This Special Mention is intended specifically to promote female alpinism. It recognises a remarkable all-female ascent from the previous year, or a female alpinist for several achievements in the previous year(s), or a female alpinist’s career. It is intended to be a first step: the format will evolve according to feedback gained over the next few years.
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Lalung I (6,243m), Indian Himalaya
First ascent of Lalung I (6,243m), Zanskar Region, via the east ridge - Here Comes the Sun (2,000m of climbing, M6+ AI5+) - September 9-14. Traversed the mountain and descended by the west ridge and north face.
The Lalung Valley rises southwest from the Suru River, a little to the southeast of the more famous peaks of Nun and Kun. At its head lie Chiling I and II, and Lalung I, II and III, which are located at the boundaries of the Zanskar and Kishtwar regions. The climbing history of the area is only roughly documented, and until recently a plethora of confusing names and altitudes have been granted erroneously to many of the peaks, features, and valleys. However, one thing is clear: before 2024 none of the Lalung peaks had received a documented ascent.
In September 2024, having established an advanced base camp in the valley at 4,800m, Slovenians Anja Petek and Patricija Verdev, part of a four-member female expedition, climbed the sharp and difficult east ridge of Lalung I over a period of five days, one and a half of these pinned inside their tent due to bad weather. On their final evening, a little below the summit, they lost tent poles to the wind and spent the night in bivouac sacs. The following morning's mist made it hard to navigate the remaining terrain, but they reached the summit at 9 a.m. on the 14th. The pair then made a long descent on the crest of the west ridge before making five rappels on the north face to reach the Lalung Glacier at 6:30 p.m. Here, they opted to continue down to advanced base, which took a further eight hours.
Descending to what they presumed was a tranquil base camp, Petek and Verdev discovered their time away had been far from a relaxed experience for their resident compatriots. The camp had
been forced to deal with almost nightly visits from bears that ripped or demolished tents and stole much of the food.
The Piolets d'Or jury and technical committee chose Lalung I for this year's Special Mention for Female Alpinism, recognizing an exploratory first ascent of a 6,000m peak in a little visited area, a full traverse of the mountain, a pure alpine style ascent over technical ground, and a strong level of commitment, particularly when crossing the summit in poor weather. All these attributes fit wonderfully with the values of the Piolets d'Or, and the ascension of Lalung I will hopefully provide a fine inspiration for female alpinists.
