Marko Prezelj

Actually, he finds it nonsense that mountaineers are awarded. “Basically it’s impossible to compare any climbs, because every climb has a different emotion,” Marko Prezelj told me a year ago during the  “Piolet d’Or” celebrations, the “Oscar of the climbers”. “It’s bizarre. It’s like you are making love and making an article out of it. If it’s poetry, maybe it’s okay. But it is a thin line between romantic poetry and pornography.” As in 2015, Marko was again awarded the Golden Ice Axe in 2016. Last weekend, the Slovene received the prize in La Grave in the French Alps, along with his compatriot Urban Novak, the American Hayden Kennedy and the Frenchman Manu Pellissier – for their first ascent of the South Face of the 6176-meter-high Cerro Kishtwar in the Indian Himalayas. Thus Marko is now holding a record that he actually doesn’t want to have.

Festival instead of competition

Successful team on Cerro Kishtwar: Hayden Kennedy, Marko Prezelj, Manu Pellissier, Urban Novak (from l. to r. – along with Wojciech Kurtyka 3. from l.)

For Prezelj, it was the fourth Piolet d’Or after 1992, 2007 and 2015. No climber was honored more frequently than he. Mountain adventures, says Marko, must have three fundamental elements: “unknown, uncertain, exposure”. This is leading him again and again to exceptional destinations – what has been impressing the different juries, already beginning with the first Piolet d’Or ceremony in 1992. “It’s like an old marriage,”, says Prezelj. “I was the first one and since then I keep a kind of certain distance. I lost a kind of desire to get it. This is the problem why I have a more critical prospective.” Marko’s last year’s message – “Don’t make a competition, make a festival!” – seems to have been heard. With almost the same words, the British jury member Victor Saunders announced this year’s event.

Third Piolet d’Or for Fowler and Ramsden

Mick Fowler (r.) and Paul Ramsden

The nine-member jury, that also included the top climbers Silvo Karo from Slovenia, Valeri Babanov from Russia and Raphael Slawinsky from Canada, chose three other exceptional projects: The British Mick Fowler and Paul Ramsden won their third Piolet d’Or, for their first ascent of the 6571-meter- high Gave Ding, a remote mountain in northwestern Nepal. The two Ukrainians Mikhail Fomin and Nikita Balabanov were awarded for their new route via the Northwest Pillar of the 7348-meter-high Talung in Nepal. And finally the American Jerome Sullivan, the Argentinian Diego Simari, and Lise Billon and Antoine Moineville, both from France, received the Golden Ice Axe, for their first ascent of the Northeast Pillar of the 2550-meter-high Cerro Riso Patron in Patagonia.
The lifetime achievement award went to the great Polish climber Wojciech Kurtyka. The now 68-year-old had set climbing milestones, especially in the 1980s with numerous extremely difficult routes on the highest mountains on earth.

I had only half a minute time to express my joy to the audience of the ceremony. Not so easy when your heart is beating like a drum. First of all I thanked my family who let me go on expeditions, despite all their fears. But I also dedicated this award to you – „the climbers from all over the world who live their passion and to the mountain people who must work so hard, especially my friends from Nepal who have to go through a real difficult time“. You all are my journalistic expedition team, thank you! I mean, this award is a little bit like a first ascent, isn’t it?

There are no mountains in Abu Dhabi, only „mountain buildings“. Here are some impressions:

Tommy Caldwell in Chamonix

Tommy Caldwell is on a roll. The 36-year-old American and his compatriot Alex Honnold won this year’s Piolet d’Or, the “Oscar for climbers”, for their success in completing the so called “Fitz Traverse” in Patagonia, a more than five kilometers long climbing route over seven summits and some razor sharp ridges. And Tommy is a prime candidate for next year’s award too. Last January he and Kevin Jorgeson free-climbed for the first time the extremely difficult about 900-meter-high route Dawn Wall on El Capitan in Yosemite – a real milestone in big wall climbing. I talked to Tommy about both climbs.

Tommy, you and Alex Honnold were awarded the Piolet d’Or for succeeding the Fitz Traverse in Patagonia. How did you experience this outstanding climb?

