The 22nd Piolets d'Or at the Palanoir Cinema, Courmayeur, Sunday, 29 March 2014.
Two exceptional ascents receive the 2014 Piolets d’Or:
- Annapurna south face solo ascent by Ueli Steck
- K6 west-north-west face ascent by Ian Welsted and Raphael Slawinsky
Ueli Steck for his Annapurna, south face solo ascent (altitude 8091m, 2700m vertical in 28 hours)
Ueli's solo ascent of the south face of Annapurna began from an altitude of aprox. 5400m. From 8 to 9 Oct 2013, Ueli took a variant up the 2700m south face wall to the summit at 8091m. The Swiss alpinist completed the climb in 28 hours round trip, completing the unfinished route, first climbed by Pierre Béghin and Jean-Christophe Lafaille in 1992. The two French alpinists reached 7300m on a route to the right of Chris Bonnington's 1970 ascent, but they were forced to retreat, due to bad weather.
This is not the first Piolets d'Or for the 38 year-old Swiss mountaineer. In 2009, Ueli Steck, together with his compatriot, Simon Anthamatten, was awarded Piolets d'Or for the first ascent of north face of Tengkampoche (6500m) in Nepal.
Annapurna - Piolets d'or 2014 Winner from Planetmountain.com on Vimeo
Ian Welsted and Raphael Slawinsky for ascent of K6, west-north-west face (altitude 7040m, 2700m hight gain, 1800 vertical wall, 6 days)
Raphael Slawinsky and Ian Welsted's ascent of K6 began from a base camp located at approximately 4300m on 25 Jul 2013. They gained 2700m of altitude above the base camp to the summit at 7040m in five days. A further day was required to descend.
The Piolets d'Or jury took into consideration both the technical and the ethical details of their climb. The two Canadian climbers were confronted with difficult technical climbing, including, an overhanging ice crux, a knife edge of smooth granite and an "unclimable" section to the summit. Also, the expedition gain recognition from the jury for their consideration of the welfare of local people, following the massacre at Nanga Parbat, Raphael Slawinsky and Ian Welsted decided to continue with the expedition to promote mountain tourism in Pakistan. They ask that people, "do not paint all Pakistanis with the same brush".
K6 West - Piolets d'or 2014 Winner from Planetmountain.com on Vimeo
John Roskelley winner of 2014 Piolets d'Or Lifetime Achievement
John Roskelley is an American alpinist, whose spirit has inspired generations of climbers. He has accumulated difficult ascents at high altitude, all around the world, particularly between 1973 to 1995. Roskelley has written many books about his experiences and is considered a mountaineering legend.
John Roskelley to Receive Piolets d'Or "Walter Bonatti" Award on EpicTV
The Piolets d'Or...... "The Oscars of Mountaineering"
The Piolets d'Or has become known as the "Oscars of Mountaineering". The awards encourage imagination in the search for innovative routes, the demonstration of experience and ability, the minimizing of financial and environmental cost, with respect for man and nature. The Piolets d’Or promotes climbing as a shared and valued experience the world over, capable of "attracting the best of human ambitions whilst encompassing moral values and edifying behavior". All the nominated climbers fulfilled the criteria of the Piolets d'Or Charter.
In 2009, the first Piolets d'Or Lifetime Achievement was awarded to Walter Bonatti and then in 2010 to Reinhold Messner, followed by Doug Scott 2011, Robert Paragot 2012 and Kurt Diemberger 2013.
Massive congratulations to all alpinists!
