Piolets d’Or 2013
Last year, jury awarded the Golden Ice Axe to all six nominated climbs. Everyone was a winner (or as critics argue, no one was a winner). Some called it controversial; others termed it as “in the best interests of alpinism.”
The 2013 Climbs
2013 was an extraordinary year. It was dominated by an unprecedented sequence of calamities and controversies, but there had also been plenty of incredible climbs. Seasoned journalists Claude Gardien and Lindsay Griffin compiled the ‘Super Big List’ of important climbs from all around the globe, from which the jury selected the five nominees.
The Nominations
1. Talung (7439m) - First ascent of North Face of the mountain by Czech duo Zdenek Hruby and Marek Holecek (Zdenek Hruby, sadly, died while attempting a new route on Gasherbrum-I in Summer.)
2. Mt. Laurens (3052m) - New route on the Northeast Buttress by American climbers Graham Zimmerman and Mark Allen
3. Kunyang Chhish East (7400m) - The first ascent by Swiss Simon Anthamatten and Austrian brothers Hansjorg and Matthias Auer, via Southwest face
4. K6 West (7040m) - First ascent by Canadians Raphael Slawinski and Ian Welsted
5. Annapurna I (8091m) - Ueli Steck's 28 hours (round-trip) ascent, completing a new route (Beghin-Lafaille route) on mountain’s South Face
Special Mention
French alpinists Stephane Benoist and Yannick Graziani received a ‘Special Mention’ for eight-day alpine style ascent of Beghin-Lafaille route on Annapurna South Face. Stephane suffered severe frostbite on descent.
The Jury
The panel of experts which will be selecting the winners for Piolets d’Or 2014, consists of :-
George Lowe (USA)
Erri de Luca (Italy)
Catherine Destivelle (France)
Denis Urubko (Russia)
Sungmuk Lim (Korea)
Karin Steinbach (Germany)
