Piolets d'Or - The 2021 Piolets d'Or

Piolet d'Or 2021 - Award ceremony

The Ukrainians Nikita Balabanov, Mikhail Fomin and Vyacheslav Polezhayko on Annapurna III.

UKRAINE WAR

One of the main aims of the Groupe de Haute Montagne (GHM, see ghm-alpinisme.fr), an apolitical club of alpinists based in France but including members from around the world, is the...

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Nouveauté : "Piolets d'Or, les plus…

Piolets d'or, les plus beaux exploits de l'alpinisme moderne Cet ouvrage, paru aux Editions du Mont Blanc, présente les itinéraires d’exception accomplis depuis 1992 et nous fait découvrir leurs aventures dans les...

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Retrospective 1992 - 2021

The year 2021 marks the 30th anniversary of the inception of the Piolet d'Or, an idea proposed by the late Jean-Claude Marmier and François Marsigny. It resulted in a partnership...

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2021 Honoured Ascents

SPECIAL MENTION - SILVIA VIDAL

©Silvia Vidal The Piolets d'Or promotes progressive mountaineering, alpine-style, doing more with less. Our awards reflect this ethos. But it also champions the spirit of exploration, a high level of commitment...

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MOUNT ROBSON (3,954M)

©Ethan Berman Emperor (northwest) Face - Running in the Shadows (2,300m, US VI, M6 AI5 A0), Ethan Berman (USA) and Uisdean Hawthorn (UK). September 30 to October 1 for the ascent. Robson...

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SANI PAKKUSH (6,952M)

©Symon Welfringer South face and southwest ridge - Revers Gagnant (ca 2,500m, M4+ WI4+ 90°), Pierrick Fine and Symon Welfringer (France), October 16-19 for the ascent. After the pandemic thwarted plans to...

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  • Piolets d'Or 2020 | 19th September 2020 | ©Lucyna Lewandowska

  • Piolets d'Or 2020 | 19th September 2020 | ©Lucyna Lewandowska

  • Piolets d'Or 2020 | 19th September 2020 | ©Michal Zlotowski

  • Piolets d'Or 2020 | 19th September 2020 | ©Michal Kwasniewski

  • Piolets d'Or 2020 | 19th September 2020 | ©Michal Kwasniewski

  • Piolets d'Or 2020 | 19th September 2020 | ©Michal Zlotowski

  • Piolets d'Or 2020 | 19th September 2020 | ©Michal Kwasniewski

  • Piolets d'Or 2020 | 19th September 2020 | ©Michal Zlotowski

What are the "Piolets d'Or" ?

A celebration of mountaineering

The purpose of the Piolets d'Or awards is to raise awareness about the year's greatest ascents across the world.  They aim to celebrate the taste for adventure, the bravery and sense of exploration that lie behind the art of climbing in the world's great mountain ranges. The Piolets d'Or draw their inspiration from mountaineering's rich history.  They are a celebration of a sense of partnership and solidarity, of shared experiences, and reward individual or collective achievement.

The Spirit of Modern Alpinism

More than just the recognition of a performance, the Piolets d'Or celebrates passion, spirit and values. The spirit of the Piolets d’Or draws its inspiration from the history of alpinism and the authenticity of true team spirit. The style should take precedence over the conquest of an objective.  Success is no longer about getting to the summit at all costs, employing all possible financial and technical means, (oxygen, fixed ropes, doping products, etc) or large-scale human resources (high-altitude porters or sherpas). The Piolets d’Or event encourages imagination in searching for innovative routes using a maximum of economy of means, making use of experience and respecting man and nature. The Piolets d’Or is attached to making climbing a shared and valued richness all over the world, capable of attracting the best of human ambitions whilst encompassing moral values and edifying behaviour. The Piolets d'Or event is therefore a celebration of an ethical alpinism, rich in emotion.

 

 

Les Piolets d'Or

The Piolet d'Or Career

In 2009, the first Lifetime Achievement Piolet d’Or was awarded to Walter Bonatti.  His style of mountaineering perfectly reflected the spirit of thePiolets d’Or.  He became a sort of godfather to those who would receive this award after him. In honour of the man and his spirit, it has been renamed the “Piolet d’Or Lifetime Achievement, Walter Bonatti Award”.

The Career Piolets d'Or was created to reward a career where the spirit has inspired the following generations, in the sense of criteria set down by the convention.
Recipients of the Piolet d'Or Career :
2009 : Walter BONATTI
2010 : Reinhold MESSNER
2011 : Doug SCOTT
2012 : Robert PARAGOT
2013 : Kurt DIEMBERGER
2014 : John ROSKELLEY
2015 : Chris BONINGTON
2016 : Wojciech KURTYKA
2017 : Jeff LOWE
2018 : Andrej ŠTREMFELJ
2019 : Krzysztof WIELICKI
2020 : Catherine DESTIVELLE

They support us

Logo I       Logo II        Logo IV       Logo VI

Interested in supporting us ? Please ask for our partnership information...

The Piolets Jeunes

The Piolets Jeunes is a gathering for diversity, exchange of experience, know-how and cultures.
It allows young people to experience a true mountain experience.

Because we are convinced of the major educational role of mountain activities, particularly in the context of education through sport, we wish to contribute to the development of mountain activities among youth. We also promote the spirit and culture of the mountain, in order to put young people in link:
- Using natural and cultural heritage and mountain with the territory
- With strong values related to these adventure land practices: the spirit of discovery, respect, solidarity, spirit climber, commitment, experience, progressive autonomy, and responsibility

2021 Organizers

2021 Sponsor