Vancouver, B.C., June 9, 2009. Alto Ventures Ltd. (ATV: TSX-V) is pleased to announce that summer exploration programs have commenced on its Beardmore-Geraldton area projects. The prolific Beardmore-Geraldton Gold Belt has produced over four million ounces of gold in the past at grades that are comparable to the Red Lake mining camp in north western Ontario. Exploration activity in the gold belt is increasing again and Alto owns 100% interest in five projects, one of which is being explored jointly with Kodiak Exploration.
The initial exploration will consist of surface work on three properties, Expansion Lake, Three Towers and Mud Lake. This will be in preparation for diamond drilling that will follow late this fall or during the early winter of 2010. These properties have significant potential as Expansion Lake is immediately south of the Hercules Project, Three Towers shows geological similarities to the historical deposits mined in Geraldton and Mud Lake is parallel to the shear that hosts the Brookbank Gold Deposit currently being drilled by Ontex Resources Ltd.
Previous work by Alto on the Expansion Lake Project located property-scale shear zones that are intensely altered and contain anomalous gold and silver values. Airborne high-resolution magnetometer and XDS/VLF electromagnetic surveys completed in 2008 identified several targets that will be followed up with prospecting, geological mapping and mechanical stripping in order to prioritize them for diamond drilling.
Work on the Three Towers Property will attempt to extend the gold mineralization tested in 2008. A 500m segment of the mineralized horizon was tested by only five drill holes and three of these returned significant gold, including 2.4 g/t gold across 1.1 m (see Alto news release dated January 21, 2009). The surface work will include prospecting and geological mapping to better define the mineralized horizon and zero in on targets for drilling.
Previous work by Alto at Mud Lake has identified a six km segment of a northeast trending shear zone (Mud Lake Shear "MLS"). Drilling by the Company in 2007 and 2008 tested six of the surface occurrences intersecting gold bearing quartz veins at each site including 13.9 g/t gold across 1.0 m. Prospecting and mechanical stripping in 2008 identified other areas along the MLS that require additional work. The objectives of the surface program at Mud Lake are to generate new drill targets.
The Company has laid out a busy summer schedule and is excited about the potential targets that will be generated for the subsequent drilling programs. The Company is also very encouraged by the continued high level of exploration in the Beardmore-Geraldton Gold Belt. Currently diamond drills are turning at the Brookbank Gold Deposit as well as in the Town of Geraldton.
For more details regarding the Company's Beardmore area projects, please visit our website at www.altoventures.com
Mike Koziol, P. Geo., P.Eng. and Alto's President and CEO is the Qualified Person who has reviewed and approved this news release.
About Alto Ventures Ltd
Alto Ventures Ltd. is a gold exploration and development company with a portfolio of highly prospective properties in the Canadian Shield. Alto's Management and Board of Directors have a long and successful track record of creating shareholder value through systematic exploration, acquisitions and discovery. The Company is currently active in Quebec where it is focussed on the Despinassy project in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt and in Ontario in the Beardmore and Shebandowan gold districts.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,
Mike Koziol, P. Geo., P. Eng.
President & CEO
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
For further information contact:
Mark Prosser
Investor Relations Manager
ALTO VENTURES LTD.
910-475 Howe Street
Vancouver, BC, V6C 2B3
Tel: 604-638-3947
Fax: 604-689-3609
Email: mark@altoventures.com
Website: www.altoventures.com
