Saturday 25th of April
In the morning, each nominated team presented their ascent to the jury clarifying all the criteria presented in the new charter of the Piolets d'Or. Then the jury got together in order to discuss and summarize their opinions. The members must award one or several Piolets d'or by general approval or through a vote. This year no vote was needed. The jury was unanimous.
Three Piolets d'Or were awarded this year because each ascent had unique and exciting characteristics: Spirit of exploration, commitment and technical difficulty.
Spirit of exploration
First ascent of the South-West face of Kamet (7756m, India)
Kazuya Hiraide and Kei Taniguchi completed the first ascent of the Southeast face of Kamet in alpine style, between 26th September and 7th October 2008. They were the first climbers to set foot on this face and they completed the climb on their first attempt. Kei Taniguchi is the first woman to win a Piolet d'Or.
Name of Route : Samurai Direct.
Height of Climb: 1800m.
Difficulties declared: mixed M5+, ice 5+.
Commitment
New route on the North face of Kalanka (6931m, India)
In September 2008, the Japanese Fumitaka Ichimura, Yusuke Sato and Kazuki Amano achieved a new route on the North face of Kalanka in alpine style, which had never been ascended in one go. Two-thirds of the way up the face, they were trapped for three days by a snowstorm. Instead of descending after the storm, they continued to the summit.
Height of Route: 1800m.
Difficulty declared: mixed M5.
Technical difficulty
First Ascent of the North face of Tengkampoche (6500m, Nepal)
The Swiss Ueli Steck and Simon Anthamatten, climbing alpine style, made the first ascent of the North face of Tengkampoche, between 21st and 24th April 2008. They found the most difficult and extreme passages climbed anywhere at high altitude in 2008.
Name of Route : Checkmate.
Height of Climb : 2000m.
Difficulties declared : mixed M7, ice 5, rock 6/A0.
"This edition signs the rebirth of the Piolets d'or. For us there are no winners, no loosers. The honored are the ambassadors of an art, a passion." Doug Scott.
In total accordance with the spirit of the Piolets d'Or, the Alpine Club has created the "Spirit of mountainering". Awarded in recognition for a group of mountaineers who have diverted their way to save a life. In May 2008, on the slopes of Mt. Annapurna, Inaki Ochoa de Olza (ROU) suffered from a stroke and then from a pulmonary oedema. His partner, Horia, very tired was only able to get down thanks to 6 climbers who went back up to help them… Inaki did not survive.
Horia Colibasanu (ROU), Ueli Steck (SUI), Simon Anthamatten (SUI), Denis Urubko (UKR), Alexei Bolotov (RUS) and Don Bowie (CAN) are these 6 men.
