Velký význam zde hrají především alpinistické projekty uskutečněné bez umělých prostředků. Na ceny Piolet d'Or 2013 bylo nominováno šest týmů, jimž všem 5. dubna porota překvapivě udělila tohoto „oskara alpinismu“.

Šest oceněných v roce 2013:

Udělením šesti cen Piolets d' Or najednou chce porota podporovat mnohostranost alpinismu. Je jedno zda jde o novou cest ve výšce 6.000 metrů nebo nejdelší hřeben na osmitisícovce, či pověstnou kultovní horu nebo odlehlý skalní masiv: všech šest nominovaných cest se vyznačuje vysokou obtížností. Všechny též vedou přes vrchol a tím pádem následuje i neznámý sestup.

Anglické vysvětlení a fotky jsou ze stránek www.pioletsdor.com.

Kyashar (6.770 m), Nepal

• Tatsuya Aoki, Yasuhiro Hanatani, Hiroyoshi Manome (JPN)

Prvovýstup 2.200 metrů vysokého jižního pilíře v alpském stylu v šesti dnech (zároveň teprve druhý známý výstup na Kyashar).

„A coveted line, having been the goal of at least seven previous expeditions, the first ascent of the 2.200 m south pillar of Kyashar was one of the finest technical alpine-style climbs in Nepal last autumn. Tatsuya Aoki, Yasuhiro Hanatani and Hiroyoshi Manome (Japan) took six days to climb this elegant line to the summit, making only the second known ascent of the mountain. A crux section of ridge on the fifth day was deemed irreversible, adding to the commitment. The three descended the west ridge with one further bivouac.“

Muztagh Tower (7.284 m), Pakistan

• Dmitry Golovchenko, Alexander Lange, Sergey Nilov (RUS)

Prvovýstup severovýchodní hrany během 17 dní a vzhledem ke špatnému počasí přímý sestup severní stěnou.

„Much discussed, though never previously attempted, the 2.000 m northeast spur of this iconic Karakoram peak took Russians Dmitry Golovchenko, Alexander Lange and Sergey Nilov 17 days to complete. The three climbed alpine-style but took a large haul bag of food and fuel, a strategy which allowed them to sit out, or persevere slowly through bad weather. The technical crux proved to be the very steep rock barrier between 6.600 m and 6.900 m. Supplies ran out shortly before they gained the main (east) summit, and in bad weather they were unable to reach the northwest ridge, their planned descent. Instead, they came straight down the north face.“

Baintha Brakk (a.k.a The Ogre, 7.285 m), Pakistan

• Kyle Dempster, Hayden Kennedy, Josh Wharton (USA)

Nová linie na vrchol přes jihovýchodní hřeben, jihovýchodní a jižní stěnu – včetně traverzu suťoviskem a mixového lezením.

„The Ogre is one of the most celebrated of the world's mountains yet until last year had been summited only twice, and never from the south, despite many attempts. Kyle Dempster, Hayden Kennedy, and Josh Wharton (USA) chose a cunning line up the southeast ridge to southeast face to south face. Gaining the upper south face involved a steep traverse across complete rubble and, higher, they overcame hard sections of mixed ground. From a bivouac at 6.900 m, Dempster and Kennedy reached the summit but then had to make a difficult descent with an unwell Wharton.“

Nanga Parbat (8.125 m), Western Himalaya, Pakistan

• Sandy Allan, Rick Allen (UK)

Prvovýstup přes hřeben Mazeno, který je se svou délkou přibližně 10 kilometrů nejdelším hřebenem na osmitisícovce.

„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 8.000 m peaks, variously quoted as 10–13 km. Veteran Himalayan activists Sandy Allan and Rick Allen (UK), accompanied for much of the way by Cathy O'Dowd (S Africa), Lhakpa Rangdu Sherpa, Lhakpa Zarok Sherpa and Lhakpa Nuru Sherpa (Nepal), took a pragmatic approach to this huge undertaking by acclimatizing 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 7,200 m made an unsuccessful attempt on the unclimbed continuation of the ridge direct to the top. 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.“

Kamet (7.756 m), Indien

• Sébastien Bohin, Didier Jourdain, Sébastien Moatti, Sébastien Ratel (FRA)

Prvovýstup příkré jihozápadní stěny během pěti dní.

„Kamet is the highest mountain in India for which it is currently possible to gain a permit, and the ca 2.000 m southwest face was previously unattempted. After establishing an advanced base in the glacier bowl below this steep mixed wall, Sébastien Bohin, Didier Jourdain, Sébastien Moatti and Sébastien Ratel (France) climbed it, alpine-style, in five days. They found conditions excellent and connected a succession of steep snow fields linked by often vertical ice pitches to reach a bivouac on the south ridge at 7.500m. The summit day presented unexpected difficulties, after which the team descended to the bivouac and next day went down the previously untouched south face.“

Shiva (6.142 m), Indien

• Mick Fowler, Paul Ramsden (UK)

Oba dva, již cenou Piolet d'Or vyznamenaní, se tentokrát vydali jako první na severovýchodní hřeben zvaný „Bug Shivas“.

„Elegance summarizes 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 (UK), 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.“

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