A beautiful ascent, yes, but how was it done? Without an alpine style carried out throughout the expedition, an ascent cannot be honoured with a Piolet d’Or. Patrick Wagnon, a still active himalayist who has never given up this style and who was on the jury for the last edition, comes back in this interview on the criteria for awarding the prestigious prize. According to him, the introduction of categories, by activity or mountain range, would enable all the climbs that deserve it to be honoured.
Alpine Mag: How did the selection of the winning climbs for this edition of the Piolets d’Or go?
Patrick Wagnon: An initial consensus quickly emerged within the jury (other members were Paul Ramsden, Conrad Anker, Alex Bluemel, Mikel Zabalza and Genki Narumi, editor’s note), knowing that we were instructed to reward 3 to 4 achievements and not just Himalayan ascents, since mountaineering