Alto Ventures and Next Gen Metals Commence 3,500 Metres Diamond Drilling Program on Destiny Gold Project, Val d'Or, Quebec

Alto Ventures Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:ATV) and Next Gen Metals Inc. (TSX VENTURE:N) - 



--  3,500 metre diamond drill program in progress to test the strike
    extension of the DAC Deposit.
--  The objective of the drilling program is to increase the contained
    ounces on the Destiny Property at shallow depths.
--  Drilling will test the under-explored one kilometre section of the
    Despinassy Shear between the DAC Deposit and the Darla Zone.
--  If drilling results are positive, potential for expanding the current
    resources on the property can increase significantly.
--  The DAC Deposit contains an Indicated Resource of 364,000 ounces of gold
    plus an Inferred Resource of 247,000 ounces of gold.



Alto Ventures Ltd. ("Alto") and Next Gen Metals Inc. ("Next Gen") (together "the
Companies") are pleased to announce the commencement of diamond drilling on the
Destiny Gold project, located near Val-d'Or, Quebec.


The drilling program will focus mainly on testing the under-explored area
between the DAC Deposit and the Darla Zone. If the results from this drilling
are positive, then the gold discovered in this area can significantly add to the
total ounces contained on the Destiny property. Currently, the DAC Deposit has
an Indicated Resource of 364,000 ounces of gold plus an Inferred Resource of
247,000 ounces of gold. The deposit remains open along strike and at depth.


The current drill program will consist of 3,500 m in eighteen holes. The
objective of the drilling program is to increase the contained ounces on the
Destiny Property at shallow depths. This program will test the one kilometre gap
in drilling between the DAC Deposit and the Darla Zone at shallow depths to
determine if the gold mineralization continues between these two areas. If
results from these widely spaced holes are positive, an infill program will be
proposed to generate sufficient data to prepare an updated NI43-101 compliant
Resource Estimate Report incorporating results from the Darla Zone as well as
the area between the Darla Zone and the DAC Deposit.


The DAC Deposit is one of several significant gold zones along a four kilometre
segment of the Despinassy Shear Zone. The Darla Zone lies one kilometre east of
the DAC Deposit and previous drilling has intersected high grades including 19.5
g/t gold over 2.1 m and 20.6 g/t over 0.8 m within strongly altered rocks
similar to those hosting the gold zones at the DAC Deposit. The large area of
almost one kilometre between the DAC Deposit and the Darla Zone has been tested
by only two drill holes in the past. Both holes intersected the Despinassy Shear
Zone containing anomalous gold values (Figure 1). This is an indication that the
gold system persisted between these two areas and that there is excellent
potential for discovery of new gold zones between the DAC Deposit and the Darla
Zone (Figure 2).


To view Figure 1 and Figure 2 please click on:
http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/atv1122.pdf


About the Destiny Property

The property consists of 177 claims totalling 7,421 ha and is located
approximately 100 km by road north of the city of Val-d'Or. The property is
accessible by provincial highway 397 which passes through the property.


The Destiny Project is under an Option Agreement between Alto Ventures Ltd and
Pacific North West Capital Corp (PFN). Under the terms of the option agreement,
PFN can earn a 60% interest in the property over a four year period by
completing $3.5 million in exploration expenditures, paying $200,000 and
providing a total of 250,000 PFN shares to Alto. On September 26, 2011, PFN
assigned its interest to Next Gen Metals Inc. Next Gen is responsible for all
remaining cash payments and exploration expenditures due to be paid or incurred,
as the case may be, under the Initial Option with Alto, along with any costs and
expenditures associated with any resultant joint venture that arises between
Next Gen and Alto. PFN will continue to be responsible for issuances of common
shares to Alto under the Initial Option until the date of exercise of the
Initial Option and the transfer and registration of the Option Interest from PFN
to Next Gen in accordance with the terms of the Letter Agreement between Next
Gen and PFN.


PFN has fulfilled its obligations for the first two years of the option term as
outlined in the agreement.


About the DAC Deposit

The main area of mineralization on the Destiny Gold Property is the DAC Deposit
which occurs over a strike length of about 600 m. In this area, five
identifiable intervals of quartz veining and shear-related alteration zones
carry significant gold mineralization for which a Mineral Resource Estimate
Report was prepared in 2011.


The Mineral Resource Estimate Report was prepared for the DAC Deposit by
Wardrop, a Tetra Tech Company (Wardrop) and filed on Sedar on March 7, 2011.
Using a cut-off grade of 0.5 g/t gold and the Inverse Distance Squared (ID2)
estimation method, the five gold zones that make up the DAC Deposit contain an
Indicated Resource of approximately 10.8 million tonnes with an average grade of
1.05 g/t gold (364,000 contained ounces). In addition, the Inferred Resource
totals approximately 8.3 million tonnes with an average grade of 0.92 g/t gold
(247,000 contained ounces). The resources block considers the mineralization to
start at approximately 15 m below surface down to a depth of 400 m for the
deepest zone. The mineralization remains open below 400 m. For details regarding
the resource estimate methods and calculation parameters used in preparation of
the Report please see the news releases issued by Alto and PFN on March 7, 2011.


The Report can be view on each of the Company's websites at
www.nextgenmetalsinc.com and www.altoventures.com.


Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and by definition do not demonstrate
economic viability.


The DAC Deposit remains open along strike and to depth and is one of several
significant gold occurrences along a four kilometre segment of the Despinassy
Shear Zone. The Darla Zone, which lies one km east of the DAC Zone, was
discovered in 2006. At this location, drilling intersected 19.5 g/t gold across
2.1 m and 20.6 g/t over 0.8 m. The occurrence of high grade gold mineralization
in the Darla, DAC and 20 and 21 zones clearly indicates that the mineralizing
system occurs across a significant portion of the property. The gold
mineralization at these occurrences starts near surface, and with additional
drilling these targets could add significant contained ounces to the already
defined resources at the DAC Deposit.


Qualified Person Statement

This news release has been reviewed and approved for technical content by Mike
Koziol, P.Geo., a qualified person under the provisions of national instrument
43-101.


About Next Gen Metals Inc.

Next Gen is a mineral exploration company whose current focus is on silver, gold
and base metals projects in North America. The Company has acquired a 60% option
interest (TSX VENTURE:ATV) on the Destiny Gold Project (Indicated Resource of
364,000 ounces plus an Inferred Resource of 247,000 ounces of gold). In
addition, Next Gen is presently advancing the Silver Chalice Project, located in
Alaska, and the Fate Gold Project adjacent to the Destiny Gold Project, both of
which are located in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt of Northwest Quebec, one of the
most famous gold and base metals regions in the world. Next Gen continues to
aggressively negotiate for additional advanced-stage silver, gold and base metal
projects on an international scale.


Next Gen http://www.nextgenmetalsinc.com is the newest company to join the
International Metals Group ("IMG") (www.internationalmetalsgroup.com).


About Alto Ventures Ltd.

Alto Ventures Ltd. Alto Ventures Ltd. is an exploration and development company
with a portfolio of highly prospective Canadian gold and base metals properties.
The Company is active in Quebec in the Abitibi greenstone belt on the Destiny
gold property and in Ontario, exploring in the Beardmore-Geraldton gold belt. In
Manitoba, the Company is focused on the gold and base metals potential of the
highly prospective but relatively under-explored Oxford Lake property.


For more details regarding the Company's projects, please visit our website at
www.altoventures.com.


ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,

Rick Mazur, P.Geo., CEO & Director