16th STEEL ANGEL Award
First ascent of Lalung I (6,243 m,
Ladakh), by East ridge,
“Here Comes The Sun” route
Anja Petek, Patricija Verdev (Slovenia)
- Difficult: ED, M6+, AI5+
- Total length: 2000 m
Valery Babanov
The technical difficulty of the route is not the main criterion. Although the first ascent of Lalung may not match many others in terms of technical difficulty, it most fully embodies the Spirit of the Steel Angel—a beautiful and logical route line to a high summit, a safe route, completed by a duo autonomously in a remote area.
2024 Significant ascents
First ascent
of the North Face of Argo Peak (4750 m, Ashat Gorge)
Olga Lukashenko, Anastasia Kozlova, Darya
Serupova (Russia)
- Difficult: R29, 7b, A3+, WI3, M5+, ED+ Mixed route with mostly rock and ice; the upper part is rock.
- Elevation gain: 950 m
- Length of technical sections: 1250 m (29 pitches)
Cerro Torre (3128 m, Patagonia)
Filo Sureste route
Lise Billon, Fanny Schmutz, Maud Vanpoulle (France)
- Difficult: 7a–7c, 5.11a, A2, WI4, UIAA VI, ED
- Elevation gain: 950 m
- Length of technical sections: 800 m
Mt.Ushba South (4710 m, Caucasus), via the
Myshlyaev route
Olga Paducheva, Oksana Kochubey, Nadezhda Pilshchikova and Nadezhda Muzhikina
(Russia)
- Difficult: RUS 6A, ED (Difficult rock and mix climbing, aid climbing)
- Elevation gain: 1700 m
- Total length: 2500 m
- Length of technical sections (V–VI difficulty): 650 m
Nameless Trango Tower
(6251 m, Pakistan), Eternal flame route
Lucia Guichot and Nieves Gil
(Spain)
- Difficult: UIAA VI, 7b+, A2, ED
- Total Length 1200m (including 650 m Eternalflame routeand 550 mto the sunny terrace via Slovenian route)
Mt. Chegem (4351 m, Caucasus) Forostyan route
Inna Kravchenko, Irina Vasilyeva and Tanya Shchekinova (Russia)
· Difficult: UIAA VI, A1-A2, RUS 6A,
ED
· Elevation gain: 1160 m
· Total length: 1700 m (including
900 m of the wall section and 800 m of a snow slope
to the summit)
· Length of technical sections
(V–VI difficulty): 350 m (V — 250 m, VI — 100 m)
Steel Angel Award 2024 Jury panel
Liana Darenskaya
(Russia)
Co-founder of the Steel Angel award. Founder and Editor of “RISK On-site” magazine and the website Risk.ru. A journalist, photographer, and a participant of international exhibitions, published in National Geographic Traveller. Provided media coverage of international outdoor events such as festivals, competitions, marathons, exhibitions, and actively participated in these events as a member of the official press group.
Silvo Karo
(Slovenia)
Slovenian alpinist. In 2022, he was awarded the Piolet d’Or for lifetime achievement. He has climbed over 2000 routes and made more than 300 first ascents. The highlights of Silvo’s career are perhaps the first ascents of the south face of Cerro Torre and the west face of Bhagirathi III. In 2007 he founded the Mountain Film Festival in Slovenia. In 2010 the then President of Slovenia, Danilo Turk, conferred one of the highest state honours, the Order of Merit, on Karo and Knez for 'their achievements in Slovenian mountain climbing and for their contribution to the reputation of Slovenian mountaineering, and the greater recognition of Slovenia, throughout the world'.
