The organisers of the Piolet d’Or mountaineering award have published the complete list of most significant and innovative climbs carried out in 2019. From this they will select the recipients of the Piolets d'Or award that will be celebrated during the Ladek Mountain Festival in Poland, from 11 to 22 September 2020.
Today at 20:00 CET the premiere of UFO Life, the film documenting the first ascent of UFO up the NW Face of Chamlang in the Nepalese Himalaya, carried out in 2019 over 6 days alpine style by Czech mountaineers Márek Holeček and Zdeněk Hák.
In September 2019 the Polish mountaineer Krzysztof Wielicki will receive the Piolets d'Or Carrière 2019. In the past this prize has been awarded to Walter Bonatti, Reinhold Messner, Doug Scott, Robert Paragot, Kurt Diemberger, John Roskelley, Chris Bonington, Wojciech Kurtyka, Jeff Lowe and Andrej Štremfelj.
Czech mountaineer Márek Holeček reports about his alpine style ascent, carried out with climbing partner Zdeněk Hák of the virgin NW Face of Chamlang (7321 m) in the Nepalese Himalaya. The new climb has been called UFO Line and is described as 'the hardest climb we have done together in the mountains.'
Complete report and photographs of the Piolets d’Or 2018, the prestigious annual mountaineering award celebrated from 20 - 23 September at Ladek Zdrój in Poland.
Three ascents have been selected for the Piolets d'Or 2018: Gasherbrum I climbed by Zdeněk Hák and Marek Holeček, Shispare climbed by Kazuya Hiraide and Kenro Nakajima and Nuptse NW climbed by Frédéric Degoulet, Benjamin Guigonnet and Hélias Millerioux. Special mentions have been awarded for the ascent of Nilkanth by Chantel Astorga, Anne Gilbert Chase and Jason Thompson and also to Alex Honnold for his outstanding contribution to climbing in the year 2017. Andrej Štremfelj to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.
27-year-old Hayden Kennedy and his girlfriend Inge Perkins have lost their lives. Kennedy was considered one of the leading climbers of his generation.
Timeless mountaineering: aged 74 Peter Habeler, one of the world’s greatest mountaineers who in 1978 made the first ascent of Everest without supplementary oxygen together with Reinhold Messner, has now climbed the North Face of the Eiger once again. In 1974 Habeler had climbed the mountain in record time with Messner, while now he repeated the route with another world famous alpinist, young David Lama.
American alpinist Jeff Lowe has been awarded the Piolets d'Or Lifetime Achievement Award. The prize will be assigned during the 25th edition of the mountaineering prize that will be celebrated in Grenoble, France, from 12 - 15 April. In the past the prize has been awarded to Walter Bonatti, Reinhold Messner, Doug Scott, Robert Paragot, Kurt Diemberger, John Roskelley, Chris Bonington and Wojciech Kurtyka. Claude Gardien, the historic Editor-in Chief of Vertical magazine, provides the portrait.
German alpinist Thomas Huber recounts the last three months that, in his words, 'have left a profound mark on my life.' Starting with a 16m ground fall, followed by the dream of climbing Latok I in the Karakorum and the nightmare rescue operation for American mountaineers Scott Adamson and Kyle Dempster on nearby Ogre II.
On Sunday, August 7 the legendary British mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington will take to the stage at Passione Verticale, the classic summer festival the town of Courmayeur dedicates every year to alpinism and the mountains. The evening begins at 21:15 and will be hosted by Vinicio Stefanello of planetmountain.com.
52 climbs carried out in 2015 have been included in the "Big list" of the Piolets d'Or, the prestigious mountaineering award that will be celebrated between 14 - 17 April 2016 at La Grave - La Meije in France. During the 24th edition, Polish mountaineer Wojciech Kurtyka will receive the Piolet d'Or Carrière - Lifetime Achievement Award.
On Saturday 11 April the awards ceremony of the 23rd Piolets d'Or, the Oscars of alpinism, were held at Courmayeur, Italy. Americans Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold, Russians Aleksander Gukov and Aleksey Lonchinsky and Slovenians Marko Prezelj, Ales Cesen and Luka Lindic were awarded the Piolet d'Or 2015. Britain’s Chris Bonington received the Piolet d'Or Carrière.
Courmayeur and Chamonix are the world’s mountaineering capital once again thanks to the Piolet d'Or 2015. The recipients of the 23rd edition of this prestigious award are Tommy Caldwell, Alex Honnold, Alexander Gukov, Alexei Lonchinskiy, Aleš Česen, Luka Lindič and Marko Prezelj. The 7th Piolet d'Or Carrière will be awarded to the great British mountaineer Chris Bonington.
58 ascents carried out in 2014 have been included in the "Big list" of the Piolets d'Or, the most prestigious mountaineering award that will be celebrated between 9 - 12 April, 2015 at Courmayeur and Chamonix, at the foot of Mont Blanc.
From 9 - 12 April 2015 Courmayeur and Chamonix become the world’s mountaineering capital with the 23 edition of the Piolets d’Or, the most prestigious mountaineering award. Britain’s Sir Chris Bonington will receive the Piolet d'Or Carrière - the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The summit of Kangchenjunga reached by Denis Urubko via the NW Face reveals a great chapter in alpinism and a great team effort which included the great mountaineers Alex Txikon, Dmitri Sinev, Artem Braun and Adam Bielecki.
At 9:40am local time on 19 May Russian alpinist Denis Urubko reached the summit of Kangchenjunga from the north, while Italy's Marco Camandona summited yesterday from the south as did Spain's Carlos Soria. This is the 75-year-old's 12th 8000er.
The Piolets d'Or 2014 was assigned this evening in Courmayeur to two ascents: the NW Face of K6 climbed by Raphael Slawinsky and Ian Welsted and the South Face of Annapurna climbed solo by Ueli Steck. The South Face of Annapurna ascent carried out by da Stephane Benoist and Yannick Graziani received a Special Mention from the Jury, while the "Walter Bonatti" Lifetime Achievement award was given to John Roskelley.
From 26 - 29 March the international meeting with the alpinism "Oscar" returns to Chamonix and Courmayeur on the two sides of Mont Blanc: a great jury will select the best climb in 2013, while American alpinist John Roskelley will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. Numerous events, including the meeting with Italian writer and climber Erri De Luca on 27 March at Courmayeur.
