For the second consecutive edition the Piolets d'Or will be organized in the Dolomites, one of the main mountain ranges in the Alps and the world, particularly for its endless possibilities for rock climbing, but also for the special role the Dolomites have played in the development of classical mountaineering over the past 150 years. Just to name a few, world-class climbers such as Angelo Dibona, Reinhold Messner, or famous climbers like Manolo were/are from the Dolomites; this vast massif with thousands of peaks – besides the Pale di San Martino, the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, the Marmolada, the Sassolungo, the Catinaccio, and Mount Civetta which are probably the most famous – has attracted climbers and mountaineers from all over the world; in the evolution of the art of mountaineering, notable ascents in the Dolomites by figures such as Paul Preuss, Tita Piaz, Michele Bettega, Luigi Micheluzzi, Emilio Comici, Riccardo Cassin, Cesare Maestri, Armando Aste, Georges Livanos, Pierre Mazeaud, Lino Lacedelli have made history in mountaineering.
ApT San Martino di Castrozza Primiero and Vanoi, in collaboration with Trentino Marketing, and with the patronage of the Dolomiti Unesco Foundation, is proud to host this year's edition of the Piolets d'Or and to welcome climbers from around the world. The event is made possible thanks to the support of the Municipality of Primiero San Martino di Castrozza, Comunità di Primiero, FPB Cassa di Fassa Primiero and Belluno, the Alpine Guides Group “Aquile di San Martino e Primiero” and the tourism operators of San Martino di Castrozza, Primiero, and Vanoi.
Details of the program will soon be available...
The Piolets d'Or highlights progressive mountaineering, which aims for innovative and creative routes, to do more with less, and to build on past experiences.
The Piolet d'Or (in Italian “piccozza d’oro”) is a sports award presented by the Groupe de haute montagne for the best mountaineering achievement completed in the previous year; it is considered the highest mountaineering award globally.
The award was established in 1991 by the French Guy Chaumereuil and Jean-Claude Marmier. The award is given by a jury of world-renowned climbers and journalists. Since 2009, a lifetime achievement award has also been included, which was renamed in 2012 to the Piolet d'Or for lifetime achievement, Walter Bonatti award, in honor of the Italian climber Walter Bonatti.
Inspired by the history and evolution of mountaineering, the Piolets d'Or aim to use these achievements to promote clear ethical messages about climbing practices around the world, aligning with UNESCO's classification of mountaineering as an intangible cultural heritage.
These awards celebrate the commitment, taste for adventure, and sense of exploration that define the art of climbing in the great mountain ranges around the world, recognizing both individual and collective success.
In modern mountaineering, the style of ascent is more important than reaching the summit at any cost. It is no longer about employing large economic and technical resources, such as bottled oxygen, fixed ropes, high-altitude porters, widespread drilling, helicopter support, “performance-enhancing” substances, and large teams to reach the top.
It was thanks to travelers who arrived in the Dolomites in the second half of the 19th century with the aim of discovering new peaks that San Martino di Castrozza was born as a tourist destination, with shepherds and hunters working as mountain guides. At the time, they were the only ones able to accompany visitors in the mountains, knowing them better than anyone else. The first mountain guide in the area was Michele Bettega, followed by Giuseppe Zecchini, Antonio Tavernaro, and Bortolo Zagonel. They were the first to be recognized as the “Aquile di San Martino”, a sort of legend for travelers of the time. Michele Bettega, for example, climbed the Cimon della Pala over 250 times. At the time, San Martino di Castrozza was also appreciated by illustrious visitors, such as Sigmund Freud, Arthur Schnitzler, who wrote “La signorina Else” setting it in San Martino, King Albert I of Belgium, and Dino Buzzati.
“He who does not know San Martino di Castrozza does not know the Dolomites”, stated the famous writer and mountaineer Gunther Langes. He was probably the best climber in the Pale di San Martino during the years straddling the two world wars. Among the many important ascents he accomplished, the most famous are certainly “the edge of the Velo (the famous Schleierkante in German), which is the northwest ridge of Cima della Madonna, and the Gran Pilastro at Pala di San Martino.
