VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - April 11, 2013) - Alto Ventures Ltd. (News - Market indicators) -

Highlights

• 3.97 g/t gold average across 2.8 m width in continuous saw-cut channel sampling, including 6.15 g/t gold across 0.8 m on Trench 6E
• Mineralization occurs within a well defined shear zone that is over 16 m wide in the Trench 6E area and the shear has been traced by surface stripping and trenching for more than 1.6 km on strike
• Prior work by Cameco Gold reported an average of 1.3 g/t gold across 16.2 m

Alto Ventures Ltd. is pleased to announce the results from surface saw-cut channel sampling program completed on its 100% owned Empress property located in the Schreiber-Hemlo greenstone belt, Ontario.

In September and October of 2012 Alto completed channel sampling across the Empress Structure on Trench 6E to confirm the significant gold mineralization that was reported from previous work. In total, 30 channel samples were cut with a Diamond saw and assayed for gold. Alto's sampling confirmed a higher grade section returning 3.97 g/t gold across 2.8 m including 6.15 g/t over 0.8 m. The higher grade intervals occur within a 16 m wide shear zone which was reported by the previous owner, Cameco Gold Inc, to average 1.3 g/t gold across 16.2 m. Some of the other higher grade results include 5.09 g/t gold across 1.0 m; 4.87 g/t gold across 0.6m; 3.49 g/t gold across 1.0 m and 3.15 g/t gold across 1.0 m.

The mineralization is hosted within a shear zone that has been traced by prospecting and stripping for over 1.6 km on strike and the gold is associated with fine disseminated pyrite and quartz veins. A well defined IP Chargeability anomaly is coincident with the surface exposure and neither the surface showing nor the IP Chargeability anomaly has been drilled.

Alto is preparing a follow-up program of further channel sampling and prospecting of the 1.6m strike extent in order to demonstrate size potential and corroborate drill targets.

To view the map accompanying this press release, click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/a410m.pdf

About the Empress Project

The Empress property is located approximately 100 km west of Hemlo and 15 km east of Terrace Bay, Ontario. The property is owned 100% by Alto and lies within the Schreiber portion of the Archean aged Schreiber-Hemlo greenstone belt. Recent exploration on the North Shore property, located approximately 20 km southwest of Alto's Empress property resulted in discovery of extensive gold mineralization by GTA Resources including 149.5 m averaging 3.21 g/t gold (GTA news release dated Feb 14, 2012).

A gold mineralized shear zone named the Empress Structure extending from the former Empress Mine has been traced for more than 1.6 km onto Alto's property to the northeast. This structure is interpreted to also extend onto Alto's property to the southwest of the Empress Mine but this area is overburden covered and drilling will be required to confirm its location.

Previous work included trenching, overburden stripping and Diamond drilling. The historical drilling was limited to tracing the Empress Mine ore zone and extended only 400 m onto the Alto claims east of the Empress Mine. The drilling did intersect mineralization on Alto ground with locally significant gold results including 44.23 g/t over 0.61 m core length. Surface stripping was completed on Alto's claims over the 1.6 km length of the structure northeast of the Empress Mine and several areas of significant surface gold mineralization were uncovered including Trench 6E. Results from previous saw-cut channel sampling at Trench 6E were reported to have averaged 1.3 g/t gold across a 16.2 m wide section of the Empress Structure, including 5.3 g/t gold across 2.8 m. An IP survey completed over sections of the Empress Structure delineated well defined Chargeability anomalies. However, neither the surface gold showing nor the IP Chargeability anomalies were drilled.

Quality Assurance/ Quality Control

The channel sampling was completed using a Diamond blade saw. Individual samples varied from 0.5 metres to 1.0 metre and were cut across the mineralized structures to an average depth of 10 cm and 2.5 cm width. Gold assays were performed at Accurassay Laboratories in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The gold assaying method uses a standard Fire Assay with AA finish technique on a 30 gram sub-sample taken from a 500 gram split from the submitted sample. Commercially prepared standards were inserted by Alto every 25 samples to ensure precision of the results. The laboratory ran internal check assays every 10 samples to ensure lab quality control. The samples were also tested for 30 other elements using ICP multi-element scan methods. Check assays were performed on those samples that reported values of greater than 1 g/t gold. For the check assays, separate pulps were prepared from the rejects and the new pulps were assayed using Fire Assay with Gravimetric finish.

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 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,

Richard J. Mazur, P. Geo., CEO