It was definitely a hard climb for me. It was so outside of everyday life. So if you look back at it, it doesn’t seem real. It wasn’t something I had planned. We went to Patagonia not knowing what we were going to climb. That was one idea, but I thought it was too big, I never thought we could do it. But then there was a big weather window and we decided to just go big.

For Alex, it was the first time that he was on expedition in Patagonia. What was it like for you to climb with him the Fitz Traverse?

It was amazing. He is the ultimate climbing partner. I knew that his skills would transfer from Yosemite to Patagonia really well. He doesn’t like being cold, I was a little worried about that. But since the experience was so intense and amazing, he was okay dealing with the cold a few days.  Sometimes we were going a mile and not even seeing each other because we were on opposite sides of the rope. Our systems are so dialed that we don’t have to say a word to each other.

Tommy and Alex on the Fitz Traverse

Is it possible to compare the Fitz Traverse in Patagonia and the Dawn Wall in Yosemite that you free-climbed in team with Kevin Jorgeson at the turn of the year?

They are so different in style. I trained very hard for the Dawn Wall. For seven years it was on the top of my mind the whole time. That training prepared me for Patagonia well, but the style of climbing was so different. The Fitz Traverse just happened, it wasn’t really a plan. The Dawn Wall was very planned, I focused all my energy into that. There we had people bringing us food and tons of gear when we were up there for all this time. The Fitz Traverse was completely the opposite. We had one 25 liter and one 335 liter backpack, just barely enough food, only one sleeping bag.

Caldwell: So different in style

What does it mean to you to have succeeded free-climbing the Dawn Wall?

It means that this relationship that I have had for seven years is ending. It’s hard actually. A lot of people would think that the end of this goal is a great moment. For me it was good because I reached my goal, but this life driving force that I had for so long is no longer there.

So, are you now going through a valley?

(He laughs) Yeah, probably. I’m working on writing a book now. So I have something to focus my energy into. That’s how I am, I always find a goal and I very intensely pursue that. So right now I have to write a book, but I’m expecting at some point to go through a bit of a valley. I’m sure.

Tommy Caldwell (l.) in the Dawn Wall

You were 19 days in the wall. What was the hardest during this climb?

The hardest part of the Dawn Wall for me was actually the preparation before the climb: trying to figure out ways to better climbing, sometimes feeling like it wasn’t working. Once we got on the wall for that 19-day-push, things went really well for me. My partner on the other hand struggled; he wasn’t nearly as prepared as I was. He struggled pretty hard, so I waited around. I had to become very good support for him, which was fun for me too. I wouldn’t say it was a hard experience, but there were moments where we worried about whether we were going to make it together.

Caldwell: The hardest part was the preparation

When Kevin had problems, did you think for a moment that you would have to do it alone?

Luckily I never had to come to that. I didn’t want to top out without Kevin. I don’t know honestly whether I would have done it if he had given up completely. He might have told me that I have to continue.

If two climbers have done such an amazing thing together, does it change the attitude between them? Are you now another kind of friends?

Every climbing relationship is different. Alex Honnold is the kind of person I would call if I was having a hard time in life. He is like a really close friend. Kevin is also a close friend but in a very different way. We pretty much only talk when we are climbing together. But when we are climbing together, it works so well and it’s so amazing.  I admire Kevin so much, but it’s almost more like a business relationship whereas most of my other climbing partners, it’s like deep friendship, almost like family.

Caldwell about climbing relationships

There was a little bit of criticism about the great media coverage of your climb. Cameramen were hanging in the wall. There was a video live stream during the last days. What would you answer to these critics?

I would say that this media coverage was not something that we sought out at all, it just happened. We were open to it, we allowed it to happen, but it was not by design at all. It was purely because so many people were interested. There was a point when they said: There are going to be a lot of reporters on top when you get up there. And I said: I don’t really want that. But you can’t control it. Yosemite is a public place. People can come if they want.

They did it: Caldwell (l.) and Jorgeson

What do you answer people who say: This man is crazy doing such things?

