STEEL ANGEL AWARD 2024

2024 NOMINEES

Lise Billon, Fanny Schmutz, Maud Vanpoulle (France)

Cerro Torre (3128 m, Patagonia) Filo Sureste route, 7a-7c, 5.11a, A2, WI4, UIAA VI, ED

Olga Lukashenko, Anastasia Kozlova, Darya Serupova (Russia)

First ascent of the North Face of Argo Peak (4750m, Ashat Gorge), 7b, A3+, WI3, M5, ED+

Anja Petek, Patricija Verdev (Slovenia)

First ascent of Lalung I (6,243 m, Ladakh), by East ridge, 2000 m, ED, M6+, AI5+

Olga Paducheva, Oksana Kochubey, Nadezhda Pilshchikova and Nadezhda Muzhikina (Russia)

Mt.Ushba South (4710 m, Caucasus), via the Myshlyaev route, RUS 6A, ED

Lucia Guichot and Nieves Gil (Spain)

Nameless Trango Tower, 6251 m), Eternal flame route (Albert-Gullich-Stiegler-Sykora, 1989) 650 m, via Slovenian route UIAA VI, 7b+, A2, ED

Inna Kravchenko, Irina Vasilyeva and Tanya Shchekinova (Russia)

Mt. Chegem (4351 m, Caucasus) via the Northeast Face of the Northeast Ridge (Forostyan route) UIAA VI, A1-A2, RUS 6A, ED

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).

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News

October 2, 2024