Fay Manners
(UK/France)
She is a British alpinist based in the Alps. In 2022, she completed the first female ascent of the Phantom Direct route on the south face of the Grand Jorasses (the longest ice route in the Mont Blanc massif) in a single push from the valley. The same year she climbed the North Face of the Eiger, the American Direct on the Dru, the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses, and the Cassin Ridge on Denali as part of an all-female team. In the past year she has made eight first ascents. One of these was a major mixed route on Trango II (6,327m) called Waa Shakil (6b/M5) in Pakistan. One was a 750m traditional rock climb (7b+, R) called “Mental Breakdown” on the Father Tower in the Mythic Cirque, Greenland. Four were new rock routes on unclimbed spires between 4,500m and 5,100m. And the rest were new lines on previously visited towers. As she says, aside from her achievements, her ambition is to inspire women to pursue their interest in alpinism.
Lydia Bradey
(New Zeland)
IFMGA International Mountain & Ski Guide, holds the Canadian Level 2 “Avalanche Forecasting”, a registered Physiotherapist, BHSc (Physio), and is a professional Inspirational Speaker. In 1988 Lydia became the first woman in the world to climb Mt Everest without supplementary oxygen. To date she is the only New Zealander to have climbed Everest without oxygen, and has climbed Everest six times. She has made a total of 10 ascents over 8000m, and been on more than 35 expeditions over 6000m. She has made 7 first female ascents of big wall in Yosemite, as well as first ascents in Pakistan, China, and Antarctica. In 2020, she was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit for her achievements in mountaineering.
Valery Babanov
(Russia/France)
Professional IFMGA mountain guide. Piolets d’Or award winner (2002, 2004), laureate of international awards “Silver Genziana” (Italy, 2002, 2008), “Explorer” (Poland, 2004), “Golden Hook” (USA, 2008), “Crystal vase” (Czech Republic, 2008). Has been twice on the jury panel of Piolets d’Or (2003, 2005). He has made more than 600 ascents, more than 300 of them were of the 5th-6th category in a team and in twos. Climbed six peaks exceeding 8000 meters, five of them were climbed without using additional, artificial oxygen. Among the notable ones: ascents of Broad Peak (8047 meters) and Gasherbrum 1 (8068 meters), new routes and in alpine style. He also climbed about 45 long routes of the highest category of difficulty in the Pamir Mountains, Tien Shan and abroad (Alps, Yosemite, Alaska, Himalayas) in summer and winter conditions in solo style. Some of them were first ascents.
Sonia Casas Torcida
(Spain)
She was the first Spanish women to receive the professional guide qualification TDII Alta Montaña (AEGM). Passionate of mountains, she considers them as a sacred temple. As an alpinist and rock climber she knows well all the Spanish hotspots, as well as in the Alps, Turkey, Morocco and Patagonia. Regarding high altitude ascents, she counts with several 6000, 7000 summits in alpine style in Nepal, Kazakstan, Kyrgysztan, Pamir-China and Cordillera Blanca-Peru. Optimistic and enthusiastic, she knows how to pass on what motivates her, enjoying the moment to the full and the simple things that sometimes others miss.
Michael Levy
(USA)
Editor and publisher of Summit Journal, which is a re-launch of Summit, one of the original US climbing magazines. The new Summit Journal is one of the most beautiful and interesting magazines ever produced. He has worked on the American Alpine Journal (AAJ) for several years and is one of top editors AAJ. He was formerly a senior editor at Rock and Ice, Climbing, and Ascent magazines. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Outside, Men’s Journal, Sierra, Sidetracked, and Mountain Gazette, among other publications. He has climbed all over the world, from the big walls of Yosemite to the limestone cliffs of Southeast Asia; from the peaks in the Alaska Range to those in the Cordillera Blanca.
Mario
Dibona Moro
(Italy)
Mountain Guide UIAGM-IFMGA, Italian National Instructor, Knight of the Italian Republic for sports achievements. Member of the historical mountaineering group “Scoiattoli of Cortina”. He pioneered several climbing routes on the Dolomites. And after having climbed various peaks in France, Spain, Africa, America, Greece, he started ascending the highest mountains all over the world, from Himalaya in Nepal to the Karakoram range in Pakistan, from Alaska to New Zealand and to Peru’s Cordillera Blanca. Eight-thousanders ascents: Mount Everest, Cho Oyu, Gasherbrum II (Himalaya), K2 and Broad Peak (Karakoram, Pakistan).
