Jordi Corominas is the recipient of the 2024 Piolet d’Or Lifetime Achievement, Walter Bonatti Award. The award ceremony will happen at San Martino di Castrozza in Italy from Dec. 8 to 11.
The Spanish Climber will obtain the sixteenth Piolet d’Or Carrière, the primary 15 went to: Walter Bonatti, Reinhold Messner, Doug Scott, Robert Paragot, Kurt Diemberger, John Roskelley, Chris Bonington, Wojciech Kurtyka, Jeff Lowe, Andrej Štremfelj, Krzysztof Wielicki, Catherine Destivelle, Yasushi Yamanoi, Silvo Karo and George Lowe.
The Piolets d’Or press launch about Corominas: Jordi is a long-time IFMGA mountain information dwelling in Benasque on the southern slopes of the Pyrenees. Born in Barcelona, he spent his youth climbing within the Pyrenees and the mountains of La Rioja, the place he started creating new routes. It was throughout this time that couloir climbing and winter first ascents developed on the Pyrenean peaks. At first of the Nineteen Nineties he determined to commit totally to the mountains and have become an expert information.
Jordi has made vital contribution to a number of areas of mountaineering, from his high-standard private ascents in pure fashion, his lengthy profession as an expert information [more than 30 years of guiding in the Alps], his function as director of the Spanish Nationwide Mountaineering Group from 2002 – 2010, to the coaching of latest guides. And this continues. Not too long ago, he guided his pal, the famous Spanish mountaineer and expedition chief, 90-years previous Jordi Pons [first Spanish mountaineer to climb the Walker Spur and Eiger north face], up the 4,107m Mönch within the Bernese Oberland.
Maybe his most vital function is the usage of his imaginative and prescient of alpinism – a light-weight, free climbing, fashionable progressive fashion – to affect the transition between two generations of Spanish climbers.
Because the alpinist and journalist, Oscar Gogorza, writes: “Lengthy earlier than I met Jordi, he was already a legend within the small world of Spanish mountaineering. But he most well-liked to hear than to speak. I’ve recognized him for 25 years and I’ve by no means heard him say, “I’ve climbed this, or that”. By no means. I’ve solely simply found the depth of his curriculum vitae, which he saved secret for therefore lengthy.
“Jordi is the hyperlink between twentieth Century Spanish mountaineers and people of the twenty first Century. By his arms have handed college students, whom he skilled to turn out to be mountain guides; by means of those self same arms handed the abilities of the nationwide mountaineering groups, to whom he taught the best moral requirements, not by lectures, however by instance.
“Curiously, as somebody so reticent to talk, Jordi has at all times beloved phrases. He’s an avid reader, has studied Castilian, and is the founding father of a small publishing home for mountaineering literature. He has at all times believed that the final word worth of mountaineering is linked to its tales. Man and his experiences inform extra than simply the climbs. In actual fact, he wrote a dictionary of mountaineering from A to Z that, in my humble opinion, is value greater than his well-known second ascent of K2’s Magic Line.
“Shortly after that ascent, I made an appointment to interview him. I left at daybreak and drove 5 hours to Benasque, the place I discovered him sitting within the solar with a espresso, and a sandal on one foot displaying frostbitten toes. Three seconds after I sat down, he checked out me with deep intent and stated he would solely inform me the details of his ascent, not his emotions. They have been his personal and he didn’t wish to share. I understood instantly that I had made the journey for nothing.
“Ten years later, we each missed the Montenvers prepare after an alpine outing. A protracted, boring downhill hike was forward of us, and I informed him it was time to inform me of his emotions about K2. He spoke: the wait had been value it.
“In the course of the 2024 Piolets d’Or, I hope another person will ask him about how he felt each time he confronted a problem within the mountains, and never merely what he climbed. I additionally hope that on the ceremony he can be as completely happy because the day he met his idol Walter Bonatti, the day the Italian acquired the primary Lifetime Achievement Award.”
Jordi’s most notable ascents and (many) makes an attempt are listed under. As he notes, “I’m not the perfect Spanish mountaineer, however maybe I’m probably the most persistent?”
