Piolets d'Or 2018: Gasherbrum I, Shispare, Nilkanth win, Nilkanth and Alex Honnold receive special mention
Three ascents have been selected for the Piolets d'Or 2018: Gasherbrum I. climbed by Zdeněk H´k and Marek Holeček, Shispare climbed by Kazuya Hiraide and Kenro Nakajima and Nuptse NW climbed by Frédéric Degoulet, Benjamin Guigonnet and Hélias Millerioux. Special mentions have been awarded for the ascent of Nilkanth by Chantel Astorga, Anne Gilbert Chase and Jason Thompson and also to Alex Honnold for his outstanding contribution to climbing in the year 2017. Andrej Šremfelj to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The winning ascents have been announced by the Piolet d'Or, the prestigious mountaineering award that will be celebrated from 20 to 23 September 2018 at the Ladek Festival in Poland. Selecting from a “big list” of 58 climbs, the jury were impressed in particular by three ascents but nevertheless made two special mentions while the Piolet d'Or Carrière Walter Bonatti has been assigned to Slovenian alpinist Andrej Štremfelj. In the past, this Lifetime Achievement Award has been given to Walter Bonatti, Reinhold Messner, Doug Scott, Robert Paragot, Kurt Diemberger, John Roskelley, Chris Bonington, Wojciech Kurtyka and Jeff Lowe.
PIOLETS D’OR 2018
Gasherbrum I (8068 m)
Zdeněk Hák-Marek Holeček (Czech Republic)
Complete southwest face, Satisfaction!, 2,600m, ED+ WI5+ M7. July 25 - August 1 round trip from base camp.
Marek Holeček and Zdeněk Hák established over 8 days a great new route up the Southwest Face of Gasherbrum I (8080 meters), Karakorum.
Shipspare (7611 m)
Kazuya Hiraide-Kenro Nakajima (Japan)
Northeast face and traverse, Shukriya, 2,700m, WI5 M6, August 18-24 round trip from base camp.
On 22 August 2017 Kazuya Hiraide and Kenro Nakajima completed a new route up the NE Face of Shispare (7611m), Karakorum, Pakistan. Climbing alpine style for seven days, the Japanese mountaineers encountered difficulties up to M6 / WI 5.
Nuptse NW (Nuptse Nup II, 7742 m)
Frédéric Degoulet-Benjamin Guigonnet-Hélias Millerioux (FR)
South face, 2,200m, WI6 M5+, October 14-21 round trip from base camp
French alpinists Hélias Millerioux, Frédéric Degoulet and Niçois Benjamin Guigonnet have made an alpine style ascent of a new route up the South Face of Nuptse, Nepal Himalaya
SPECIAL MENTION
Nilkanth (Nilkantha, 6,596 m)
Chantel Astorga-Anne Gilbert Chase-Jason Thompson (USA)
Southwest face, Obscured Perception, 1,400m, WI5 M6 A0 70° snow September 28-October 2 round trip
Alex Honnold
For his outstanding contribution to climbing in the year 2017.
JURY 2018
Valeri Babanov, Kelly Cordes, Jordi Corominas, Mick Fowler, Yannick Graziani, Silvo Karo, Raphael Slawinsky
