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.
British mountaineer Simon Richardson reports about the first ascent of the entire west ridge of Mount Waddington in Canada’s Coast Mountains, climbed with Ian Welsted alpine style from 3 to 7 August 2019. On 22 July the duo climbed the North Face of Mount Phillips in the Canadian Rockies.
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.
Despite challenging conditions Simon Richardson and Mark Robson have made the first ascent of five hitherto unclimbed peaks in the Stikine Range in South-East Alaska, including Peak 7180, one of the highest unclimbed mountains in the region. Richardson reports.
Simon Richardson reports about the first ascent of Perfect Storm, a new 700m climb established together with Michael Rinn over 8 days up Pointe Louis Amédé on the Miage Face on the Italian side of Mont Blanc (4807 m).
The winter mountaineering season in Scotland has begun in earnest with three notable ascents on Ben Nevis, Hell’s Lum Crag in the Cairngorms and at Beinn Heasgairnich in the Southern Highlands.
The trip report by Simon Richardson who from 4 - 6 August together with Michael Rinn made the first ascent of Game of Thrones (ED2, 1250m), the first route up the South-West Face of Monarch Mountain (3572m) in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia in Canada.
On 08/02/2017 Greg Boswell and Scott Grosdanof made the first ascent of Intravenous Fly Trap, a difficult new mixed climb at Coire an Lochain in the Cairngorms, Scotland.
On the remote island of South Georgia (Southern Atlantic Ocean) Stephen Venables, Skip Novak, Crag Jones, Henry Chaplin, David Lund and Simon Richardson climbed 8 mountains, including the first ascent of the spectacular Starbuck peak and the remote and difficult Mount Baume, one of the highest unclimbed peaks on the island.
Interview with Simon Richardson who, together with Michael Rinn, made the first ascent of Diamond Ridge (1600m, 5c, AO) from 28 - 30 July 2016. This new alpine climb breaches the SSE Face of Grandes Jorasses (Mont Blanc massif).
In October 2015 alpinists Hayden Kennedy (USA), Urban Novak (SLO), Manu Pellissier (FRA) and Marko Prezelj (SLO) made the first ascent of the East Face of Cerro Kishtwar (6173m), as well as climbing a new route up the South Ridge of Chomochior (6278m) in Indian Kashmir Himalayas.
On 02/02/2015 Greg Boswell, Uisdean Hawthorn and Guy Robertson made the first winter ascent of The Messiah on Beinn Bhan in Scotland. This is the third onsight ascent of a Scottish grade X route in a fortnight.
At Creag an Dubh Loch in Scotland Greg Boswell and Guy Robertson made the first ascent, onsight, of Range War X/10. This is only the second route of this difficulty to be ascended in this style, after their The Greatest Show on Earth at Cul Mor.
The winter climbing season in Scotland has begun with three noteworthy ascent: the first winter ascent of Boggle of Beinn Eighe by Martin Moran and Robin Thomas and the first repeats of Tomahawk Crack on Ben Nevis (Will Sim and Andy Inglis) and Culloden on Creag an Dubh Loch (Guy Robertson and Greg Boswell).
On February 28 Olov Isaksson from Sweden and Karin Zgraggen from Switzerland made the first ascent of Eggäschpili (IX,9) on Stob Coire nan Lochan in Glen Coe, Scotland.
Tito Arosio from Italy reports about the BMC International Winter Climbing Meet that took place in Scotland from 26 January to 2 February 2014.
On 11 January four new routes were added to Creag an Dubh Loch in Scotland by Nick Bullock, Greg Boswell, Callum Johnson, Uisdean Hawthorn, Simon Richardson, Guy Robertson, Will Sim and Iain Small.
On 7 December Greg Boswell made the first winter ascent of The Demon (IX, 9) at Coire an Lochain in the Northern Corries, Scotland.
Two new winter climbs have been added to Ben Nevis in Scotland: Deadly Presence (VIII,7, Iain Small, Doug Hawthorn) and Shooting Star (VI,6, Robin Clothier, Richard Bentley).
A report of the recent new winter routes climbed in Scotland which include Shooting the Breeze (IX,8 Guy Robertson, Greg Boswell) and Immortal Memory (IX,9 Guy Robertson, Jason Currie) on Beinn Eighe, Vapourizer (VIII,8 Guy Robertson, Greg Boswell) on Creag an Dubh Loch, No Success Like Failure (IX,8 Simon Richardson, Iain Small) on Ben Nevis and Suspended Animation (VIII,9 Martin Moran, Pete Maccpherson) on Beinn Bhan.
