Recently, the Chinese climbing community has received exciting news. A small mountaineering team composed of KAILAS climbers Liu Yong and Tsang Yin “JON,” domestic climber Su Rongqin, and American alpine photographer Tim Bolter successfully climbed the north face route of Yangmolong Peak, earning a spot on the shortlist for the prestigious Piolet d’Or award. Known as the “Oscars” of international mountaineering, the Piolet d’Or selection committee—comprising Claude Gardien of Vertical Magazine, Manu Rivaud of Montagnes Magazine, and Lindsay Griffin of the American Alpine Journal—chose 86 climbing projects from 17 countries for the 2012 Piolet d’Or shortlist, three of which involved ascents by Chinese climbers.
Beyond being shortlisted for the Piolet d’Or, another highlight of this year’s awards is that KAILAS climber Liu Yong has been invited to serve as a judge—making history as one of the six international judges for the 2012 Piolet d’Or. The other five judges are American climber Michael Kennedy, Russian legend Valeri Babanov, Spanish 14er completer Alberto Inurrategi, German ice climbing star Ines Papert, and Italian journalist Alessandro Filippin. This marks the first time a Chinese climber has been invited to serve as an international judge for the Piolet d’Or.
The four members of the Yangmolong expedition—KAILAS climbers Liu Yong and Tsang Yin “JON,” domestic climber Su Rongqin, and American alpine photographer Tim Bolter—have also been invited to appear together at the Beijing ISPO exhibition, where two public presentations will take place. Details are as follows:
February 22: Participation requires a KAILAS invitation letter; for specific time and location details, please refer to the invitation.
February 23, 3:30–5:00 PM: A presentation at the ISPO fashion show stage area that is open to the general public.
Come join us at the Beijing ISPO exhibition and explore the lesser-known legends and stories behind this remarkable climb.
KAILAS will also be showcasing its professional climbing equipment at Booth 3.306 during the Beijing ISPO exhibition. Let’s meet at ISPO BEIJING 2012, KAILAS Booth 3.306—we look forward to your visit.
