Ueli Steck and Simon Athamatten nominated for the 2009 Piolet d'Or (Hardwear Sessions)

MHW athlete Ueli Steck and his climbing partner Simon Anthamatten have been nominated for the 2009 Piolet d'Or, for their 2008 alpine-style first ascent of the Tengkampoche Northface (6500 m).

Ueli and Simon

Ueli and Simon

In 2005, Ueli was nominated for the Piolet for his solo first ascent of the Cholatse Northface (6640 m), solo first ascent of the east face of Tawoche (6505 m), the northwest face of Ama Dablam (broke off the ascent at 5900 m due to bad weather).

After the 2008 controversy over the Piolet, the Piolet's organizers modified the award's criteria to reflect the modern style of alpinism. The Piolet d'Or is jointly sponsored by the communities of Courmayeur (Italy) and Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (France).

For 2009, nominees will be judged on the following criteria, taken from the Piolet's Charter (read the Piolet's charter in the original French):

Elegance of the style
Spirit of exploration: originality of the route and/or summit, creativity, innovation
Involvement and autonomy
A high standard of technique
Pertinence of the itinerary considering the obvious dangers
Saving of means
Transparency in the used means
Respect of men, partners, and members of other rope parties, carriers, and local persons involved
Respect of the environment
Respect of future generations of mountaineers by leaving them the possibility to experience the same adventures.

The 6 nominees for the 2009 Piolet d'Or:

First ascent of the Southwest face of Kamet (7756 m, India): mixed Japanese team, Kazuya Hiraide and Kei Taniguchi, 26.Sept - 7.Oct 2008. Route Name: Samurai Direct. Height of climb: 1800 m. Mixed M5+, ice 5+.
New Route on the South face of Nuptse I (7861 m, Nepal): French team of Stéphane Benoist and Patrice Glairon Rappaz, 27-30.Oct.2008. Route Name: Are you experienced? Height of Climb: 2000 m. Mixed M5+, ice 90 degrees.
First complete ascent of the East face of Cerro Escudo (2450, Chile): American climber Dave turner soloed the route in 34 days, starting in Dec.2007 and finishing in Jan.2008. Route Name: Taste the Pain. Height of Climb: 1200 m. Aid Climb A4+.
New Route on the North Face of Kalanka (6941 m, India): Japanese team Fumitaka Ichimura, Yusuke Sato and Kazuki Amano completed a new route in alpine style. Height of Route: 1800 m. Mixed M5.
First Ascent of the North Face of Tenkampoche (6500m, Nepal): the Swiss team Ueli Steck and Simon Anthamatten completed a new route and first ascent in alpine style, 21-24.April 2008. Route Name: Checkmate. Height of Climb: 2000 m. Mixed M7, ice 5, rock 6/A0.
Linked technical routes in Denali (6194, Alaska): The Japanese team Fumitaka Ichimura, Yusuke Sato, and Katsutaka Yokoyama succeeded in linking 3 routes in a single trip: Isis Face, descending on the Ramp, and climbing back up the Slovak Direct route. 11-18.May.2008. Total Ascent: 2350 m. (Isis Face) and 2900 m. (Slovak Direct). Alaska Grade 6.

Visit www.pioletsdor.com for more information about the award, related events, and the nominees.