Piolet d'Or 2015 and the big list of 58 climbs

58. This is the number of ascents carried out across the world’s mountains that struck a chord with the authoritative journalists and alpinists Claude Gardien and Lindsay Griffin who had the difficult, almost impossible task of creating a preliminary list of the most significant and innovative ascents carried out in 2014 from which the nominees will be made for the Piolet d'Or 2015.

For this prestigious award Gardien, director of Vertical Magazine, and Griffin, senior editor of the American Alpine Journal, whittled the ascents down to 58. It is from these that the best will be celebrated during the 23rd edition of Piolet d'Or 2015, set to take place at Courmayeur and Chamonix between 9 and 12 April 2015. This year the international jury that will have the honor and responsibility of selecting the "the finalists" is composed of nine absolute world-class alpinists whose presence can do nothing but add significance and credibility to the prize: Hervé Barmasse (Italy), Kazuki Amano (Japan), Valeri Babanov (Russia ), Stephane Benoist (France), Andy Houseman (Great Britain), Michael Kennedy (United States), Ines Papert (Germany), Raphael Slawinsky (Canada) and Andrej Stemfelj (Slovenia).

As announced in January, this year the Piolet d'Or Lifetime Achievement will be awarded to the famous British mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington. The 1934 born living legend of mountaineering will receive the award on Saturday, 11 April at Courmayeur during the closing ceremony of the event directly from the hands of his climbing partner, Doug Scott, who received the award in the past along with Walter Bonatti, Reinhold Messner,  Robert Paragot, Kurt Diemberger and John Roskelley.

LIST OF ASCENTS 2014

RUSSIA - CAUCASUS
Bezengi Wall, complete winter traverse.
13km ridge in 12 days, from Lial'ver (4,350m) to Shkhara (5,200m)
Sergei Kondrashin, Victor Koval, Petr Kuzenkov and Nikolai Totmyanin. Info

NORWAY - LOFOTEN
Vagakallen, north face, The Corner Kick.
950m 8a.
Andreas Klarström and Adam Pustelnik. Info

SLOVAKIA - TATRAS
Full winter traverse, solo.
Almost non-stop three-day traverse. 72km and 130 peaks. Only one previously-unsupported solo winter traverse, which took 14 days
Dodo Kopold. Info

ALPS
Matterhorn, four-ridges solo winter enchainment
Including first winter solo of Furggen Direct in 17 hours
Hervé Barmasse. Info

Grandes Jorasses, Rolling Stones, first free ascent.
1,100m, M8
Luka Kranjc and Luka Lindic. Info

Les Droites, northeast face, Le Vol du Dragon.
1,200m M7+ A2 (one pitch)
Jan Straka and Pavel Vritik. Info

Meije (3,983m), left part of the north face and then north spur, Eté blizzard.
M6+ 4 70°
Max Bonniot and Mathieu Maynadier. Info

Ailefroide Occidentale (3,954m), northwest face, Le Reactor.
Huge gully left of the Voie des Plaques. 1,000m, 6b, M7, WI5+ R
Antoine Avenas, Jonathan Isoard and Hélias Milllerioux

NEPAL
Langshisa Ri (6412m) Northwest face Snow Queen.
1,500m, ED M5 WI4. Traversed mountain
Nikita Balabanov, Mikhail Formin and Viacheslav Polezhaiko. Info

Chekigo (6,257m) south face direct, Shiva - straight to the top.
1,200m, AI5/5+ M6
Jordi Corominas, Manu Cordova and Jonatan Larranaga. Info

Chugimago (6,258m), first ascent via west face
900m, 90° M4
Sam Hennessey and Domen Kastelic. Info

Parchamo (6,279m), west face.
1,200m, AI4 M5. Single push, traversed mountain
Alan Rousseau and Tino Villanueva. Info

Lobuche East (6,090m), east face, Two Arrows Flight.
900m, 70° 6b A2/A3. A few belay bolts. Traversed mountain
Yuri Kilichenko, Makcym Perevalov, Petro Pobebeghnyi and Yuri Vasenkov. Info

Thamserku (6,618m), southwest face, Shy Girl.
1,620m, Russian 6A/6B, steep snow/ice, many sections of M4-M5, and four pitches of A2
Alexander Gukov and Alexey Lonchinskiy (Aleksei Lonchinskii). Info

Point 6,325m (Sakaton), first known ascent, southwest face, Pura Vida.
1,300m, TD+ M5 80°
Mikel Ajuria, Juan Jose Cano, Roger Cararach, Alberto Fernandez, Faust Punsola and Mikel Zabalza. Info

