The Piolets d'or 2011 ceremony was held in Chamonix, France over the weekend of the 16th and 17th of April. The prestigious golden ice axe has been awarded to the Japanese 'Mount Logan' expedition and also the Belgian/USA/UK 'Greenland Big Walls' expedition.
Here we see the winners and the award ceremony in a gallery of photographs.
In reply to UKC News: Very impressive ascents, but is it just me, or is the whole Villanueva/Favressse lets-do-some-folk-jamming shtick starting to wear a bit thin?
> (In reply to UKC News) Very impressive ascents, but is it just me, or is the whole Villanueva/Favressse lets-do-some-folk-jamming shtick starting to wear a bit thin?
Yeh, dang hippies!
Is it true the Piolet d'Or has Dress Regulations? That everyone over 50 tucks their shirt into their pants (Bonington, Shepton, Child, Bonatti), whereas everyone under 50 has to look like they just woke up?
In reply to UKC News: It's a shame UKc that you make no mention of the UK nominees, especially the fantastic achievement of Malcolm Bass and Paul Figg.
> (In reply to UKC News) Very impressive ascents, but is it just me, or is the whole Villanueva/Favressse lets-do-some-folk-jamming shtick starting to wear a bit thin?
I think it's just you. I did a route with Sean at fairhead last year and it was awesome when he produced (a la Ron Burgundy) his tin whistle from up his sleeve at the belay and proceeded to play while the other two of us led and followed the next pitch.
Harrison's Rock19 Apr 2011
In reply to UKC News: Did anyone notice the difference between the Alpinist report and the piolet site? - seems there might have been a bolt involved on the Greenland boat trip? Piolet site = "in excellent style, using neither bolts nor pitons, and traversing the peaks after the climbs. In the popular sport of big wall climbing, this showed that it is possible to make these ascents completely clean." Alpinist newswire = "The Greenland expedition placed one bolt over the course of their nine climbs. The team's written report stated the placement of a bolt, but when asked about it after the ceremony, several jury members said that they were unaware of that fact. -Ed."
More controversy for the piolets or just a bolt?
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