Piolets d'Or - 2016 Significant ascents

2016 - Significant ascents

22 representative routes compiled by Lindsay Griffin (American Alpine Journal).

 One weblink is noted, though in many cases others are available.

ASIA

Népal

Gimmigela East (7,005m)
Hansjorg Auer, Alex Blümel (Austria)

North face, 1,200m, 85° ice with one section of M4, two bivouacs.
Steep, technical line on a remote, little-climbed peak in Far East Nepal.
http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web17w/newswire-gimmigela-east.

Bhandar Lek (6,024m)
Jack Bynum (USA)

North-northeast spur, ca 2,000m, 5.7 M3 65° snow.
Solo round trip from Simikot. Six days on the mountain. First ascent of this previously unattempted and attractive remote peak in Far West Nepal, and blind descent of the ca 2,000m west-southwest face.
http://www.indigoalpineguides.com/news/2017/1/9/first-ascent-bhandar-lek-6000-meters-winter-solo

Saldim/Peak 5 (6,421m GPS)
Vlad Capusan, Zsolt Torok (Romania)

south-southwest pillar, ca 1,200m, 6a+ M5/6 AI4 90°
One bivouac on ascent. Rappelled the route. First known ascent of this peak in the Makalu group.
https://altitudepakistan.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/romanian-duo-bags-first-ascent-of-peak.html

Karyolung (6,511m)
Oriol Baro, Roger Cararach, Santi Padros (Spain)

Southwest pillar, 1,400m, ED, 6a AI4 M4.
Two bivouacs on the ascent. Descent via north ridge (700m), then rappels to glacier.
http://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/alpinism/new-catalan-climbs-in-nepal.html

Gangapurna (7,455m)
Cho Seok-moon, Kim Chang-ho, Park Jong-young (Korea)

South face, ca 2,900m; 1,400m for steep section of face.
Six bivouacs on the ascent; three-day descent to base camp. Difficult technical climbing but currently no real information available in English (but available shortly).
http://everest.cocolog-nifty.com/gassan/2016/10/post-6a0f.html

Tibet

Nyanchen Tanglha Southeast (7,046m)
Nick Bullock, Paul Ramsden (UK)

North buttress, 1,600m, ED+
Exploratory climbing on the previously unvisited north flank of this little-climbed high massif in Tibet. Descended east ridge.
http://nickbullock-climber.co.uk/expedition-reports/british-west-nyainqentangla-expedition-2016/

Loinbo Kangri (7,095m)
Kazuya Hiraide, Kenro Nakajima (Japan)

North face direct, 1,400m, WI5
One bivouac. Descended northeast ridge and north-northwest spur. Second ascent of this remote mountain in the Gandise Range, Tibet.
http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201213958/Loinbo-Kangri-North-Northwest-Face-Loinbo-Direct

Pogolha (6,328m)
Olav Isaksson, Domen Kastelic, Marcus Palm (Sweden-Slovenia)

Northeast face and east ridge, 700m, AI4 M5.
First ascent of this previously attempted peak in Tibet. Descended north face.
http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201213959/Pogolha-Jang-Tsang-Go-Northeast-Face-and-East-Ridge

India

Chaukhamba III (6,974m)
Joel Kauffman, Jason Kruk, Tad McCrea (Canada-USA)

South ridge, 1,600m, 5.10 A0 AI4+/90°.
Six days on route and first ascent of the mountain (to 16m of the top).
http://blog.alpineinstitute.com/2016/12/trip-report-no-fun-allowed-1600m-510-a0.html

Thalay Sagar (6,904m)
Dmitry Golovchenko, Dmitry Grigoriev, Sergey Nilov (Russia)

North buttress, 1,200m, ED2, 5c A3 WI5 M7.
Eight bivouacs on ascent. Descended original route. First ascent of north face without a portaledge. Received the 2016 Russian Golden Ice Axe.
http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web16f/newswire-thalay-sagar-moveable-feast

Sersank (6,050m)
Mick Fowler-Victor Saunders (UK)

North buttress, 1,100m, ED.
Five bivouacs on ascent; descended south face (one bivouac). First complete ascent of the summit.
http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web16f/newswire-mick-fowler-and-victor-saunders-make-first-ascent

T16 South summit (ca 6,200m, Zanskar)
Cosmin Andron-Cristina Pogacean (Romania)

