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.
The solo ascent of Lupghar Sar West carried out by Hansjörg Auer, the solo ascent of Lunag Ri carried out by David Lama and the ascent of Latok 1 completed by Aleš Česen, Tom Livingstone and Luka Stražar are the ascents honoured by the Piolet d’Or 2019.The press release of the 27th edition of the prestigious international mountaineering award that will be celebrated from 19 - 22 September 2019 during the Ladek Mountain Festival in Poland.
Slovenian alpinist Luka Lindič has repeated End of Silence up Feuerhom (Berchtesgaden Alps, Germany). Freed by Thomas Huber in 1994, this multi-pitch 8b+ is considered one of the reference routes for alpine sports climbs.
58 ascents carried out in 2018 have been included in the Big list, from which winners will be selected for the Piolets d’Or , the prestigious mountaineering award that will be celebrated from 19 - 22 September 2019 during the Ladek Mountain Festival in Poland. The jury is comprised of: Sandy Allan, Kazu Amano, Valeri Babanov, Jordi Corominas, Fred Degoulet, Ines Papert, Andrej Štremfelj.
Film premieres and top speakers feature highly in the Alpine Village program of the Arcteryx Alpine Academy 2019, the unique event from 4 - 7 July for climbers of all abilities wishing to learn more about climbing and alpinism directly at Chamonix Mont Blanc.
From 2 - 3 April 2019 Brette Harrington, Luka Lindič and Ines Papert made the first ascent of The Sound of Silence (1100m, M8 WI5) up Mount Fay in the Alberta Rockies, Canada. This is the first route to climb the entire East Face.
From 4 to 7 July 2019 Chamonix, France will host the Arcteryx Alpine Academy. This unique event offers climbers of all abilities to learn more about climbing and alpinism directly on Mont Blanc.
Slovenia’s Luka Lindič and Germany’s Fabian Buhl have established Sau hladno!, a new mixed climb up Cima Tosa in the Brenta Dolomites.
Tomas Franchini recalls the first ascent of Selvaggia Sorte up Cima Tosa, 3133 m, in the Brenta Dolomites. After a first solo attempt, the mixed climb was established by Franchini and Alessandro Lucchi in 2013
Brenta Dolomites winter climbing: on 01/01/2018 alpinists Ines Papert and Luka Lindič have made the first repeat of Selvaggia sorte up the west face of Cima Tosa 3133m. The route was first completed by Tomas Franchini and Alessandro Lucchi in 2013.
The video of Ines Papert, Joseph Pfnür, Luka Lindič and Paul McSorley documenting the first ascent of Ruby Supernova up Slanghoek Peak in South Africa first ascended in June 2017.
The 5th Karl Unterkircher Award was awarded on 14 July 2018 in Selva di Val Gardena, Italy to Simone Moro who, together with Ali Sadpara and Alex Txikon, carried out the first winter ascent of Nanga Parbat in February 2016. The other climbers that had been nominated Ines Papert and Luka Lindič for their new route on Kyzyl Asker in Kyrgyzstan (China), and Simon Gietl and Marcel Schenk for the new mixed climb up Pizzo Badile in Switzerland.
During the acclimatisation phase prior to Shishapangma in Tibet Slovenia’s Luka Lindič and the Germany’s Ines Papert miraculously escaped an avalanche on Nyanang Ri.
On July 14, 2018 Selva di Val Gardena will host the fifth edition of the Karl Unterkircher Award in memory of the South Tyrolean alpinist who died ten years ago on Nanga Parbat. The alpinists nominated for the 2018 award are Simone Moro, Ali Sadpara and Alex Txikon for the first winter ascent of Nanga Parbat, Ines Papert and Luka Lindič for their new route up Kyzyl Asker in Kyrgyzstan (China), and Simon Gietl and Marcel Schenk for the new mixed climb up Pizzo Badile in Switzerland. Special guest: Kurt Diemberger
On 11 January 2018 Ines Papert and Luka Lindic made what is likely to be the first winter traverse of the Watzmann (2713 m), Berchtesgaden Alps. Papert reports about this east to west climb across the third highest mountain in Germany.
Austrian alpinist Markus Pucher talks about the first winter solo ascent of Aguja Guillaumet (2579 m), carried out in Patagonia on 8 September 2017.
In June Ines Papert, Joseph Pfnür, Luka Lindič and Paul McSorley made the fist ascent of Ruby Supernova, a new 520m high trad climb with difficulties up to ED1 7b+ (VI 5.12c) on Slanghoek Peak, Du Toits Kloof Mountains, South Africa
Winter mountaineering: Luka Lindič and Ines Papert ascended the North Face of the Grandes Jorasses (4208m) in the Mont Blanc massif, France, combining the routes 'No Siesta' and 'Bonatti - Vaucher' from 20 - 22 February 2017 and with two bivies.
Mayan Smith-Gobat and Brette Harrington have abandoned their attempt at make the first free ascent of Riders on the Storm, the famous big wall up the Central Paine Tower in Patagonia, due to terrible weather.
Alpinism: Luca Godenzi reports about a rare winter ascent of the famous Cassin route on the NE Face of Badile, carried out from 30 to 31 December 2016 with Carlo Micheli.
