Piolets d'Or facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Les Piolets d'Or
2017 winners Dmitry Golovchenko and Sergey Nilov with their "Golden Ice Axe"
Presented by	Groupe de Haute Montagne [fr]
Date	Spring (1992 to 2017) Autumn (2018 onward)
Location	France (1992 to 2007) France/Italy (2009 to 2017) Various (2018 onward)
Reward	A single Golden ice axe (per team), made by Grivel
First awarded	1992 (1992) (for ascents in 1991)

The Piolets d'Or (pronounced "pee-oh-lay dor"), which means "Golden Ice Axe," is a special yearly award for mountaineering and alpine climbing. It was started in 1992 by the Groupe de Haute Montagne [fr] (GHM) and Montagnes Magazine.

The award celebrates the best climbing achievements from the year before. Many people consider it the highest honor in mountaineering, often calling it the "Oscars of mountaineering." Over time, the Piolets d'Or changed from being a single award to a bigger event that celebrates many great climbs. After some challenges in 2008, the rules were updated. The new rules focused on how climbers achieved their goals, emphasizing creativity, respect for the mountains, and caring for the environment. The award's name also changed to the plural, "Les Piolets d'Or," to show it was no longer about just one winner.

History of the Award

In the early 1990s, it was hard to find money for big climbing trips in France. The French Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing could no longer pay for these trips. Jean-Claude Marmier, who led the Groupe de Haute Montagne [fr] (GHM), thought an annual prize could help. He believed it would make French mountaineering more famous and attract sponsors.

He got support from Guy Chaumereuil, the editor of Montagnes magazine. In 1992, GHM and Montagnes announced the first Piolet d'Or award. It was for the best alpine climb of 1991.

From the beginning, some people worried about giving awards for dangerous climbing. After a Piolet d'Or was given in 1998 to a Russian team where two climbers had died, the rules changed. From then on, climbers had to finish their climbs safely to be nominated. The award's rules were updated to focus more on the "style" of climbing rather than just taking big risks.

There was also a concern about choosing only one winner from many amazing climbs. This became a big issue in 2007. The president of GHM, Leslie Fuscko, said that the magazine editor had chosen the finalists unfairly. This led to the jury president, Andrej Štremfelj, quitting. Another winner, Marko Prezelj, even wrote an article saying it was wrong to have a single winner for climbing achievements.

These issues in 2007 led to a major change in how the awards worked. The 2008 awards were even canceled while new rules were being made. In 2009, the Piolet d'Or returned with a new plan. Now, multiple winners could be announced. A new "Lifetime Achievement Award" was also created to honor climbers for their entire careers. The first female winner was also announced that year. The jury president, Doug Scott, said the new rules meant there were "no winners, no losers," but rather "ambassadors of an art, a passion."

In 2013, the jury decided to give awards to all six nominated teams. This showed how much the award had changed. Since 2015, the winners have been announced before the ceremony. This helps show that the event is a "celebration" and not a "competition." In 2018, the ceremony was held outside France for the first time, in Poland. The awards in 2019 were sad because two of the three winners, David Lama and Hansjörg Auer, had recently passed away.

Climbers with Multiple Awards

Some climbers have won the Piolet d'Or more than once since it started in 1992:

5 times: Paul Ramsden (2003, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2023).
4 times: Marko Prezelj (1992, 2007, 2015, 2016), Kazuya Hiraide (2009, 2018, 2020, 2024).
3 times: Mick Fowler (2003, 2013, 2016), Kenro Nakajima (2018, 2020, 2024).
2 times: Valery Babanov [fr] (2002, 2004), Aleš Česen (2015, 2019), Dmitry Golovchenko [] (2013, 2017), Zdenek Hák [cs] (2018, 2020), Marek Holeček (2018, 2020), Sergey Nilov [] (2013, 2017), Sean Villanueva O'Driscoll [fr] (2011, 2022), Mark Richey (2012, 2020), Ueli Steck (2009, 2014), Luka Stražar [sl] (2012, 2019), Steve Swenson (2012, 2020), Hayden Kennedy (2013, 2016).

Award Criteria

After 2008, a new set of rules, called the Charter, was made to explain how awards would be decided. It said:

In modern mountaineering, how you climb is more important than just reaching the top. It's not about using lots of money or gear (like oxygen tanks, fixed ropes, or many helpers) to reach the summit no matter what. The Piolets d’Or highlights creative and new ways to climb, using as little equipment as possible, and building on past experiences.

