Everest, the crowd and the race to nowhere
The race towards the highest mountain on earth: a multitude of summits, long queues and, like every year, too many deaths. By Vinicio Stefanello.
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Melloblocco, a passionate battle
Sun, rain, boulder problems and parties for 2200 people during the ninth edition of Melloblocco 2012. Our final report of the world's most important bouldering meeting which took place in Val Masino - Val di Mello from 3 to 6 May.
Piolets d'Or 2012, the videos of the ascents
The videos of the six ascents nominated for the Piolet d'Or 2012, awarded to the Slovenians Nejc Marcic and Luka Strazar for their ascent of K7 West (Pakistan) and the Americans Mark Richey, Steve Swenson and Freddie Wilkinson for their ascent of Torre Egger (Patagonia) by Bjorn-Eivind Aartun and Ole Lied received a special mention from the Jury. The videos were created for the award's celebration of the Piolets d'Or 2012 at Courmayeur by Vinicio Stefanello (Planetmountain.com) and Francesco Mansutti.
Piolets d'Or 2012, the international alpinism festival starts today
The Piolet d'Or gets underway in Courmayeur and Chamonix today and 2012 celebrates the 20th anniversary of the world's most famous alpinism award. Four days of international alpinism at the foot of Mont Blanc to discuss, watch and celebrate alpinism in all its forms, to pay homage to Walter Bonatti and to present the Lifetime's Achievement award to Robert Paragot.
Steve House solos Repentance and Remission
The 2010 video filmed by Jim Surette of American climber Steve House as he solos two classic icefalls, Repentance and Remission in New Hampshire, USA.
Walter Bonatti, goodbye
Last night Walter Bonatti passed away. He was 81 years old and one of the greatest legends of alpinism of all times.
Hervé Barmasse, Iker and Eneko Pou and the new Brouillard route up Mont Blanc
Interview with Hervé Barmasse, Iker and Eneko Pou after La Classica Moderna' the new route the trio esablished up the Left Pillar of Brouillard on Mont Blanc.
Melloblocco 2011 and the great bouldering tribe
Melloblocco, Val di Mello, the bouldering tribe and the biggest bouldering meeting in the world
Rosso 70, awarded at the Bansko Film Festival
Rosso 70, the film directed by Francesco Mansutti and Vinicio Stefanello and which retraces the 70 yera mountaineering history f the Scoiattoli mountaineering club in Cortina, has won the Jury's Special Prize during the Bulgaria's X° International Mountain Film Festival in Bansko
The Messner slab on the Sass dla Crusc, Dolomites
The famous section climbed by Reinhold Messner on the Pilastro di Mezzo on Sass dla Crusc (also referred to as Sasso della Croce or Heiligkreuzkofel), analysed by Heinz Mariacher. Plus the history, a video and an on-site report by Nicola Tondini.
Mountain stories: Courmayeur, August 2010
4 evenings and 4 great mountaineering stories as told by Valery Babanov, Hans Kammerlander, Silvio Mondinelli and Stevie Haston. The evenings will be introduced by Vinicio Stefanello, editor of PlanetMountain.com.
Lino Lacedelli goodbye
Lino Lacedelli, 84, passed away in Cortina, Italy this morning. In 1954 the member of the famous Scoiattoli mountaineering club became the first person to reach the summit of K2, together with Achille Compagnoni.
Cima Grande della Scala, first winter ascent of Lomasti - Mazzillis by Vuerich and Laurencig
On 13 and 14 March Luca Vuerich and Massimo Laurencig carried out the first winter ascent of the difficult Fessura Lomasti (400m, VI, pass. di VIII-) on the pre-summit of Cima Grande della Scala (Val Riofreddo, Julian Alps, Italy).
Paolo Rabbia, first winter ski traverse of the Alps
Interview with Paolo Rabbia who from 29/12/2008 to 28/02/2009 carried out the first ski mountaineering traverse of the Alps in winter without the help of mechanical transport.
First winter ascent of Makalu: interview with Simone Moro and Denis Urubko
Interview with Simone Moro from Italy and Denis Urubko from Kazakhstan after the first winter ascent of Makalu.
Manaslu summit for Nives Meroi, Romano Benet and Luca Vuerich
Interview with Nives Meroi after the summit of Manaslu 8156 m (Himalaya, Nepal) reached at 10.00 am Nepalese time on 04/10 together with Romano Benet and Luca Vuerich.
Melloblocco... bouldering galore!
The fifth edition of the legendary Melloblocco exceeded all expectations. Over 4000 people gathered in Val Masino for the world's most important, three-day bouldering meeting. A weekend with a thousand and one stories, all of which "mythical".
Bruno Detassis
On 8 May 2008 Bruno Detassis died at his home in Madonna di Campiglio. Aged 97, he was one of the all time greats of mountaineering.
Ciao, Cesarino Fava
Cesarino Fava died yesterday aged 87 at Malé (Italy). His life was bonded to mountaineering and in particular to Cerro Torre in Patagonia. All mountaineers have lost a great friend.
Saint Vincent Award for Mountain Professionals – the award ceremony
On the 7th, of March Valery Babanov, Hervé Barmasse, Ettore Taufer, Giovanni Amort, Elio Sganga and Marco Farina (Alpine Training Centre), Christophe Profit and Pemba Doma Sherpa all received their Saint Vincent Awards for Mountain Professionals in front of a packed evening audience in the Casino of the Valley.
