http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.html news from our website http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.html?guid=3695       In mid April Andrea Maruna climbs as first woman the overhanging test piece „ Sponsored by family 8b“ in Schwarzau, Lower Austria (first ascent by Karl Reicht). Since 2002 the route had not more then a handful ascents, even though it’s impressive line. The tour starts with a roof-shaped corner followed by a shoulder pull to a small strip and a snap to a humid sloper.   Source and photo: Claudia Ziegler http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.html?guid=3695 http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.html?guid=3694       Last fall, from October 26-30, 2011, more than 600 climbers gathered with our team for Petzl RocTrip China. All participants discovered and enjoyed more than 250 brand new pitches on unbelievable limestone especially prepared for the event. Among the highlights of the film, watch Dani Andrada's first ascent of the extremely difficult 7-pitch Corazon de Ensueno (8c/5.14b), a route he put up in 2010 over the course of two trips to the area to prepare for the RocTrip. For this outstanding feat, Dani was awarded Climbing Magazine's prestigious Golden Piton. Other sequences include Steph Bodet and Arnaud Petit sending their project, Lost in Translation (8a+/5.13c), Gabriele Moroni's first ascent of Coup de Bambou (9a/5.14d), as well as other images of spectacular climbs up and down the valley. Source:  http://www.petzl.com   http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.html?guid=3694 http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.html?guid=3692       Wild Country ‘Crack School’ is a series of six short videos designed to utilise the skills and knowledge of Wild Country climbers Tom Randall and Pete Whittaker to give an introduction to basics of crack climbing. Over six episodes the guys cover all widths of crack: Fingers, Hands, Fists and Offwidths as well as looking at the skills of gear placement and taping up. Designed for those who know next to nothing about crack climbing and who want to make their first steps, the videos are made to illustrate what the guys think are the most pertinent points for starting out on each size of crack. They look at how to use hands and feet in the crack as well as gear and overall tips on technique and the way to approach each type of crack. This video is all about handjamming. Source: Wild Country http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.html?guid=3692 http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.html?guid=3690   Enzo Oddo and friends spent a month this spring on the steep, pumpy climbs in Kentucky's Red River Gorge. A few of the harder climbs sure got Enzo fired up, which helped fuel his redpoint of Pure Imagination, 5.14d. They soaked up the local culture and had some teenage fun - Southern Style. *Routes: Pure Imagination (5.14d), Lucifer (5.14c), Southern Smoke (5.14c), The Golden Ticket (5.14c/d), Forty Two Karats (5.14c)   http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.html?guid=3690 http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.html?guid=3687   Aaron Mulkey with Kevin Craig and Stephen Berwanger has opened Sons of anarchy 1,500ft couloir (M7 R) near classic ice-fall Hydnefossen – Hemsedal area – Norway.   A team of three Americans fly thousands of miles in search of massive unclimbed icefalls in Norway. Rab sponsored climber Aaron Mulkey teams up with friends Kevin Craig and Stephen Berwanger in an attempt to free a major, 1,500ft new line on the mountains above Hemsedal. But even if they can unlock the technical challenges of the Veslehorn mountain, will the weather play ball?"   Source: UKC http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.html?guid=3687 http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.html?guid=3686   German climber Pirmin Bertle has managed in only 75 minutes the first ascent of two 9a routes, Chromosome X and Chromosome Y. His report: “Unserious research on Google has shown that sending Chromosome X and Chromosome Y in Charmey the 03/30/2012 between 7:00 and 8:15 pm has been the fastest double (first) ascent of two 9a routes ever. A performance that would take probably just some tries of preparation for someone like Adam Ondra, took me a whole of 80 work outs. However, conditions in my case have been hindered: Our son had been born only two weeks earlier and was scattering our nights and furthermore I tried to keep in line with Swiss grading. Despite all temptation to let myself been gently carried away by the stream of modern grading inflation, as seen especially in the southern regions of princess Europe.        After double ascents in one day of one could think that this would be all about my special discipline. In this case however the second of the two ascents wasn’t planned at all. I just had these 75 min of fairly good conditions, in between wall getting shady and the fall of night. After having clipped the anker of Chromosome Xat 7:15 pm I was looking forward to calling it a day and having a beer when I decided to nevertheless do some training in Chromosome Y. 15 minutes later this decision lead directly to an uncontrolled flush of jubilation rolling through the valley.   The two new routes are clearly harder than everything I repeated in this grade and about as hard as my other 9a-first ascents. All kind of aspirants for repetitions are welcome! Thanks to my sponsor Edelrid for the successful cooperation.”   Source: lizardclimbing   http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.html?guid=3686 http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.html?guid=3685           The second in our series of unseen archives from the Posing Productions' footage vault. This clip was shot with a fancy polecam set up at the sport climbing area of Rodellar in Spain. Clip features top UK climber Steve McClure on a couple of routes including the classic 'The Dolphin' (El Delfin) 7c. Amazingly we never found a use for such quality footage, so here it is! http://www.posingproductions.com http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.html?guid=3685 http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.html?guid=3673   Mirko Caballero, (11) in April,  has  managed the free ascent of God's own stone, 8b + at Red River Gorge - Kentaky.   During my first visit to the Red River Gorge, I sent my very first 5.14a (8b+)!!! My Dad was belaying so we just pointed the camera up on a tripod and he started the recording and then started belaying... So, the video is not that great, and it really doesn't show how overhung the route really is as the camera is just pointing straight up. Great memories anyway!!! http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.html?guid=3673 http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.html?guid=3672 In April, 2012 mountaineers Robert Jasper, mountain guide Jörn Heller and photographer Ralf Gantzhorn made the first ascent of Shark‘s Fin. The climb was one part of a 6-week expedition-adventure which began with the journey on a sailing vessel from Puerto of William - the most southern town of the world. Their experienced Chilenien Skipper Osvaldo Escobar needed three weeks to bring them to their starting point. read more on  Robert Jasper's web site - UKC http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.html?guid=3672 http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.html?guid=3671     Daniel Woods has made the first ascent a project next to Interstellar Overdrive in Colorado's Clear Creek Canyon. The route is Mission Impossible. Daniel needed 6-7 days to make the first ascent, says this is his most difficult route to date and gives it 9a, though it could very well be 9a+. The end of this crux was the nail biter for me. You have to take a half pad incut crimp with the right hand and do a long lock off with the left hand to a finger nail size crimp. You then come into a quarter pad sloping edge with the right hand and do a massive high step heel hook with the right foot on the edge next to your right hand. From here you have to rock over and mantle up doing a long lock off to a quarter pad incut edge, match this and go to a flat rail with the right hand. You then match this hold and go to a jug, clip the chains and top out. It took me 2 days just to do this mantle move and if it was too hot, I could not even hold my body weight off of these holds.   Source: 27crags - UKC http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.html?guid=3671