Nobody says that. (He laughs) The whole process of climbing the Dawn Wall was such a life driving force for me that I think, if you were in my head the whole time you would totally understand it. But most people won’t, so I don’t expect them to understand it.

Did you close the chapter Yosemite after having finished your Dawn Wall project?

Yosemite always has been and will be part of my life. I don’t know if I pursue giant projects like the Dawn Wall anymore, but I am going to continue to go to Yosemite. I live in Colorado physically, but my heart is in Yosemite.

You lost one finger in an accident with a table saw in 2001. How is it possible to do such extreme climbs with only nine fingers?

When I chopped off my finger, I was already a quite serious climber. I didn’t want to lose professionally climbing as my way to live, and so I became very focused and dedicated at a kind of overcoming that injury. It made me mentally stronger. The biggest growth in my climbing I think was right after chopping off my finger. I was a sport climber and a boulderer before and I started to gravitate more towards big wall and mountains, because I knew that I could never be the best competition climber with nine fingers. Big wall climbing is a bit less finger strength intense.

You have also been on expedition to high mountains. In 2000, in Kirghizstan you were kidnapped. Was this an experience that made you avoid expeditions to high mountains?

No. What happened in Kirghizstan had nothing to do with the fact that we were even in the mountains. We got into the middle of a political struggle.

Tommy with his wife Rebecca and son Fitz

But it was very narrow for you.

Yes, but I am still going to save high mountains in the world. I think I don’t go to very high mountains because of avalanche danger. I have 25 friends in my life that have died in high mountains. I am a dad. I want to live a long time. So I pick climbs that I feel that the danger is more controllable.

So, no 8000 meter peaks?

I don’t have it in my plans. But if I find a beautiful route on a 8000 meter peak that I felt like was not in danger of rock fall, big avalanches, big crevasse danger, I would climb it.

You are a husband and father. Has this made you more cautious?

I think I view my life through a lens of having people who rely on me. I feel a lot of responsibility to be there for them. So, as I said, I pick climbs where I feel like the objective hazards are manageable. I don’t want to die in the mountains.

Caldwell:I don’t want to die in the mountains

P.S. I made this interview with Tommy already in April, at the Piolet d’Or celebrations in Chamonix. But when I actually wanted to publish it, the strong earthquake hit Nepal and I had to cover this tragedy…

The winners: Bonington, Cesen, (Doug Scott), Prezelj, Lindic, Lonchinsky, Caldwell, Gukov (f.l.)

It was not surprising any more. All three teams that had been nominated for this year’s Piolets d’Or were finally awarded the Golden Ice Axes. The US climbers Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold got it for their full traverse of the Fitz Roy range in Patagonia, the Russians Aleksander Gukov and Aleksey Lonchinsky for their new route through the South Face of the 6,618-meter-high Thamserku in Nepal and the Slovenes Marko Prezelj, Ales Cesen and Luka Lindic, because they had opened up a route via the North Face of the 6,657-meter-high Hagshu in Northern India.No doubt, three amazing climbs worth to be cherished.

No more frustration

Atmospheric celebration

There had been some indications for this result. The former Piolets d’Or „jury“ had been named „technical commitee“ now. It consisted of nine top class climbers from nine different countries, one of them the German Ines Papert. The other members were Hervé Barmasse (from Italy), Kazuki Amano (Japan), Valeri Babanov (Russia), Stephane Benoist (France), Andy Houseman (United Kingdom), Michael Kennedy (United States), Raphael Slawinsky (Canada) and Andrej Stremfelj (Slovenia). They had chosen the three ascents out of a big list of 58 outstanding climbs worldwide. Last year there had been anger and frustration of those teams that had been nominated but had not got the award at the end. That should be prevented this time.

Progressive alpinism

„We want to promote alpinism ethics and to present the many several disciplines of alpinism“, Lindsay Griffin, president of the British Alpine Club and one of the persons responsible for the Piolets d’Or, said before the awarding in Courmayeur on the Italian side of Mont Blanc. „We want to celebrate climbs, not to discriminate any ascent.“ The three climbs that were awarded with the Piolets d’Or 2015 do in the words of the jury „represent modern, committing and technical alpine style climbing. They epitomize progressive alpinism and should be celebrated as such“.

