Page d'accueil

Piolet dOr Family in the beautiful Saint Christophe en Oisans ©Piotr Drożdż
Complete Piolets d'Or team 2016 ©Piotr Drożdż
The most important people of Piolets dOr 2016 at the legendary La Cordee©Piotr Drożdż.jpg
Cerro Kischtwar's Manu & Hayden Piolets d'Or ©Piotr Drożdż
Cerro Riso Patron expedition Piolets d'Or ©Piotr Drożdż
Dave Ding expedition Piolets dOr ©Piotr Drożdż
Talung expedition Piolets d'Or ©Piotr Drożdż
Legends sharing a good spirit during the lunch in Sain Christophe en Oisans ©Piotr Drożdż
Piolets d'Or Carrière Voytek Kurtyka ©Piotr Drożdż
Hosts of the evening_Christophe Trommsdorff and Julia Marin ©Piotr Drożdż

Talung, 7348m (Nepal)

Having gained confidence from their first ascent of the northwest pillar of Langshisha Ri (6,427 m) during their maiden Himalayan...

Gave Ding, 6571m (Nepal)

The tenacious team of Paul Ramdsen and Mick Fowler, who already received a Piolet d’Or in 2002 for their ascent...

Cerro Riso Patron, 2550m (Chile)

Cerro Riso Patron is located 50 kilometres to the southwest of Cerro Torre, in an isolated area between the Hielo...

Cerro Kishtwar, 6173m (India)

Following his ascent of Hagshu in 2014 (which received a Piolet d’Or in 2015), veteran Slovenian alpinist Marko Prezelj, who...

2015 - Significant ascents

The following is a representative list of significant, innovative ascents during the year that more or less comply with the Piolets d'Or charter. Grades are those quoted by the first...

Shining Wall Climber The desire to climb is engendered by a longing for freedom and self-respect. Wojciech Kurtyka, born in 1947 in Skrzynka, Lower Silesia.The young Kurtyka learned English, then German, for...

2016 International Technical jury

We are proud to count every year on the support of international technical comittee flying high to promote ethics mountaineering ! It chooses to reward among all significant climbs of...

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.

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.

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

You are interested in supporting us ? Please ask for our partnership information...

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

Visit the 'Piolets Jeunes' website

Piolets d'Or 2016

2016 - Honoured ascents

Talung, 7348m (Nepal)

Gave Ding, 6571m (Nepal)

Cerro Riso Patron, 2550m (Chile)

Cerro Kishtwar, 6173m (India)

2015 - Significant ascents

2016 - Wojciech Kurtyka

2016 International Technical jury

What are the "Piolets d'Or" ?

A celebration of mountaineering

The Spirit of Modern Alpinism

The Piolet d'Or Career

They support us

The Piolets Jeunes

Organisateurs et partenaires principaux