The Pyrenees: His first bivouac – at two weeks of age. Opened a number of the first sport blended routes within the Pyrenees. Repeated nearly all of the basic routes within the vary, and within the Eighties and 90s made winter ascents of legendary routes such because the west-northwest face of the Grand Pic du Midi d’Ossau, north spur of the Pique Longue du Vignemale, the Central Dihedral on Peña Telera, and the north face of the Tour de Marboré, in addition to two solo makes an attempt on the Pilier de L’Embarradère on the Grand Pic du Midi d’Ossau. Climbed new routes in each summer time and winter within the Ordesa, Bujaruelo and Benasque areas.
Patagonia: 2008: First ascent of the northeast face of three,706m Cerro San Lorenzo (ED- to foresummit after becoming a member of the final part of the South African route on the east ridge). 2012: First ascents of the East Buttress of two,640m Cerro Moyano (TD+) and East Buttress of two,580m Cerro Norte (TD).
Peru: 2003: First solo ascent of the Japanese route on the south face of 6,395m Chopicalqui (TD). 2005: New variants (at backside and prime) to the 1973 French Route on the northeast face of 6,654m Huascarán Norte (TD-, 12 hours spherical journey). Different velocity solos in the identical season: the primary solo ascent (and really uncommon repeat) of the Ecuadorian Route (TD+) on the south face of 6,259m Santa Cruz in six hours after which a downclimb of the unique German Route. (TD-) on the identical face in three hours; solo ascent of the northwest face (TD-) on 6,127m Sarapo in three hours, then a downclimb of the northeast face (TD-) in two hours. 2007: First ascent of the west face of 6,265m Siula Chico (ED+) on his third try in 5 years. A brand new route on the north face of 6,768m Huascarán Sur (TD+). The primary ascent of the south face of 6,188m Nevado Copa (ED, to summit ridge). 2011: First ascent of a Direct End to the French route on 6,001m Chacraraju Este (ED). A solo ascent of 6,025m Artesonraju.
Himalaya-Karakoram
Climbs on the best peaks, all with out supplemental oxygen. 1991: Dhaulagiri(8,167m), regular route. 2004: Second ascent of the Magic Line (south-southwest ridge) on 8,611m K2, climbing alone from round 8,300m after which descending the Abruzzi Spur. On the time the Magic Line was thought-about to be the toughest technical ascent on the mountain and there was no additional ascent. 2006: Single push ascent of 8,035m Gasherbrum II by way of regular route. 1988: Reached 7,400m on the unique Austrian route of Lhotse Shar. 2000: Try on the northeast ridge of Everest. 2006: Climbed west face and south ridge of Gasherbrum IV to round 7,200m in alpine fashion. 2010: Try on the Austrian Route on Lhotse Shar and the south face of Lhotse, each in alpine fashion. 2013: Try on the south face of Xixabangma in winter, alpine fashion, approaching from Nepal. 2019: Tried alpine fashion ascents of the unique route on the south face of Nuptse and, once more, the Austrian route on Lhotse Shar.
Different Ascents – all in alpine fashion: 1990: Third total ascent and first in alpine fashion of the west ridge of 6,904m Thalay Sagar (V+ 60°). 1994: Second ascent of the southeast ridge (Bonington-Fotheringham route) of 6,501m Shivling West (ED-). First ascent of Kundalini, east face of 6,450m Meru North (6b, A2+ 85°). 2002: Tried new routes on Meru South and Meru North. 2009: First ascent south pillar to south foresummit (6,600m) of Tengi Ragi Tau (ED). Second (solo) ascent of the east-southeast face/couloir [Steck route, M5 50-60°] on 6,495m Tawoche. A solo ascent of 6,812m Ama Dablam by the south face. 2011: First ascent of the west face and southwest ridge of 6,700m Cho Polu (TD). 2014: Second ascent of the west face (Infleti, TD) of 5,945m Chugimago North, and the primary ascent of the Direct South Face of 6,257m Chekigo (AI5/5+ M6).
Canada: Three visits to the Rockies to climb ice and blended routes to WI6+ and M7.
