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 year before , some of them, considered the most "beautiful" and the most emblematic of the style (in accordance with the Charter of the Piolets d'Or) that wants to promote the Piolets d'Or.
Yasuhiro Hanatani
- Japan
Yasuhiro is part of the new generation of Japanese alpinists who have brilliantly excelled at climbing big faces in alpine style. In 2013 he won a Piolet d’Or for his aesthetic and committing ascent of Kyashar, in Nepal, made with his friends Tatsuya Aoki and Hiroyoshi Manome from the group the Giri-Giri Boys.
Victor Saunders
- UK
Victor began climbing in Scotland, establishing a variety of interesting routes from 1978 onwards. In 1980 he took his Scottish ethics to the Himalayas (east face of Uzzum Brakk 1980, north face of Spantik (“Golden Pillar”) in 1987, west face of Kangchuntse in 1989 etc.). He has received two book awards, the Boardman Tasker in 1990 and the Salon International du Livre du Montagne, Passy 2015. He now lives quietly in Les Houches.
Simon Elias
- Spain
Simón Elías was born in the Pyrenees, but he has travelled the world in search of remote peaks. He made the first ascent of the east face of Meru North in the Gharwal Himalaya, climbed a new route on the big rock face of Mount Proboscis, and has twice stood on the summit of Cerro Torre. He is an accomplished writer, loves to get in trouble far from home, and knows how to start a fire by rubbing two sticks together.
Valeri Babanov
- Russia
Awarded two Piolets d’Or, he stormed onto the alpine scene in 1998 with the first ascent of a route on the West face of the Drus. Following that were the first ascents of Eldorado (solo) on the Grandes Jorasses, a route in Meru (solo, 2001), the South-East pillar of Nuptse, and the North-West pillar of Jannu. Valeri moved the world of alpinism by his kindness and his energy.
Silvo Karo
- Slovenia
52 years old, is one of the best Slovenian alpinists. He has solved some of the great alpine “problems”, such as Bhagirathi III (India, Garhwal, 1990). In 1986, together with his Slovenian friends, he opened a new route on the East face of Cerro Torre in Patagonia, called The Directissima to Hell. He has been very active in this south part of the Andes, where he did a first ascent on Torre Egger and on Fitz Roy. With Rolando Garibotti, he experimented with the non-stop style of climbing by doing a 30hour push up the Slovak route on the southwest face of Fitz Roy. In 2005, he climbed the southeast ridge of Cerro Torre, which starts by ascending the Aguje Medialuna: 1700m of climbing. In Pakistan in 2006, he climbed Eternal Flame on Trango (Pakistan) in a day. Silvo is a particularly fast climber with a long and prolific career. He is also an activist for the mountains through Mountain Wilderness. He was a member of the jury of the Piolets d’Or in 2006, under Stephen Venables’ presidency.
Seb Bohin
- France
As a member of the Groupe Militaire de Haute Montagne (France’s high mountain military group), Seb has been busy making technical ascents in the Alps and participating in dozens of expeditions all over the world (North America, Asia, South America, Antarctica, the Arctic). His two most notable achievements are the first Cordillera Darwin crossing (Chile) and the first alpine style ascent of the southwest face of Kamet (India). This remarkable accomplishment earned him a Piolet d’Or in 2013.
Raphael Slawinsky
- Canada
This professor of physics at the University of Calgary was, naturally, very active in the Rockies, carrying out some very hard winter climbs. He has also climbed in Alaska, with some non-stop ascents of the Cassin route on Denali or Common Knowledge on the same mountain. In 2013 he succeeded in the 1st attempt on the NW face of K6 West, with Ian Welsted. This route earned them a Piolet d’Or in 2014.
Mickael Kennedy
- USA
President of the Jury panel for the Piolet d’Or in 2012, he made his mark in Alaska, with some famous first ascents, including Infinite Spur, in 1977 on Mount Foraker (5303 m), and Wall of Shadow, in 1994 on Mount Hunter (4442 m). He made an innovative ascent of the NE face of Ama Dablam in winter, and was involved in a bold attempt at the Latok 1 (7145m, Karakoram) stopping only 100 metres short of the summit, on a route that has not yet been climbed.
Hervé Barmasse
- Italy
A native of Valtournenche, at the base of Matterhorn, Hervé has always been very active in his mountains, in winter, in solo, or in the opening of new routes. Very attached to the Alps and traditional mountaineering, he has excelled in Patagonia (particularly in winter), in Karakorum and in China.
