2016 Piolets d’Or Celebrate Impressive Mountaineering Achievements
La Grave, France – The Piolets d’Or (The Golden Ice Axe) is an international mountaineering award ceremony that celebrates the greatest ascents and mountaineering achievements of the past 12 months. This year the 24th annual Piolets d’Or ceremony took place in La Grave, France from April 14-17, 2016.
This year four climbs consisting of 12 climbers from six different countries were honored, along with a Lifetime Achievement Award:
- Talung, 7,348 meters, Nepal
- Route: Daddy Magnum Force, ED+
- Climbers: Nikita Balabanov (Ukraine) and Mikhail Famin (Ukraine)
- Gave Ding, 6,571 meters, Nepal
- Route: North Face
- Climbers: Mick Fowler (UK) and Paul Ramsden (UK)
- Cerro Riso Patron, 2,550 meters, Chile
- Route: Hasta las Webas (AI 5+, M5, ED-)
- Climbers: Jerome Sullivan (EU), Lise Billon (France), Diego Simari (Argentina), and Antoine Moineville (France)
- Cerro Kitshwar, 6,173 meters, India
- Route: Light Before Wisdom (5.11 WI 6 M6 A2 1,600 meters)
- Climbers: Hayden Kennedy (USA), Marko Prezelj (Slovenia), Urban Novak (Slovenia), Manu Pellissier (France)
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- Wojciech Kurtyka | Polish Climber and Mountaineer
The Piolets d’Or is not so much a competition, but it is a celebration of alpinism. RockandIce.com writes that “Emphasis is placed on ascents in good style rather than the summit itself.” However you slice it, all ascents of this caliber are impressive and congratulations to all climbers who climb at this level.
According to RockandIce.com, there were 52 nominations for the 2016 Piolets d’Or. A nine-member International Technical Jury reviewed the ascents and evaluated them based on ten criteria:
- Style of ascent.
- Spirit of exploration: original (previously unclimbed) route and/or mountain, creative and innovative approach.
- Level of commitment and self-sufficiency.
- High level of technical ability required.
- Suitability of route in light of objective dangers.
- Efficient and sparing use of resources.
- Transparency regarding the use of these resources.
- Respect for people, climbing partners, members of other teams, porters and local agents.
- Respect for the environment.
- Respect for future generations of mountaineers by leaving them the possibility of enjoying the same kind of experiences and adventures.
The International Technical Jury consisted of Yasuhiro Hanatani (Japan), Victor Saunders (UK), Simon Elias (Spain), Valery Babanov (Russia), Silvo Karo (Slovenia), Seb Bohin (France), Raphael Slawinsky (Canada), Michael Kennedy (USA), and Hervé Barmasse (Italy).
Congratulations to everyone involved!
See who won the Piolets d’Or in the past on Wikipedia.
