Shiva, the ascent of which gained a Piolet d'Or

Four Britons are among this year’s recipients of Piolets d’Or, the ‘Oscars’ of mountaineering.

Alpine Club president Mick Fowler and his climbing partner Paul Ramsden, who received a Piolet d’Or 10 years ago, were honoured for their ascent of the Prow of Shiva in India.

And Sandy Allan and Rick Allen were also given an award for their expedition along the full Mazeno Ridge of Nanga Parbat in the Pakistan Himalaya.

Unusually the jury in Courmayeur in the Italian Alps, decided to award Piolets d’Or to all six shortlisted projects.

Organisers said: “In light of the very high level of the six ascents, the 2013 jury chaired by Stephen Venables has decided to award each of the six nominated ascents a Piolet d’Or, indicating a possible way forward towards more emphasis on diversity.

“Moreover, by making a ‘special mention’ of two ‘by fair means’ ascents of Cerro Torre, the jury has put a particular focus on the importance of style and legacy, promoting respect for future generations and a leave-no-trace ethic.”

Cerro Torre, in Patagonia, was the scene in 1970 of one of the most controversial ascents of a mountain when Cesare Maestri used a compressor drill to install bolts to within 100m of the summit of the 3,128m (10,262ft) peak.

The Piolets d’Or reward climbs with an Alpine ethos. Organisers said: “Mountaineers from all over the world have proved that impressive modern challenges can be overcome by small teams climbing on the highest mountains, using a very light, respectful style, and leaving no trace.

“Many first ascents have been achieved in pure Alpine style.”

The jury said of the two Brits’ Nanga Parbat route: “The complete Mazeno Ridge of Nanga Parbat was undoubtedly one of the most famous unclimbed lines on the great peaks of the Karakoram-Himalaya, having been attempted many times, and by some of the world’s greatest mountaineers.

“It is arguably the longest ridge on any of the 8,000m peaks, variously quoted as 10 to 13km.

“Veteran Himalayan activists Sandy Allan and Rick Allen, accompanied for much of the way by Cathy O’Dowd of South Africa, Lhakpa Rangdu Sherpa, Lhakpa Zarok Sherpa and Lhakpa Nuru Sherpa of Nepal, took a pragmatic approach to this huge undertaking by acclimatising on the first section of the ridge, before setting off Alpine-style from base camp.

“They crossed all eight Mazeno summits, and from a bivouac at 7,200m made an unsuccessful attempt on the unclimbed continuation of the ridge direct to the top.

Mick Fowler on Shiva

“At this point all but Allan and Allen gave up and made a difficult descent to the South.

“The British pair eventually traversed the north flank to the summit and made a difficult descent of the Normal Route on the north flank, reaching the bottom after a traverse lasting 18 days.”

The jury of the Piolets d’Or – French for Golden Ice-Axes – said of the other British effort on the 6,142m Indian mountain Shiva: “Elegance summarises the traverse of this mountain east of Kishtwar, effected via the arrow-like northeast ridge, dubbed the Prow of Shiva, followed by a descent of the south ridge.

“It was the fifth known ascent of the mountain. Mick Fowler and Paul Ramsden, 2003 recipients of a Piolet d’Or, completed a traverse in a nine-day round trip from base camp, finding sustained climbing on the Prow, which ranged from numerous pitches up icy cracks in Chamonix-style granite to long, protectionless leads on thinly-iced slabs reminiscent of winter climbing on Ben Nevis.”

Other recipients of Piolets d’Or were: Tatsuya Aoki, Yasuhiro Hanatani and Hiroyoshi Manome of Japan for their ascent of Kyashar in Nepal; Russians Dmitry Golovchenko, Alexander Lange and Sergey Nilov for their climb of Muztagh Tower in Pakistan; USA climbers Kyle Dempster, Hayden Kennedy, and Josh Wharton for their ‘cunning’ line up The Ogre – Baintha Brakk – in Pakistan; and Frenchmen Sébastien Bohin, Didier Jourdain, Sébastien Moatti and Sébastien Ratel who succeeded on a previously unattempted route on Kamet in India.