A rose for the passion

Doug Scott (l.) hands over the Piolet d’Or to his old climbing mate Chris Bonington

Sir Chris Bonington, who was awarded the Career Piolet d’Or for his outstanding live achievements in the mountains, appreciated the performances of the young climbers. „The three teams we are celebrating today, they are tackling steep alpine mountain faces in the Himalayas, at altitude, in alpine style“, the 80-year-old Briton said in Courmayeur. „But they are doing it in the purest way. And therefore alpinism is most certainly not dead.“

After they all had got their Golden Ice Axes, the honoured Slovene Marco Prezelj left the stage and returned with roses for the awarded climbers. „The rose stands for the passion for climbing“, the 50-year-old told me afterwards. Marco, who has won the award three times now, remains sceptical. „The Piolet d’Or is only made of plastic“, said Marko with a big smile. 

Chris Bonington

„This award for my live achievements means a lot to me“, said Sir Chris Bonington visibly touched. „It honours not only me but also my peers and fellow mountaineers.“ On Saturday evening in Courmayeur, the 80-year-old British mountaineering legend will be awarded the „Piolet d’Or Career 2015“ for all his outstanding performances as climber and expedition leader that has been inspiring the following generations of extreme mountaineers. The previous evening in Chamonix, Boningtons achievements were presented, by himself and by his former British climbing mates Doug Scott (who got the Piolet d’Or Career in 2011) and Paul „Tut“ Braithwaite.

Real teamwork

Chris Bonington made many first ascents in UK, in the Alps, in Patagonia, in the Himalayas and in Karakoram, such as those of Annapurna II (7,937 m, in 1960) and Nuptse (7,861m, in 1961) in Nepal – or the first ascent of Ogre (7,286 m, in 1977) in Pakistan. His climbing mate then was Doug Scott. „On the last pitch, Doug had to climb a great granit eblock. It was probably the hardest climb that was even done in high mountains“, Bonington remembered. On their way back down Scott fell and broke both ankles. It took them and two other team members, who had climbed up to support them, five days to reach the base camp, by the way without food. „Doug crawled all the way back down“, said Chris. „We survived because we remained together as a team.“

Doug: „I was a lucky man“

Bonington and Scott, earlier and now

Two years ago, in 1975, Bonington had led an successful expedition to the Southwest Face of Mount Everest. Doug Scott and Dougal Haston succeeded in reaching the summit on the first route through the extremely difficult and dangerous wall. „I could not be in better care“, Doug said about Chris, the leader of the expedition. And looking back to all their joint climbs Scott resumed: „I was a lucky man to share those climbs with him.“ Tut Braithwaite, another member of the successful Everest Southwest Face expedition, called Bonington a „great ambassador for what we all do“. Not only in the past, but in the present too.

A traverse and two new routes

Such as the climbers of the three teams that were nominated for this year’s Piolets d’Or, the „Oscar for mountaineers“. Their achievements were also presented during the evening in Chamonix: The Americans Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold (who could not come to France due to other commitments) succeeded in completing the full traverse of the Fitz Roy range in Patagonia, over seven summits with a total of 4,000 meters of ascent, within five days.

The Russians Aleksander Gukov and Aleksey Lonchinsky were chosen for their new route through the South Face of 6,618-meter-high Thamserku in Nepal. They had six bivouacs in the wall during their ascent and another on descent on a different route.

[See image gallery at blogs.dw.com]

The third team that was nominated for the Piolets d’Or, the Golden Ice Axe, comes from Slovenia: Marko Prezelj, Ales Cesen and Luka Lindic were the first who climbed the steep North Face of 6,657-meter-high Hagshu in Northern India. In 1991, Prezelj and his compatriot Andrej Stremfelj had received the first Piolet d’Or ever, for their climbing of the South Face of the eight-thousander Kangchenjunga in Nepal. Later Prezelj had criticized those responsible for the Piolet d’Or. And he is still sceptical: „I think it’s impossible to judge love and passion in the mountains“, the 50-year-old said in Chamonix.