The Charter also listed specific things that all future nominated climbs would be judged on:

Climbing Style: How the climb was done.
Spirit of Exploration: Was it a new route or a mountain that hadn't been climbed before? Was the approach creative and new?
Commitment and Self-Sufficiency: How much did the climbers rely on themselves?
Technical Skill: Did the climb require a very high level of climbing ability?
Route Safety: Was the chosen path safe, considering dangers like avalanches?
Resource Use: Did they use equipment efficiently and sparingly?
Transparency: Were they open about how they used their resources?
Respect for People: Did they show respect for their climbing partners, other teams, and local people?
Respect for the Environment: Did they protect the natural surroundings?
Respect for Future Climbers: Did they leave the mountain in a way that others could enjoy similar adventures later?

The new Charter also made it clear that the awards and ceremony should be a "celebration of mountaineering," not a "climbing competition." The words "winners" and "award" were used less, with terms like "nominees" preferred. In 2014, National Geographic said that the updated Piolet Charter was about "sharing our experiences as alpinists with a wider audience, trying to learn about the human experience through adventure."

Recent Awards

2024 Awards

The winners for the 2024 Piolet d'Or were announced in October 2024. A jury of seven climbing experts made the decisions.

Jordi Corominas received the 16th Lifetime Achievement Award for his long and impressive climbing career.
North face (Secret Line) of Terich Mir: Climbed by Kazuya Hiraide and Kenro Nakajima.
North face and northwest ridge (Round Trip Ticket) of Jannu: A challenging climb by Matt Cornell, Jackson Marvell, and Alan Rousseau.
North face (Tomorrow Is Another Day) of Flat Top: Achieved by Hugo Béguin, Matthias Gribi, and Nathan Monard.
Special Mention: For the first ascent of the west face (Diamonds on the Soles of the Shoes) on Kabru South by Romano Benet and Nives Meroi. This was noted as a very important new route at high altitude involving a female climber.

2023 Awards

The 2023 Piolet d'Or winners were announced in October 2023 by a jury of seven climbing experts.

George Lowe received the 15th Lifetime Achievement Award.
South-southeast spur (Reino Hongo) of Jirishanca: Climbed in alpine style by Alik Berg and Quentin Roberts.
North face (Phantom Line) of the Jugal Spire: Achieved by Tim Miller and Paul Ramsden, marking Paul's fifth Piolet d'Or.
South face (The Crystal Ship) of Pumari Chhish East: Climbed by Christophe Ogier, Victor Saucède, and Jérôme Sullivan.
Special Mention: For the first ascent of the East face (Via Sedna) of the Northern Sun Spire in East Greenland by Capucine Cotteaux, Caro North, and Nadia Royo. This expedition was noted for its very low carbon footprint, as they used sailing boats.

2022 Awards

The 2022 Piolet d'Or winners were announced in October 2022 by a jury of six climbing experts.

Silvo Karo received the 14th Lifetime Achievement award.
Northwest face of Saraghrar: Climbed in alpine style by Georgians Archil Badriashvili, Baqar Gelashvili, and Giorgi Tepnadze.
Moonwalk Traverse of the Cerro Chaltén Group: A long traverse of 10 summits by Sean Villanueva O'Driscoll [fr], earning him his second Piolet.
Special Jury Award: For the Southeast Ridge (Patience) of Annapurna III by Ukrainians Mykyta Balabanov, Mykhailo Fomin, and Viacheslav Polezhaiko.

2021 Awards

The 2021 Piolet d'Or winners were announced in October 2021 by a jury of six climbing experts.

Yasushi Yamanoi [fr] received the 13th Lifetime Achievement award.
Emperor face (Running in the Shadows) of Mount Robson: Climbed in alpine style by American Ethan Berman and Briton Uisdean Hawthorn.
South face and southwest ridge (Revers Gagnant) of Sani Pakkush: Climbed in alpine style by French climbers Pierrick Fine and Symon Welfringer.
Special Mention: For Catalan climber Silvia Vidal for her amazing solo climbs on big walls around the world.

2020 Awards

The 2020 Piolet d'Or winners were announced in August 2020 by a jury of eight climbing experts.

Catherine Destivelle received the 12th Lifetime Achievement award.
Northwest face (the UFO Line) of Chamlang: Climbed in alpine style by Czech climbers Marek Holeček and Zdeněk Hák, both earning their second Piolet.
West face (Release The Kraken) of Tengi Ragi Tau: Climbed in alpine style by American climbers Alan Rousseau and Tino Villanueva.
South face and southeast ridge of Rakaposhi: Climbed in alpine style by Japanese climbers Kazuya Hiraide and Kenro Nakajima, both earning their second Piolet.
Southeast face of Link Sar: Climbed by American climbers Mark Richey and Steve Swenson (both earning their second Piolet), Chris Wright, and Graham Zimmerman.

