What are the Piolets d'Or?
The Piolets d'Or — "golden ice axes" — are the leading awards in mountaineering, presented since 1992 for the most significant first ascents of the preceding year. They were created by the Groupe de Haute Montagne, a French association of elite alpinists, together with Montagnes Magazine, and have been awarded every year since apart from 2008. The name became plural after that break, to signal that several ascents are honoured rather than one winner chosen.[1] [2]
How are they decided?
An international technical jury of six to eight working alpinists reviews a longlist of significant first ascents from the previous calendar year and selects several awarded ascents, usually with a special mention alongside. Since 2015 the recipients have been announced in advance of the ceremony — a deliberate decision to underline that the Piolets d'Or is a celebration rather than a competition.[1] [3]
What is actually being judged?
Not altitude, and not difficulty alone. The 2008 Charter sets out the criteria: style of ascent over summit-at-all-costs, spirit of exploration, commitment and self-sufficiency, technical difficulty, appropriateness of the objective given its dangers, economy and transparency of means — no bottled oxygen, fixed ropes or high-altitude porters — and respect for people, the environment and future generations. Since 1999, following an award in 1998 to a team in which two climbers died, nominees must have completed the climb safely.[2] [3]
Recent recipients
The 2025 awards, for climbs made in 2024, went to the north pillar of Yashkuk Sar I in Pakistan (August Franzen, Dane Steadman and Cody Winckler), the west ridge of Gasherbrum III (Aleš Česen and Tom Livingstone), and the south-west arête of Kaqur Kangri in western Nepal (Spencer Gray and Ryan Griffiths), with a special mention for female mountaineering to Anja Petek and Patricija Verdev for the first ascent of Lalung I. A separate Lifetime Achievement — Walter Bonatti Award has been presented since 2009; Peter Habeler received the eighteenth in 2026.[3] [4]
Why does it matter — and its complicated history
Because mountaineering has no competitions and no records, so peer judgement is the only mechanism it has for recognising achievement, and the Piolets d'Or is the closest the sport comes to a world honour. It has also been contested from within: Marko Prezelj rejected his award on stage in 2007, and Voytek Kurtyka declined the Lifetime Achievement three times before accepting in 2016. Paul Ramsden is the most decorated recipient with five. The awards carry a heavy toll too — Kazuya Hiraide and Kenro Nakajima died on K2 within weeks of receiving their 2024 award.[1] [3]
References
- Piolets d'Or — official site. Accessed August 2026.
- Groupe de Haute Montagne — Piolets d'Or. Accessed August 2026.
- Piolets d'Or — 2025 awarded ascents. Accessed August 2026.
- Piolets d'Or — archives. Accessed August 2026.