Соня Касас (Испания)
Марио Дибона (Италия)
Sonia Casas
First, I would like to say that it has been an honour to be part of this process. I’m very grateful for the trust you have placed in me.
I wish to congratulate you all, teams and climbers, for your performance, the routes and activities, and the success in your conquest. I admire you all! It was really difficult for me to make my choice, as all the nominations were really amazing. The high technical and sporting level of all the climbers is outstanding!
I have followed the award criteria, hotlining a first ascent to an unclimbed mountain. A first ascent requires a huge amount of determination, it involves a great deal of commitment and engagement, as there is no prior information about the mountain or the climb. The great uncertainty of the possible outcome is an additional risk, as well as the additional emotional burden to cope with. The added commitment of climbing at the altitude, the added risk of crossing glaciers, the isolation of a remote valley: they all add weight to any decision. Weather conditions can change absolutely everything. Also, the style needs being considered.
So, taking on account all these things, I did my choice, and I wish you all the best luck. I wish you the best. And I thank you all for being such a good reference for all of us: women, climbers, alpinists, and for the climbing community in general.
Mario Dibona
I want to share my thoughts and evaluation of the amazing climbers and wonderful women who have completed routes in various mountains: in the Caucasus, Patagonia, and the Trango Tower. I gave my preference to the French women who climbed Cerro Torre because this ascent has always been my dream. I have read many books about it, and my friends have undertaken this challenging climb. But! Three women, autonomously, face-to-face with this difficult wall. Astonishing! Well done!
Next, I would like to highlight the Spanish women who ascended the Trango Tower, which I saw twice when climbing Gasherbrum II and K2. It is an excellent peak and very challenging as well. Finally, I want to commend the Russian women who established a new route on Argo Peak. I know that being the first to ascend is always extremely difficult. I recognize the complexity and instability of the mountain rock.
Well done! I would also like to thank the organizers of the Steel Angel Award, who have invited me to the expert council for the second time. This is a very responsible role for me. Kudos to all the women! You are all agile, strong, and beautiful! And I look forward to seeing you all in Cortina d’Ampezzo, in the Dolomites!
Michael Levy
editor and publisher of Summit Journal, media partner of the Steel Angel award
All of the nominees for this year’s Steel Angel award completed fantastic ascents that deserve recognition, but there is one among them that is particularly impressive and noteworthy. The first ascent of Lalung I, by Slovenians Anja Petek and Patricija Verdev, is a singularly beautiful climb that contains everything an alpinist could hope for in the mountains: a virgin peak over 6,000 meters, an elegant line full of complexity, engaging and difficult terrain, and just enough adversity from weather and duration that it never felt easier than it should have. The complicated east ridge offered high-difficulty mixed and ice climbing and the full bag of an alpinist’s tricks. The style—free except for rappels off of towers—was impeccable, and the team managed objective dangers with good risk analysis and cool heads, demonstrating the patience that the best alpinists display throughout their careers again and again.
Next, the first ascent on the north face of Argo Peak, by Olga Lukashenko, Anastasia Kozlova, Darya Serupova, all from Russia. The upper half of the wall in particular looks to have provided a formidable challenge, requiring the team to move methodically while still climbing to a remarkably high degree of difficulty.
The other nominated climbs are all great achievements and important milestones for all-women teams in the mountains. The Mt. Chegem and Mt. Ushba ascents are beautiful ascents on stunning peaks, and would be lifetime ascents for most climbers.The first all-women ascents of iconic lines like Filo Sureste on Cerro Torre and Eternal Flame on Nameless Tower are important in particular for the inspiration they provide for future women teams to aim high and aim big. However, the novelty—both first ascents, one of them on a previously unclimbed peak; the beauty—striking, logical, and bold lines on aesthetic features; and the style—fast and light, mostly free, on ambitious objectives—of the Lalung and Argo routes are undeniable and the reason that they rise above the rest.