2019 Awards (Honoring Climbers)

The 2019 Piolet d'Or winners were announced in July 2019. The awards were held at the Ladek Mountain Festival in Poland. The event was a time of reflection, as two of the honored climbers, David Lama and Hansjörg Auer, had recently passed away.

Krzysztof Wielicki received the 11th Lifetime Achievement Award.
West ridge and the first ascent of Lunag Ri: A solo climb by the late Austrian climber David Lama. His family accepted the award.
West face and the first ascent of Lupghar Sar West: A solo climb by the late Austrian climber Hansjörg Auer. His friends accepted the award.
North ridge and South face of Latok I: Climbed by Slovenian climbers Aleš Česen and Luka Stražar (both earning their second Piolet), and British climber Tom Livingstone.

2018 Awards (First Time Outside France)

The 2018 Piolet d'Or winners were announced in August 2018. For the first time, the ceremony was held outside France, at the Mountain Festival in Poland.

Andrej Štremfelj received the 10th Lifetime Achievement award.
Southwest face (Satisfaction!) of Gasherbrum I: Climbed by Czech climbers Marek Holeček and Zdeněk Hák.
Northeast face and traverse of Shispare: Climbed in alpine style by Japanese climbers Kazuya Hiraide and Kenro Nakajima.
South face of Nuptse Nup II: Climbed in alpine style by French climbers Frédéric Degoulet, Benjamin Guigonnet, and Hélias Millerioux [fr].
Special mention: For the southwest face of Nilkantha by American climbers Chantel Astorga, Anne Gilbert Chase, and Jason Thompson.
Special mention: To Alex Honnold for his amazing climbing achievements throughout 2017.

2017 Awards

The 2017 Piolet d'Or winners were announced in April 2017 by a jury of eight climbing experts.

Jeff Lowe received the 9th Lifetime Achievement award.
North buttress and the first ascent of Nyainqentangla South East: Climbed by British climbers Paul Ramsden (his fourth Piolet) and Nick Bullock.
North buttress of Thalay Sagar: Climbed by Russian climbers Dmitry Golovchenko [] and Sergey Nilov [] (both earning their second Piolet), and Dmitry Grigoriev.
Special mention: For the south face of Gangapurna by Korean climbers Cho Seok-mun, Kim Chang-ho, and Park Joung-yong.
Special mention: For the Travesia del Torre of the Cerro Torre Group by American climbers Colin Haley and Alex Honnold.

2016 Awards

The 2016 Piolet d'Or winners were announced in April 2016. After many years, Wojciech Kurtyka agreed to accept a "Lifetime Achievement Award."

Wojciech Kurtyka received the 8th Lifetime Achievement award.
North-northwest pillar (Daddy Magnum Force) of Talung: Climbed in alpine style by Ukrainian climbers Mykhailo Fomin and Mykyta Balabanow.
North face and the first ascent of Gave Ding: Climbed in alpine style by British climbers Mick Fowler and Paul Ramsden (both earning their third Piolet).
Northwest pillar (Hasta las Webas) of Cerro Riso Paron: Climbed by French climbers Jerome Sullivan, Lise Billon [de], and Antoine Moineville, and Argentine Diego Simari.
East face (Light before Wisdom) of Cerro Kishtwar [de; uk]: Climbed by an international team: Marko Prezelj (Slovenia; his fourth Piolet), Hayden Kennedy (USA; his second Piolet), Manu Pellissier (France), and Urban Novak [de] (Slovenia).

2015 Awards (Winners Announced Early)

The 2015 Piolet d'Or winners were announced in March 2015. This was a new approach, as the winners were revealed before the ceremony. This helped show that the event was "not a competition, but a celebration."

Chris Bonington received the 7th Lifetime Achievement award.
Southwest face (Shy Girl) of Thamserku: Climbed in alpine style by Russian climbers Aleksander Gukov and Aleksey Lonchinskiy.
North face of Hagshu [de]: Climbed in alpine style by Slovenian climbers Aleš Česen, Luka Lindič, and Marko Prezelj (his third Piolet).
Fitz Traverse of the Cerro Chaltén Group: A long traverse of 8 peaks in alpine style by American climbers Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold.

2014 Awards

The 2014 Piolet d'Or winners were announced in March 2014. The jury decided to give two Piolet awards from the six nominated climbs.

John Roskelley received the 6th Lifetime Achievement award.
South face of Annapurna: A very fast solo climb by Swiss climber Ueli Steck (his second Piolet).
Northwest face and west ridge of K6: Climbed in alpine style by Canadian climbers Ian Welsted and Raphael Slawinski.