Southwest face - Supercouloir. 1,200m, ED, 6b C1 WI4+ M5/6 75°.
First ascent of peak; descended same route.
http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201213792/Chhogo-Valley-T16-South-Summit-Southwest-Face-T13-Northwest-Ridge-Attempt

Raja Peak (6,294m)
John Crook-Dave Sharpe (UK)

First ascent of this previously unattempted peak. Climbed in two 16-hour days; descended south ridge with one more bivouac.
Three day approach from a camp toward the head of the Miyar Valley.
https://onthesharpeend.com/

China

Kyzyl Asker (5,842m)
Luka Lindic, Ines Papert (Slovenia-Germany)

Southeast couloir, 1,200m, ED, WI4+ M6
One bivouac on ascent. Rappelled the route. First ascent of a much attempted line, arguably one of the most coveted in Central Asia.
http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web16f/newswire-kyzyl-asker-fa

NORTH AMERICA

Citadel (2,515m)
Ben Erdmann, Jess Roskelley (USA)

West face, 1,200m, AK VI, A3 AI4 X M7 70°.
One bivouac; descended route of ascent.
http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201213922/The-Citadel-Westmans-World

Celeno Peak (4,083m)
Chris Wright, Graham Zimmerman (USA-USA/NZ)

West face, 1,850m, 5.10 X A2+ M6 95°.
Second ascent of this high peak in the St Elias Mountains; descent by the original route.
http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201213962/Celeno-Peak-West-Face-Direct

Great Sail Peak (1,615m)
Matteo della Bordela, Nicolas Favresse, Luca Schiera, Sean Villanueva, Matteo de Zaiacomo (Belgium-Italy)

Northwest face, Coconut Collection, 1,050m 7c
Explosion of free climbing, and/or nearly free climbing in the Stewart Valley, Baffin, by Belgian-Italian and American-Canadian teams, of which this route is one example. First summer summer routes and first free ascent of Great Sail Peak. Others include Great Sail Peak, Northwest Passage, 1050m, 5.12a/7a+ Single Push, and Citadel, Catacomb, 900m, 5.12a/7a+ off width single push.
http://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/alpinism/baffin-big-wall-climbing-the-final-concert.html

Mt Tuzo (3,248m)
Marc André Leclerc, Luka Lindic (Canada-Slovenia)

North face, 1,100m, WI6+ R M7+
Two bivouacs. Hard, serious climbing in Canadian Rockies by two of the strongest young climbers.
http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201214056/New-Routes-on-Mt-Tuzo-and-Neptuak-Mountain

SOUTH AMERICA

Patagonia

Cerro Torre (3,102m)
Colin Haley and Alex Honnold (USA)

The Torre Traverse (1,600m of ascent, 90° 6b+ C1); Fitz Roy (3,405m), the Wave Effect (1,900m of ascent, 7b+ 40°).
No new ground but two very impressive enchainments in less than one day each.
http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201213974/Patagonia-Today

Peru

Taulliraju (5,830m)
Steve Fortune, Alastair McDowell, Reg Measures, Rose Pearson (New Zealand)

west ridge, 5.8 AI5 M4.
In two teams, one starting a day later. Three or four bivouacs on ascent, and descent of the south-southeast ridge with one bivouac. Outstanding unclimbed Cordillera Blanca ridge that has recently become feasible due to global warming. However, the climbers still encountered vertical unconsolidated snow, overhanging ice, thin mixed climbing and compact dry granite.
http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201213904/New-Routes-On-Taulliraju-and-Other-Ascents

Siula Grande (6,344m)
Max Bonniot, Didier Jourdain (France)

Eeast pillar and southeast ridge, 1,400m, ED, 6c WI5
Three bivouacs on ascent; descent by same route with a difficult climb back over the rock pillar.
http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201214083/Siula-Grande-East-Pillar-to-Southeast-Ridge-Le-Bruit-des-Glaons

GREENLAND

Apostelen Tommelfinger (2,315m)
Christian Ledergerber, Fabio Lupo, Antoine Moineville, Silvan Schüpbach, Jérôme Sullivan (Switzerland-France)

West face, 1,700m, 7a A2+ 120° ice
Descended same route (one bolt placed as rappel anchor). Seven day approach to remote peak by kayak.
http://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/alpinism/greenland-big-wall-climbing-apostel-tommelfinger-west-face-climbed-by-international-team.html

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