UKC

Piolets d'Or 2011Photo Gallery

© Anna Piunova
The Greenland Big Wallers start jamming at the Piolets d'Or 2011  © Anna Piunova
The Greenland Big Wallers start jamming at the Piolets d'Or 2011
© Anna Piunova

A golden ice axe  © Anna Piunova
A golden ice axe
© Anna Piunova
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.

Yasushi Okada and Katsutaka Yokoyama (Japan) received their award for their 2500m route on the South East Face of Mount Logan (5959m), Canada, which entailed four bivouacs.

Sean Villanueva, Nicolas and Olivier Favressse (Belgium) and Ben Ditto (USA) captained by Briton Bob Shepton (75 yrs) sailed to Greenland and climbed nine new routes on the big walls on the West & South coasts of Greenland The most committing route - Devil's Brew, took 10 days. Most of the routes were started from their basecamp boat.

British mountaineering legend Doug Scott received the Lifetime Contribution Award.

Commenting to UKClimbing after the ceremony, Sean Villanueva summed up the spirit of the awards:

"Hopefully us receiving the piolet will send out a message that it is important to climb as cleanly as possible, to enjoy the climbing and that team spirit is important. It is not necessary to place bolts in these wild places, especially where other protection is possible. There are too many bolts showing up next to perfect cracks.

Also, hopefully this “Piolet d'Or” will boost our musical careers..." 

  • You can read more about Doug Scott and his award in this previous UKC News.
  • You can read more about the Devil's Brew and other Greenland adventures in this UKC News

PHOTO GALLERY: Piolets d'Or 2011

photo
The Japanese team of Yasushi Okada and Katsutaka Yokoyama
© Anna Piunova

Ben Ditto  © Belgian Greenland Big Walls Expedition
Ben Ditto
© Belgian Greenland Big Walls Expedition
Bob Shepton  © Belgian Greenland Big Walls Expedition
Bob Shepton
© Belgian Greenland Big Walls Expedition
Nico Favresse  © Belgian Greenland Big Walls Expedition
Nico Favresse
© Belgian Greenland Big Walls Expedition
Olivier Favresse  © Belgian Greenland Big Walls Expedition
Olivier Favresse
© Belgian Greenland Big Walls Expedition
Sean Villanueva O'Driscoll  © Belgian Greenland Big Walls Expedition
Sean Villanueva O'Driscoll
© Belgian Greenland Big Walls Expedition

photo
Chris Bonington waxes lyrical about Doug Scott (inset) at the Piolet d'Or 2011
© Anna Piunova
Piolet d'Or for the Belgian Big Wallers  © Belgian Greenland Big Walls Expedition
Piolet d'Or for the Belgian Big Wallers
© Belgian Greenland Big Walls Expedition
Yasushi Okada & Katsutaka Yokoyama  © Yasushi Okada & Katsutaka Yokoyama
Yasushi Okada & Katsutaka Yokoyama
© Yasushi Okada & Katsutaka Yokoyama
South East Face of Mount Logan (5959m), Canada  © Yasushi Okada & Katsutaka Yokoyama
South East Face of Mount Logan (5959m), Canada
© Yasushi Okada & Katsutaka Yokoyama
Yasushi Okada & Katsutaka Yokoyama  © Yasushi Okada & Katsutaka Yokoyama
Yasushi Okada & Katsutaka Yokoyama
© Yasushi Okada & Katsutaka Yokoyama
Doug Scott  © Cumberland News
Doug Scott
© Cumberland News


Thanks go to Anna Piunova of Mountain.ru for some of the photographs that accompany this news report.


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18 Apr, 2011
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?
18 Apr, 2011
They should have got Beth Ditto to sing! She's a big lass for a big waller!?
18 Apr, 2011
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?
19 Apr, 2011
Fabulous. Very deserved.
19 Apr, 2011
Is your 2nd name Suzuki?
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