2013 Awards (Everyone Wins)

The 2013 Piolet d'Or winners were announced in April 2013. In a very unusual move, the jury decided that all six nominated climbs would receive a Piolet d'Or.

Kurt Diemberger received the 5th Lifetime Achievement award.
South pillar (Nima Line) of Kyashar: Climbed by Japanese climbers Tatsuya Aoki [ja], Yasuhiro Hanatani [ja], and Hiroyoshi Manome [ja].
Northwest buttress (Prow of Shiva) of Shiva: Climbed in alpine style by British climbers Mick Fowler and Paul Ramsden (both earning their second Piolet).
Northeast spur of Muztagh Tower: Climbed by Russian climbers Dmitry Golovchenko [], Alexander Lange, and Sergey Nilov [].
South face (The Torch and The Brotherhood) of Ogre I: Climbed by American climbers Hayden Kennedy and Kyle Dempster.
Southwest face (Spicy Game) of Kamet: Climbed in alpine style by French climbers Sébastien Bohin, Didier Jourdain, Sébastien Moatti, and Sébastien Ratel.
Mazeno Ridge of Nanga Parbat: A long traverse by Scottish climbers Sandy Allan and Rick Allen.
Special recognition: Was given to Hayden Kennedy and Jason Kruk for their fair climb of Compressor Route on Cerro Torre, and to David Lama and Peter Ortner for their first free climb of the same route.

2012 Awards (20th Anniversary)

The 2012 Piolet d'Or winners were announced in March 2012. The event was held in France and Italy. Two Piolets were awarded from the six nominated climbs, along with a "Special mention."

Robert Paragot [fr] received the 4th Lifetime Achievement Award.
Southwest face (The Old Breed) and the first ascent of Saser Kangri II East: Climbed by American climbers Mark Richey, Steve Swenson, and Freddie Wilkinson. At the time, it was the second highest unclimbed peak in the world.
Northwest face (Sanjači zlatih jam) of K7 West: Climbed by Slovenian climbers Nejc Marcic and Luka Strazar.
Special mention: For the south face of Torre Egger by Norwegian climbers Bjørn-Eivind Årtun [no] and Ole Lied.

2011 Awards

The 2011 Piolet d'Or winners were announced in April 2011. The winners showed the "spirit of Alpinism" that the new 2008 Charter aimed to celebrate.

Doug Scott received the 3rd Lifetime Achievement Award.
Southwest face (I-TO) of Mount Logan: Climbed in an ultra-lightweight alpine style by Japanese climbers Yasushi Okada and Katsutaka Yokoyama [ja].
Greenland Big Walls expedition: For Sean Villanueva O'Driscoll [fr], Nicolas Favresse [fr], Olivier Favresse (Belgian), Ben Ditto (USA), and Bob Shepton (UK).

2010 Awards

The winners of the 2010 Piolet d'Or were announced in Chamonix (France) and Courmayeur (Italy) in April 2010. The organizers said the winners truly showed the values of the new 2008 Charter. Reinhold Messner supported the new rules, saying that true alpinism is different from commercial expeditions that use many resources.

Reinhold Messner received the 2nd Lifetime Achievement Award.
Southeast face of Cho Oyu: Climbed by Kazakh climbers Denis Urubko and Boris Dedeshko.
North face of Xuelian: Climbed by American climbers Jed Brown and Kyle Dempster, and Scottish climber Bruce Normand.

2009 Awards (New Charter Begins)

The 2009 Piolet d'Or took place in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (France) and Courmayeur (Italy) in April 2009. The jury president, Doug Scott, said this event marked the "rebirth of the Piolets d'Or" under the new rules. A new "Lifetime Achievement Award" was created, with Walter Bonatti as the first person to receive it. Also, the first female Piolet winner, Kei Taniguchi, was announced.

Walter Bonatti received the first Lifetime Achievement Award.
North face (Checkmate) of Tengkampoche: Climbed by Swiss climbers Ueli Steck and Simon Anthamatten [de]; this climb was recognized for its "Technical Difficulty."
Southwest face (Samurai Direct) of Kamet: Climbed by Japanese climbers Kazuya Hiraide and Kei Taniguchi (the first female winner); this climb received the "Spirit of Exploration" award.
North face of Kalanka: Climbed by Japanese climbers Fumitaka Ichimura, Yusuke Sato, and Kazuki Amano; this climb was recognized for "Commitment."

Images for kids

2017 winners Dmitry Golovchenko and Sergey Nilov with their "Golden Ice Axe"