Lydia Bradey
First ascent of Argo Peak North Face and first ascent of Lalung I. I speak about these two ascents together as they share so many qualities of Vision. Without vision, neither of these beautiful ascents would have been imagined and completed. Vision extends beyond seeing an untouched line of weakness on a big wall, or finding a mountain that has never been climbed. Vision extends beyond the immediate surrounds, encompassing the logistics of approach and the complex identification of what to carry on the climb. Vision demands an accurate estimation of the level of technical skill and significant strength that will be demanded in this unknown place, and a deeply honest and intelligent appraial of ones own strength and skills.
Vision is involved in the “What-If”s. In these places, rescue is delayed at best. To comprehend the commitment of the alpinistes on Lalung I, it is illegal to take ANY form of communication into Lahdak as it is a Military zone. No Sat phone, no locator beacon, no GPS, and thus, no weather forecasting. In addition, although the highest intensity of technical mixed and rock climbing was not demanded on every metre of Lalung I, the climbing is at 6000m — significantly increasing the “grade-effect”. The level of both physical and emotional commitment would have ever increased as the climbers progressed up the ridge.
On these two climbs their Vision extends into Beauty. Argo North Face is a strong line up a remote and imposing wall, in a little-known area. The images and topographic map of the Argo route draw the reader in to imagine the power of this cirque. The constantly changing terrain and technical difficulties on this first ascent were dispatched effectively, and the initial lower angled terrain managed well. Once again this proves the efficiency of a team of three on a big wall.
Style: Both lines sing not just for the strength and impressive technical abilities but also for the bravery and tenacity of these women climbers who understood the scope of their own skills. Climbed in very different styles, these mountains were climbed with joy, efficacy and vision.
The Argo North Face and Lalung I ascents will continue to inspire women to step up, train up, and go outside into the beautiful mountains of the world, and climb.
Cerro Torre, Filo Sureste route. The first all female ascent of the Filo Sureste route on Cerro Torre is a superb example of efficiency and team work applied in an exposed and technically demanding environment. The route characteristics enabled the women to define sectors of the climb and switch lead roles to enable speed and their success, and this focus stands out. They had developed their teamwork on other climbs, and spoke about their personal synergies prior to Cerro Torre, so previous joint experiences was part of the preparation. The first all female ascent of Filo Sureste stands out as example of elite level climbing efficiency, superb teamwork and motivation to keep going within the confines of high exposure and the unknowing of success. Highly inspirational to women climbers of all level especially in the application of strategic thinking.
Mt Chegem, Caucasus, NE Face of the NE Ridge: the Forostyan Route. A remote climb, known but still not well travelled. and interesting in its’ choice. Since at least 350m of the wall was very steep with a lot of aid climbing, more equipment and heavier loads were required, and obviously they chose their equipment well. The women got onto the route quickly, climbed efficiently through steep terrain, and the three of them continued that efficiency. It will be interesting to see what their next objective is!
Mt Usba South, Caucasus, Myshlyaev route. An excellent ascent displaying tenacity through very challenging weather, snow and serious electrical storms, and bravery — Usba being famous for limited protection and long run-outs. (I would be curious to see if the alpinistes thought they would have been more efficient as a three-some, although bivouac ledges may have precluded this). It is very inspirational to have all-female teams climbing Georgia’s very serious and difficult highest mountain.
Nameless Trango Tower, Eternal Flame Route, Pakistan. As this Spanish team expressed it — this beautiful climb was climbed to the very best of their (significant) ability, and for the joy of climbing one of the most beautiful technical rock climbs in the world. This joy was expressed and conveyed and is highly inspirational. Theirs is a strong message to climb for joy, to embracing the challenges and adapt, for working within the boundaries of skill and achieving Beauty, style and inspiration in their ascent.
-
-