In 2006, mountaineer David Sharp attempted the summit of Everest alone without a Sherpa. He ran into difficulty along the way and was passed by 39 people without one giving him help. The general feeling was that he left for this summit alone and he would have to figure out how to get down alone. Disgusted by this type of behavior, Norman Croucher and Doug Scott started this award with the support of the Alpine club to show others that high altitude rescues can be made and that we must stay humane when trying to reach our summit goals.
This years award will go to Horia Colibășanu and five others for their actions on the Annapurna in May 2008. On May 23, Inaki Ochoa, Horia's climbing partner, took a turn for the worse. Colibășanu and five other mountaineers joined Inaki in the next few days in attempt to save his life. Inaki succumbed to his illness on the 27th of May but the extreme efforts by these six men will not be forgotten by his family.
The "Spirit of Mountaineering" award will be presented tonight at 18h at the Majestic in Chamonix.
