There are few awards in the climbing world and it's a certainty that no one heads into the mountains with the expectation of a gong. As has long been said, competition has no place in the mountains, but honouring achievement and celebrating style are an important part of climbing culture. This was the focus of the 23rd annual Piolets D'Or awards held this year in Cormayeur, Italy. In previous years, winners had been announced on the night from a selection of nominees, but the format was altered for this year with all of the recipients being notified in advance. British mountaineer Chris Bonington received the lifetime achievement award while Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold were honoured for the first ascent of the Fitz traverse; Alexander Gukov and Alexey Lonchinsky for the South face of Thamserku and Aleš Česen, Luka Lindič and Marko Prezelj for the North face of Hagshu. As always, the Climbing Daily team were in attendance to chat to the winners and cover all of the action.
2015 Piolets D'Or Celebrates A Year Of Incredible First Ascents | EpicTV Climbing Daily, Ep.481
