Piolets d’Or update
- Monday 22nd February 2016
Feb 22nd; 2016
Ahead of the 24th Piolet d’Or the make-up of the international technical committee and the recipient of the Piolet d’Or lifetime achievement award has been announced.
To be held in the La Grave area, the Piolet d’Or will be an opportunity for alpinists to get together from across the world. The event also features shared outdoor activities, a book fair, films, and the presentation of various ascents during friendly evening gatherings.
The 2016 Piolet d’Or Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to a Polish alpinist, Voytek Kurtyka. The Piolet d’Or characterise Voytek Kurtyka has “a mysterious and fascinating character legendary for his impressive ascents”. His first ascent of the west face of Gasherbrum IV (or the 'Shining Wall') in 1985 is considered by purists to be the most remarkable alpine-style ascent of the 20th century. Born in 1947 in Skrzynka, Poland, Voytek Kurtyka was a veritable phenomenon of a generation of Polish alpinists who marked the history of alpine style climbing in the Himalayas.
Along with figures like Wanda Rutkiewicz and Jerzy Kukuczka, Kurtyka embodies the 'pioneering spirit' that was fundamental to this group of Polish alpinists who learned their craft in the Tatras. Several of Kurtyka’s climbing partners, themselves living legends of great alpinism, will be present at the 2016 Piolets d’Or in La Grave.
For more iinformation about Voytek Kurtyka click through here.
In addition to the lifetime achievement award, the international committee will award a Piolet d’Or for the most notable ascents of 2015 relating to modern alpinism.
This process, undertaken in a collaborative manner by the Groupe de Haute Montagne, the American Alpine Journal, and the Alpine Club, is currently underway. The results will be published in the next press release, in early March.
The members of the 2016 international technical committee are:
Michael Kennedy (USA) - Valeri Babanov (RU) - Silvo Karo (SLO) - Vic Saunders (UK) - Seb Bohin (F) - Raphael Slawinsky (CAN) - Yasuhiro Hanatani (J) - Simon Elias (ESP) - Hervé Barmasse (I)