The news

British climber Franco Cookson has made the first ascent of 'But Nothing Is Lost' at Ben Loyal in northern Scotland. Cookson has suggested E12 7a and, if the difficulty is confirmed, this would be the first of its grade in the United Kingdom.

On 9 May 2026, Simon Gietl and Jakob Steinkasserer opened 'Laktosefrei' (M6, 300m), a new mixed climb on the little-known north face of Weißzint / Punta Bianca (Zillertal Alps).

American climber Michaela Kiersch has made the first female ascent of 'Dolby Surround' in the Zillertal valley in Austria. The 31-year-old has suggested an upgrade to 9a+ after a hold broke.

The report by Luca Dallavalle, who, together with his brother Roberto Dallavalle, on 4 April 2026 made what is believed to be the first ski descent of the west couloir of Cima Rocca (2,831 m) in the Brenta Dolomites, Italy.

The Janez Jeglič – Johan Memorial competition was won at Osp in Slovenia by Mina Markovič and Jernej Kruder. The event took place in memory of the famous Slovenian mountaineer who perished on Nupste in 1997.

On the south face of Piccolo Lagazuoi in the Dolomites, Simon Kehrer and Marta Willeit have established 'Bio Rock' (6c, 235m).

German climber Yannick Flohé has repeated 'No One Mourns The Wicked' in Thunder Ridge, USA. Established by Nathaniel Coleman in 2024 and originally graded 9A, Flohé suggests a downgrade to 8C+.

From 25 to 27 April 2026 Italian alpinists Luca Ducoli, Mirco Grasso and Giacomo Mauri completed a dream link-up on Mont Blanc, combining the famous 'Divine Providence' on Grand Pilier d'Angle with the 'Central Pillar of Frêney'. Grasso reports about this extraordinarily enchainment.

The video of American climber Connor Herson establishing 'Drifter’s Escape' at Squamish in Canada. Graded 9a+, this is as the world's first trad climb of this difficulty.

Chinese teenager Yicheng Zhao has set the new men’s Speed record lowering the world’s best time to 4.58s.

Watch Adam Ondra climb Die Vertreibung der letzten Idealisten on the Nonnengärtner sandstone towers in the river Elbe River Valley in Saxony, Germany. 8c ground‑up, without chalk and 'one of the most meaningful climbing experiences I’ve had.'

Canadian climber Will Stanhope has died as a result of a climbing accident in Squamish, British Columbia. Aged 39, the certified mountain guide was regarded as one of North America's leading rock climbers.

French alpinists Samuel Equy and Mathéo Jacquemoud have set a new Chamonix - Mont Blanc round trip record, stopping the clock after 4 hours 41 minutes. In doing so they beat the previous Fastest Known Time by 2 minutes, set by William Boffelli in June 2025.

The Ulsan Ulju Mountain Film Festival (UMFF) has announced Bernadette McDonald as the recipient of the 2026 Ulsan Ulju Mountain Culture Award. McDonald is an acclaimed author and researcher whose decades-long work in mountain literature and cinema has advanced global mountain culture. The 11th Ulsan Ulju Mountain Film Festival will...

The anticipation is building for this year's Melloblocco, scheduled from 6 to 9 May 2026 in Val di Mello - Val Masino, Italy. .With just two weeks to go, organisers have now released the program for thebiggest bouldering and climbing meeting in the world.

Watch South Tyrolean climber Jacopo Larcher repeating 'Bon Voyage', the E12 trad climb at Annot in France first ascended by James Pearson in 2023.