Piolet d'Or is changing - just look at the winners' outfit. A new route on Kalanka’s North face was dubbed “Bushido” - the "Way of the Warrior" Samurai honor code. (click to enlarge).
Kei Taniguchi has become the first woman ever awarded with a Piolet d'Or (click to enlarge).
14x8000er summiteer Peter Habeler at the Piolets d'Or award ceremony held in Chamonix on Saturday. All images by Anna Piunova, courtesy of Mountain.ru (click to enlarge).
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Steck, Anthamatten and Samurais awarded Piolets d’Or – BAC prize for Ochoa’s rescuers
Posted: Apr 27, 2009 01:44 pm EDT
(MountEverest.net) “It’s not about reaching the summit at any cost - it’s style what matters,” stated jury member Peter Habeler some weeks ago. This criteria and a wider choice for election turned the brand new award into plural “Piolets d’Or”, multiplying the number of prizes. Three teams - two of them Japanese (!) - were unanimously awarded.
A 'life-time-award' went to an unarguable candidate: Walter Bonatti, 79. Receiving the price in Courmayeur (Italy) last Friday, Bonatti just said: “Don’t forget that solitude develops our sensitivity and emotions.”
Best of 2008, alpine style
The ceremony took place on Saturday in Chamonix. Out of six finalist (all alpine-style ascents), three bagged the prizes, each under a different motto:
Award to the Spirit of Exploration: First ascent of Kamet’s SE face, by Kazuya Hiraide and Kei Taniguchi.
Hiraide and (female) Taniguchi, from Japan, were the first to attempt and climb - in alpine style - the until then virgin SE face of Mount Kamet (7 756 m, India). The 1,800 m route “Samurai direct” includes difficulties up to M5 (mixed) and 5+ on ice. With this Kei became the first lady ever awarded with a Golden Ice-axe.
Award to Commitment and Determination: New route on Kalanka’s North face, by Fumitaka Ichimura, Yusuke Sato and Kazuki Amano. The three Japanese climbers achieved the first complete climb on the north face of Kalanka (6931m, India).
During the alpine-style ascent, the team got stuck in a snow storm on the face for several days, but continued up to the top as soon as conditions improved. The new 1,800m, M5 route has been named “Bushido” after the Samurai’s honor code.
Award to Technical Difficulty: First ascent on Tengkampoche’s North face by Ueli Steck and Simon Anthamatten (6,500m, Nepal).
The Swiss team opened their 2,000 m “Check-mate” in just three days. According to the jury, its M7 (mixed), 5 (ice) and 6/A0 (rock) difficulties had been never attained before - in alpine style - at such altitude.
Other candidates were American Dave Turner for 34 days on the East face of Cerro Escudo (Patagonia) opening a new A4 aid-route on the overhanging wall; French Patrice Glairon-Rappaz and Stéphane Benoist for an alpine style climb on Nuptse’s South face, and yet another Japanese team of Katsutaka Yokoyama, Fumitaka Ichimura and Yusuke Sato, who chain-climbed four routes on Denali.
“All six climbs are remarkable,” said jury president Doug Scott. “This edition marks the renaissance of the Piolet d’Or. There are no winners or losers for us. Those awarded are nevertheless ambassadors of an activity, an art, a passion.”
The British Alpine Club awards Iñaki Ochoa’s rescue team
In addition to the renovated Piolets d’Or, the British Alpine Club launched an award of their own: the “Spirit of Mountaineering”, which went to the group of voluntary rescuers who attempted to rescue Iñaki Ochoa on Annapurna’s South face. Poilet d’Or winners Steck and Anthamatten were in the group of international climbers.
Last year, Piolet d'Or was suspended after organizers reported unable to obtain everybody's agreement on new standards. The Piolet d’Or domain was purchased by Grivel. Now the prize is back, re-named to “Piolets d’Or” (in plural), to be awarded to several teams among the finalists.
The new president of GHM (Groupe de Haute Montagne/High Mountain Group) Christian Trommsdorff was in charge of the re-launch, while British Doug Scott was appointed president of a five-member jury, including 14x8000ers summiteer Peter Habeler and - according to some reports to ExWeb - the controversial Slovak climber Dodo Kopold.
“The prize will mostly award ingenuity, climbing innovation and new routes opened in light style,” Trommsdorff stated. “Election will be based on style, spirit of exploration, the team’s self-sufficiency, technical skills, the route’s possibilities and risks, efficiency on the use of resources, transparency in reports, respect for team-mates and crew, and the example set for the future generations.”
Ed note/from Wikki: "Bushido" Samurai code means "Way of the Warrior. It originates from the samurai moral code and is typified by the following seven virtues:
Rectitude
Courage
Benevolence
Respect
Honesty
Honor
Loyalty
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