1. This spring the editorial team of the magazine decided to mark two events: 50 years anniversary of the first Everest climb and 5 years from the first number of the magazine "EX".

The last date is reflected in the article under the name of "FIVE YEARS - IS A LARGE PERIOD". Yes, yes, yes… Five years ago at the beginning of 1998 the first number of the magazine appeared (p.22-23).
What the first jubilee concerns, it is observed in selection articles "EVEREST: 50 years of loss, victories, myths and dreams. Names. Dates. Facts. Figures" (p.40).

Photo-guide of the magazine "EX" to the highest top of the world from Tibet, from the Rongbuk glacier, by the way of Mallory and Irvine, along the north-eastern ridge will be interesting for the climbers. (p.42-44).

2. The main topic of this issue is the rocks of the Ukrainian Crimea.

The team "MIXT" (A.Shelkhakov, D.Popov, A.Kuzmitsky, G.Kochetkov, Russia&Ukraina) made 25 ascents of the 5-6 category of difficulty during 4 weeks of May. They climbed such massifs as Kush-Kaya, Forros Kant, Zamock, Maliy Kilse, Bolshoi Kilse, Kastropolskaya Wall, the walls of Morchek and Paragelmen, Angarskaya wall. During ascents there were made a lot of descriptions, photos and articles. Among them - the article written by A. Shelkhakov and A. Kuzmitsky "The Open Crimea: new view at the old walls" is represented in the magazine.

Leonid Volkov and Aleksey Larionov (the Ukraina, Kharkov) told already about the routs of Cheleby massif (EX 2002, ¹ 5). The next towards the East under the route Sevastopol-Yalta the rock-massif Foros is raised. The authors of the articles tried to make characteristics of the routes of this massif, emphasizing the special features, they also described many variants of climbing (p.17-20)

The author of the part "Climbing" Konstantin Saveliev tells about his climbing in Crimea in April. There he managed to ascent Uarch-Kae, and then with a friend he climbed the line "The Iron Ass". They were the third who managed to overcome this route (P.35).

3. "To where it unsubdued and towering stands higher than Alexander's column…" Alexander S. Pushkin wrote. Alexander Sergeevich wrote these lines figuratively, Sergei Alekseevich made up his mind to make it real. Climbing the Alexandryasky Column was the second step of Sergei A. Shibaev's program "Seven Tops Of St.Petersburg" devoted to the 300-years anniversary of the "EX" magazine motherland (the article "Column", p.13-16).

4. Dasha Shapovalova in the article "Save and Rescue" writes about dangers in mountains, on the water and desert. She describes the dangers of the ultraviolet and gives the recommendations and advice on the means of sun protection (p. 24-25).

5. Ivan Pomidorov tells about courage, achievements, glory and about the back of all this in the article "I would go to the mountains with other man.' The details of Russian disabled people on Mac Kinley. (p.36-39).

6. The market of tents is overfilled. We help our readers to look into the world of 1-3 person outing houses (p.46-47).

7. The report "Victories and defeats of the Rock Festival" is devoted to the unique festival "Climbing For Everyone" and its ecological aspect. The festival took place not far from St.Petersburg. These impressions are supplemented by the best works of the photo competition which is held during the festival (p.8-11).

8. The history of Russian mountaineering books in S.Shibaev's notes "From Semenovsky to Zakharov" (p.48).

9. The Caucasus, the Pamir and Altai invite climbers - the mountaineering camps "Bezengi", "Uzunkol", "Lenalptours", "Asia Tour".