Julia Gürster

2027 will be an important year for competition – with qualification for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, a World Championship in the Czech Republic and a full World Cup calendar in bouldering, lead, speed and para climbing.

Matthew Maddison, the former speed climbing coach of USA Climbing, has been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison in the US state of Utah. The 37-year-old pleaded guilty as part of an agreement with prosecutors to possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material online. USA Climbing had already suspended the British-born Maddison from his duties following his arrest in the spring.

Since the fatal climbing accident on Kalymnos in the spring, route refurbishment on the Greek island has accelerated. According to the local initiative Rebolt Kalymnos, 383 routes have been completely re-equipped – with titanium instead of stainless steel.

Whether in training or route setting, for climbing gym operators or amateur athletes: We have looked at some examples of how artificial intelligence is currently shaping climbing, what might come in the future and what advantages and risks are involved.

Every mountain tour hinges on the weather conditions. We'll show you what's important when planning mountain tours to avoid dangerous situations caused by sudden weather changes or thunderstorms, and how to react correctly in an emergency.

Climbing a 9a+ was Leo Cea's clear goal for 2026. The year is far from over, but the plan has already been achieved: On September 2nd, the 13-year-old German-Chilean climber completed a real endurance challenge with "No Pain No Gain" in Rodellar.

Every year, the German Alpine Club (DAV), together with the climbing gym association KLEVER, publishes an analysis of accident data from climbing and bouldering gyms in Germany and Austria. The causes of accidents and injury patterns for the reporting year 2025 are presented at a glance.

During the World Climbing Europe Youth Series speed climbing event in St. Pölten, an Austrian sports commentator made a controversial statement during a live stream: he claimed that women are less motivated to train, which he considered more of a "boys' thing." In his apology, which has since been issued, the commentator cites the language barrier as the reason for the "miscommunication."