The PlanetFear World Climbing Report

Welcome to planetFear’s weekly world climbing report, bringing you all the major highlights and first ascents from the global scene on rock, ice, and in the mountains.

As the stellar winter of 2010 approaches its final weeks, news continues to emerge of major achievements in the world of ice and mixed climbing.  Last week, Scotland received a flying visit from top German alpinist Ines Papert and Canadians Audrey Gariepy and Mathieu Audibert. Pointed in the right direction by the expert knowledge of Scottish devotee Ian Parnell, the trio made a host of significant repeats, including ascents of Unicorn in Glencoe and Blood, Sweat and Frozen Tears (both Scottish VIII) on Torridon's Beinn Eighe by Papert. These are thought to be the first routes of the grade to be lead by a woman in Scotland. Along with Parnell, Papert also established a new route on Beinn Eighe's Far East Wall, the technical 60m pitch of Little Nipper (VI, 8). You can read a full report on the planetmountain website.

Moving to the world's most remote and hostile alpine climbing arena, news has recently broken of a very successful expedition to Antarctica's Queen Maud Land by fellow Austrian climbers Christoph Höbenreich, Paul Koller and Karl Pichler at the end of last year. The three intrepid alpinists spent a month in the region, making eleven first ascents of various peaks and nunatuks (rock spires) up to 2550m and several repeats of existing routes. You can read a report on the expedition on the alpinist website, and read an interview with Höbenreich on the planetmountain website, in which he discusses a fascination with Antarctic alpinism that has now taken him to the bottom of the globe four times. His sense of the adventurous beauty of climbing in the region is strikingly clear:

"Mountaineering in the Antarctic is simply the best... You need to experience it for yourself to see how it feels to be the first human being on top of a mountain under the blue Antarctic skies and in the wide, white wilderness of the polar ice desert. For me it is paradise."

Back in the UK, winter's grip is still holding in the mountains of North Wales, and the season is continuing to produce groundbreaking first ascents. Following the first ascent of Birdsong back in December 2009 by Adam Wainwright and Dave Hesleden on what seems to be Snowdonia's winter crag of the moment, Ysgolion Duon (Black Ladders), Chris Parkin and Pete Harrison forced a new mixed line between Broken Ceasefire and Imminent Conflict. In keeping with the military theme of the cliff, Tora Bora (VIII, 8, 6, 4, 5) was first attempted by another team by mistake, believing it was Imminent Conflict, before Parkin and Harrison's successful ascent. Parkin reportedly just missed taking a monster fall from high on the route when a section of snow slipped under him, leaving him dangling by his axes. You can read a report on the explosive drama of Tora Bora on the V12 Outdoor website.

The week's news in the competition climbing world has been completely dominated by the announcement by the International Olympic Committee of the official recognition of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC). This is the strongest indication yet that climbing could feature in the 2020 Olympic Games. In an illuminating interview with planetmountain, the IFSC president Marco Scolaris explains the background of this turning point in the development of competition climbing, and the challenges that lie ahead on the route to the Olympics.

Moving away from the mercurial politics of international competitions and back to the rock, news has been released that in January top Spanish climber Iker Pou repeated Chris Sharma's super-route Demencia Senil (9a+) at Margalef in Catalunya. You can watch Jordi Canyigueral's excellent short film of Pou redpointing this ultra-acrobatic climb - which features a ridiculous crux dyno and a remarkable bat-hang - on UKClimbing.com.

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