Special Mention
Сategory to highlight women’s achievements that don’t meet the main criteria but embody the core value of inspiration and deserve recognition.
2024
The Organizing Committee of the Steel Angel award gave a special mention to an all-female team — Evgenia Leontieva, Daniela Ogloblina, and Madina Gudieva — for a free ascent of the Andreev route (grade 5A, trad) on Koazoi-Loam (3,100 m), right buttress of the south face. This ascent was not included in the international shortlist, but since one of the award’s aims is to promote free climbing within the Russian mountaineering community, it was recognized in the “Special Mention” category.
2022
The Organizing Committee of the Steel Angel award gave a special mention to the speed ascent of Manaslu by twin sisters Ekaterina Safronova and Marina Oglobleva. The sisters were not included in the shortlist as they used Sherpa support, which does not meet the criteria for a purely female ascent. However, their rapid climb of an 8,000-meter peak as a female team without guides — 8 days from Kathmandu to Kathmandu — is undoubtedly worthy of recognition.