Boktoh Central Summit (6,037m), first ascent, north face and west-northwest ridge, Nyunchutui et la snow cougar.
1,400m, WI5+ M5 90°. Traversed mountain
Jonathan Crison, Hélias Millerioux and Remi Sfilio. Info

INDIA
Piri Ri (5,850m), first ascent.
1,550m, VI/4, M4 6b, A1. Other climbs
Oriol Baro and Sidarta Gallego, Es Falles. Info

Hagshu (6,657m), north face direct.
1,350m, ED 90°. Complete traverse of mountain
Ales Cesen, Luka Lindic and Marko Prezelj. Info

Hagshu (6,657m), north face, northeast couloir.
1,350m ED Scottish VI. Complete traverse of mountain
Mick Fowler and Paul Ramsden. Info

Shivling East (5,895m), east face, Challo.
600m, WI5 M6 90°. Other climbs
Andreas Abeggien, Thomas Senf and Stephan Siegrist. Info

South Simvu Peaks, north summit (5,750m), first ascent.
650m TD+ 75°. Other ascents
Expedition led by Alberto Peruffo. Info

PAKISTAN
Paiju, south pillar (6,065m).
5.10d, A3,M5. Did not continue to main summit
Alberto Inurrategi, Juan Vallejo and Mikel Zabala. Info

Shipton Spire, north spur to west ridge at ca 5,500m, Bismillah.
800m, TD+, 6a/b A2 WI4+ M4
Patrice Bret, David Girard, Pascal Trividic

Gasherbrum V (7,147m), first ascent, south face.
1,450m
Ahn Chi-young, Seong Nak-jong. Info

K7 West sub summit, Badal (ca 6,100m), southeast ridge.
ca1,600m (58 pitches), VI 5.11c C1 M5 70°
Ryo Masumoto, Takaaki Nagato and Katsutaka Yokoyama. Info

CHINA
Tyrol Shan (ca 5,860m) first ascent.
700m WI5 UIAA VI-
Simon Gietl, Vittorio Messini and Daniel Tavernini. Info

Daogou East (5,462m), south pillar.
700m, 5.11+. Other routes
Marcos Costa and Pat Goodman. Info

Peak 5,100m (Four Pigs Peak), first ascent, east face, Les Rescapés de la Forêt Magique.
600m 7b A2
Aurelie Didillon, Simon Duverney, Elodie Lecomte and Sebastian Ratel. Read more

Kyzyl Asker (5,842m), east-southeast face, War and Peace.
1,350m, ED, 6b A2 M6. Semi-capsule style, single belay bolts
Dmitry Golovchenko, Dmitry Grigoriev and Sergey Nilov. Info

Kyzyl Asker, east-southeast face, Sal con Cebolla, not to summit (ca 5,700m).
1,100m, 5.12a C1 WI5+ M6+. Capsule style. No bolts
Rafael Caceres, Estoban Mena, Nicolas Navarette and Carla Perez. Info

KYRGZSTAN- PAMIR ALAI
Pyramidal Peak (5,500m), north face, not to summit. Probable new route to 5,000m
1,300m, ED, 35 pitches, M5, WI5
Robin Coullet, Thiphaine Duperier, Jonathan Isoard, and Christophe Moulin. Info

Ortotyubek (Central Pyramid, 3,895m), Atlantide
700m, 6c/7a max
Luca Schiera and Matteo De Zaiacomo. Info

RUSSIA - SIBERIA
Chukotka Region, Bilibino Towers, The General, Basil Brush.
465m, 7a. Five other granite rock routes on these newly discovered towers
Chris Fitzgerald and Chris Warner. Info

REVELATION MOUNTAINS
Dyke Peak, first ascent.Powered by Beans.
1,000m, AI5 M5. Other climbs.
Kris Irwin, Darren Vonk and Ian Welsted. Info

Pyramid Peak, 2,600m, first ascent. The Odyssey.
1,100m, 6b A1 M7 90°
Lise Billon, Pedro Angel Galan Diez, Jeremy Stagnetto and Jerome Sullivan. Info

DENALI RANGE
Mt Johnson, 2,572m, north face, Stairway to Heaven.
1,200m, Alaskan 6, AI5+ WI4 M6 A1
Kevin Cooper and Ryan Jennings. Info