A traverse, a north face and a “shy girl”

One of the chosen climbs is the so-called “Fitz-Traverse”, which was made by Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell in February 2014. The two Americans succeeded in crossing the complete range of Fitz Roy in Patagonia. They needed five days for the more than five kilometers long climbing route over seven summits and some razor sharp ridges.

Th routes on Hagshu: of the Slovenes (r.) and the Britons (l.)

The three Slovenian mountaineers Ales Cesen, Luka Lindic and Marko Prezelj are among the top three, too. In the end of September 2014, they climbed for the first time via the 1,350-meter-high north face of the shapely, 6515-meter-high Hagshu in the Indian part of Kashmir. The two Britons Mick Fowler and Paul Ramsden, who had originally planned to climb the same route, but switched to the Northeast Face of the mountain because the Slovenes were already climbing in the North Face, were „only“ nominated for the preliminary list.

The third on the podium are the two Russians Alexander Gukov and Alexey Lonchinsky. In May 2014, they climbed firstly through the 1900-meter-high Southwest Face of Thamserku (6618 meters) in the Khumbu region in Nepal, near Mount Everest. It took them eight days to climb the new route in Alpine style. Alexander and Alexey named it „Shy Girl“. They will surely tell us why, at the Piolet d’Or celebrations in April.

Piolet d’Or Career for Chris Bonington

During the event, the living mountaineering legend Sir Chris Bonington will receive the Piolet d’Or Career. As reported previously, the 80-year-old Briton will be awarded for hits lifetime achievements.

Last year, the Swiss Ueli Steck (for his solo ascent through the Annapurna South Face in Nepal) and the Canadians Raphael Slawinsky and Ian Welsted (for the first ascent of the 7040-meter-high K 6 West in Pakistan) had won the “Oscar for climbers”.

Sir Chris Bonington

No doubt, he fully deserves this honour. When the most remarkable ascents in 2014 will be awarded with the Piolet d’Or, the “Oscar” for mountaineers, in Chamonix and Courmayeur from 9 to 12 April, Sir Chris Bonington will be hounoured with the “Prix Walter Bonatti” for his really outstanding mountaineering career. The prize is awared for the seventh time. The previous prizewinners from 2009 onwards were Walter Bonatti, Reinhold Messner, Doug Scott, Robert Paragot, Kurt Diemberger and John Roskelley. “Chris Boningtons achievements have been significant in both the Alps and Himalaya”, the organizers of Piolet d’Or said. “An outstanding and passionate climber.”

Historic climbs

Last year Bonington celebrated his 80^th birthday by repeating one of his own famous climbs, the Old Man of Hoy, a spectacular sea stack in the Orkney islands, which he had first climbed in 1966. Later he did a great number of historic climbs like the first ascents of Annapurna II in 1960, of the Central Pillar of Freney on the south side of Mont Blanc in 1961 and of the 7285-meter-high Ogre in the Karakoram together with Doug Scott in 1977 (the second ascent followed only in 2001). Bonington also proved to be a great expedition leader. In 1970 he led the successful expedition to the South Face of Annapurna, in 1975 the expedition to Mount Everest, during which Doug Scott and Dougal Haston climbed the Southwest Face first. Bonington himself reached the summit of Everest in 1985 as a member of a Norwegian expedition. He was knighted by the Queen in 1996 for his services to the sport. A living legend!

“Everest no longer a place for pionieers”

Kongur Thak

Most recently I met Chris Bonington in 2013, at the diamond jubilee celebration of the first ascent of Mount Everest in the Royal Geographical Society in London and asked him – of course – about his thoughts on Everest. “It’s not a give-away, it’s still a tough game for those individuals, 2000 people at basecamp, 200 people going up the Lhotse face, 100 people going to the summit in a day aligned on a fix rope put up by the Sherpas. That’s something that happens”, Sir Chris answered. “Everest, if you like, is no longer a place for the pioneers. The pioneers have gone elsewhere.”

