Piolets d’Or 2010: the nominations

Here they finally are: the magnificent five climbs that will, in little more than a month from now, appear in the spotlight of the 18^th Piolets d’Or edition, celebrated from April 7- 10 in both Chamonix and Courmayeur. A rough glance at the list of nominations immediately shows, how climbing teams of Russia and Khazakstan have largely – three out of five – outnumbered those coming from any other country in the world. As for the awarded ascents, the absolute majority of them have been established on mostly little-known peaks of Asiatic mountain ranges, with an unmistakable attention dedicated to the style of approach (impeccable) and also – or might we better say, especially – the exploratory aspects of alpinism (without neglecting technical difficulty and spirit of adventure). First of all, let us introduce the jury members, who will, together with the Slovenian President of Jury, and alpinist, Andrej Štremfelj, determine the climbs worthy of the “Golden Ice Axe”: the Spanish alpinist Jordi Corominas, the British alpinist and journalist Lindsay Griffin, the Russian journalist Anna Piunova, the Austrian alpinist Robert Schauer and the Japanese alpinist Kei Taniguchi. And now, in alphabetical order, a short description of the five climbs honored with the prestigious nomination, as well as some links to discover further details.

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-CHO OYU (8201 m, Himalaya, Nepal): direct route (2600 m, 6b, A3, M4 and 90°) on the southeast face, traced in alpine style from May 7-11, 2009 by Kazakh Denis Urubko and Boris Dedeshko. The party had already been awarded the Piolet d’Or Asia 2009 for this ascent.

To read more, click on:
www.intotherocks.splinder.com/post/20569718
www.intotherocks.splinder.com/post/21367258
www.intotherocks.splinder.com/post/21398120

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-PEAK 6134 (6134 m, Daxue Shan, Sichuan, China): first-ever ascent of the mountain, via the south pillar (a route named Carte blanche, 1300 m, 6c, A2, mixed climbing and 75°), in alpine style and without the aid of bolts, from May 9-13, 2009, by the Russians Alexander Ruchkin and Mikhail Mikhailov. The party had already been awarded the Piolet d’Or Russia 2009 for this climb.

To read more, click on:
www.intotherocks.splinder.com/post/20583703
www.intotherocks.splinder.com/post/21876242

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-PIK POBEDA (7439 m, Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan): new route (2500 m, ED) on the north pillar of Peak 7041, carried out in alpine style, and with difficult conditions, from August 20-27, 2009 by the Russians Gleb Sokolov and Vitaly Gorelik.

To read more, click on:
www.intotherocks.splinder.com/post/21663506

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-RAMTANG CHANG (or Chang Himal, 6812 m, Himalaya, Nepal): first ascent of the north face (1800 m, total length 2400 m, M6, ED+) and second-ever ascent of the mountain, in alpine style, mastered between October 29 and November 1, 2009 by British Nick Bullock and Andy Houseman.

To read more, click on:
www.intotherocks.splinder.com/post/22030068

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-XUELIAN FENG (6627 m, Tien Shan, Xinjiang, China): first ascent up the north face of the West Peak (Baiyu Feng, 6422 m), along a route dubbed The Great White Jade Heist (2650 m, 5.7 R, WI5 and M6), established from August 26-30, 2009 by American Jed Brown and Kyle Dempster together with Scottish Bruce Normand.

To read more, click on:
www.iborderline.net/intotherocks/en/2010/03/in-the-paradise-of-tomorrows-alpinism

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Cover photo. May 9, 2009: Boris Dedeshko in the heart of Cho Oyu’s southeast face. The small picture shows the face with the new line as well as the party’s bivouac sites (photo by Denis Urubko)

Photo 1. Peak 6194: in red, Ruchkin and Mikhailov’s ascent line; in green, the route of descent; in blue, the single bivouac sites (arch. Ruchkin-Mikhailov, www.mountain.ru)

Photo 2. The right sector of Pik Pobeda’s north face, with the route opened by Sokolov and Gorelik, as it can be seen from the base camp on the South Inylchek Glacier

Photo 3. The north face of Ramtang Chang, with the line traced by Bullock and Houseman, as well as the party’s bivouac sites (photo by Andy Houseman)

Photo 4. Brown, Dempster and Normand’s route up the north face of Xuelian Feng West; in yellow, the bivouac sites (photo by Jed Brown, www.climbing.com)

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Italian version (full text)

www.iborderline.net/intotherocks/2010/02/piolets-dor-2010-le-nominations