Mt Huntington, 3,731m, west face, Scorched Granite (between Polarchrome and Colton-Leach).
1,300m, AI6 M7
Will Mayo and Josh Wharton. Info

Idiot Peak, (3,260m, Huntington group), west face, Down the Rabbit Hole.
1,500m, VI WI5+ M6 80°
Scott Adamson, Aaron Child and Andy Knight. Info

KICHATNA SPIRES
Mt Augustin, (2,552m), northeast face.
1,200m, IV M3 70°
Benjamin Erdmann and Jess Roskelley. Info

HAYES RANGE
Mt Hayes, (4,204m), east face and complete traverse of mountain, Thicker than Thieves Traverse.
VI 5.8R AI4 M5
John Giraldo, Jason Stuckey and Angela VanWiemeersch. Info

BAFFIN ISLAND
Walker Citadel, southeast pillar, Shepton's Shove.
1,000m, E6 6a or 5.12a. Single 24-hour push. Other climbs
Nico and Oli Favresse. Info

Beluga Spire, north face, Harpoon.
1,100m, 29 pitches, VI 5.12 with two short sections of A1 (freed by second). Other climbs
Crosby Johnston, Joshua Lavigne, Paul McSorley and Tony Richardson

Lurking Tower, New Dog old Tricks.
900m, VI 5.11 C3+
Mike Libecki and Jonas Haag. Info

ALASKA / BRITISH COLUMBIA
West Witches Tit, northwest ridge, No Rest for the Wicked.
ca 450m, AI6 M7
John Frieh and Jess Roskelley. Info

BOLIVIA
Huayna Potosi, south summit (ca 5,960m), west face, Via del Triangulo, variant
800m, ED VI/5+ M5 6a+.
Andinismo Creativo Boliviano. Juvenal Condori and Pacifico Machaca.

PERU
Siula Chico (6,265m), west face, Looking for the Void.
900m, WI6R M7
Frédéric Degoulet, Benjamin Guigonnet, Hélias Millerioux and Robin Revest. Info

Jurau (5,674m), southwest face, La Siesta del Bodacious.
600m, WI4+ M4
Davide Cassol and Carlo Cosi. Info

Quesillo (5,600m), west face to north ridge, not to summit, El Malefico Sefkow.
800m, ED2, M5+ AI5 A1
Tito Arosio, Saro Costa and Luca Vallata. Info

ARGENTINA - CHILE / PATAGONIA
Fitz Roy Group, Fitz Traverse.
Five kilometres, 4000m of elevation, 5.11d C1 65°
Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold. Info

Domo Blanco, southeast face, Super Domo
500m, WI5 M5/6
Joel and Neil Kauffman, and Mikey Schaefer. Info

Aguja Antipasto, first ascent via Romance Explosion.
500m, 5.10, M5 R (loose rock)
Colin Haley and Rob Smith. Info

Volcan Aguilera (2,480m), first ascent via north ridge and north west face, Concierto de Rimayas.
Viviana Callahan, Ines Dusaillant, Natalia Martinez, Evan Miles and Camilo Rada. Info

Pope's Nose (2,700m), east face, solo winter ascent.
First winter ascent (second overall) without helicopter usage for the arduous approach.
Guy McKinnon. Info

Mt Suter (2,094m), south face, first ascent (and in winter).
700m, WI5. Descend six-kilometre east ridge.
Ben Dare and Stephen Skelton. Info

WEST COAST
Funky Tower, Drygalskis Halvo.
No Place for People a.k.a Sunshine and Roses (500m, E6 6b or 5.12a). Other routes
Ben Ditto and Sean Villanueva. Info

EAST COAST
Shark's Tooth (1,555m), northeast face, The Great Shark Hunt.
(900m, 7b+). Two bolts placed. Traversed mountain. Other routes
Matteo Della Bordella, Christian Ledergerber and Silvan Schüpbach. Info

Seven Sisters of Fief, first traverse (south to north)
ca 11km, TD+ 90°. Also first ascent of Southeast Cape Renard Tower (700m), southwest face, Podronard. 500m, TD/TD+ 60° M5.
Laurent Bibollet, Antoine Cayrol, Emmanuel Chance, Yann Delevaux, Paul Dudas and David Lacoste. Info

Ulvetanna (2,930m), south ridge.
27 pitches. E2 5b A1+. Capsule style and bolts used
Kjersti Eide, Espen Fadnes, Aleks Gamme, Ingeborg Jackobsen, Andy Kirkpatrick and Jonas Langseth. Info

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