germany.

On 15/09/2004 Steve McClure made the first ascent of Ring of Fire, 8b+, Holy Grail Wall, Mana Island, Croatia, the hardest deep water solo in the world.

Ice meeting for the 2004/2005 season in Arco, Italy, Argentière la Bessée (Fournel), France, st its annual ice-fall meeting:Kandersteg, Switzerland and Festiglace, Quebec, Canada