Sir Chris Bonington about commercial climbing on Everest

When we made the first ascent of the 7129-meter-high Kokodak Dome in the Kongur Range in western China half a year ago, I thought of Bonington. In 1981, he and the famous British climbers Al Rouse, Peter Boardman und Joe Tasker had scaled the 7719-meter-high Kongur Tagh for the first time. It is the highest mountain in the range, much more difficult than “our” Kokadak Dome.

Steck, Welsted, Slawinski (f.l.t.r)

This year’s jury of the Piolet’s d’Or has given the “Oscar of mountaineering” to two teams. The jury lead by the former US top climber George Lowe awarded “two very different ascents to represent the spirit of modern mountaineering”, as the members said. The Golden Ice Axes go to the Canadians Raphael Slawinski and Ian Welsted for their first ascent of the 7040-meter-high K 6 West in Karakoram on a new route via the Northwest Face and to the Swiss climber Ueli Steck for his solo ascent via the South Face of the eight-thousander Annapurna in Nepal. The awards were given to the climbers during a gala in Courmayeur in Italy at the foot of Mont Blanc on Saturday evening.

Do not paint with the same brush!

K 6 West

“Raphael Slawinski and Ian Welsted were confronted with difficult technical climbing including an overhanging ice crux”, the jury said. “On the fourth day they realized they couldn’t continue on the ridge as it turned out to be a knife edge of smooth granite. After careful consideration they found another possibility, rappelling to a glacial bench on the south side and climbing back up the ridge above the unclimbable section to continue to the summit.” Moreover the jury described the Canadian expedition as being “a wonderful example of consideration of the welfare of the local people”, because the two climbers had continued their project in Pakistan despite the murder attack on Nanga Parbat. “Ian and Raphael want to encourage other mountaineers not to paint all Pakistanis with the same brush.”

Accepted great risk

Ueli on Annapurna

The other winner of the Piolet d’Or 2014 was the outstanding favorite. Ueli Steck was awarded for his marvellous solo climb via the South Face of Annapurna. The Swiss  completed the difficult route which Pierre Béghin and Jean-Christophe Lafaille had opened up to 7300 meters in 1992. Bad weather had forced the French to return. During the descent Béghin had fallen to death. Ueli Steck climbed through the night and needed only 28 hours for his ascent and descent. “In soloing the south face of Annapurna Ueli Steck accepted great risk”, tells the jury. “For 28 hours he maintained absolute concentration, knowing that one false step would cause his demise. Ueli described himself as climbing very close to his limit.”

State of the art

John Roskelley

Both projects were “representative examples of the state of the art of mountaineering today”, the Piolet d’Or jury summarized and in addition gave a “special mention” to the French climbers Stephane Benoist and Yannick Graziani. They had repeated Uelis Route via the Annapurna South Face only two weeks later, but under more difficult conditions. The jury also praised the three other nominated expeditions: the Czech climbers Zdenek Hrudy and Marek Holecek who climbed firstly via the North Face of Talung (7439 m) in India (Hrudy later died on Gasherbrum I), the Austrian brothers Hansjoerg and Matthias Auer und the Swiss Simon Anthamatten, who summited Kungyang Chhish East (7400m) in Pakistan for the first time and – last but not least – the US climber Mark Allen and Graham Zimmerman from New Zealand who climbed firstly via the North Face and the North Ridge of Mount Laurens (3052 m) in Alaska. “All the nominations should be celebrated as representing the highest ethical ideals of mountaineering”, said the jury. This also applies for the former US top climber John Roskelley who was awarded with a lifetime Piolet d’Or.

The jury itself is also worthy of applause, because the members did their job. Last year’s jury had awarded all six nominated expeditions. That really should remain the exception.

Update 31.3.: Hansjoerg Auer has complained bitterly about the jury. “If a member of the Piolet d’Or Jury sees it critically why my brother Matthias never reported about his climbs until now, it´s time to change something”, wrote Hansjoerg on Facebook. “This is only one sign of how superficially they were dealing with our adventure on Piolet d’Or.” Only George Lowe and Catherine Destivelle had  understood the challenge of climbing Kunyang Chhish East, meant the Austrian: “But the teardrops of George and Catherine, when they apologized to us for the final decision are meaning a way more than the headlines of the newspapers tomorrow.”