Presentation This international award is dedicated to mountain professionals. The Aosta Valley Autonomous Region wishes to publicly recognise, publicise and emphasise the importance of the work of these men, Mountain Guides and professionals in uniform who, throughout the world, dedicate their lives and work to the mountains and to mountaineering. Their commitment originates primarily from a passion for alpinism and the high mountains and brings together skilled alpinists and a heightened awareness of the natural world with the commitment of transmitting the cultural values of the mountains and their surroundings.
The Saint-Vincent Grolla D’Or Awards is comprised of 5 categories: the finest international mountaineering achievement by a mountain guide, the finest international mountaineering achievement by a mountain guide from the Aosta Valley, the finest international mountaineering achievement by a mountain guide from the Aosta Valley in the "professionals in uniform" category. Furthermore, there will be an award dedicated to Mountain Guide Toni Gobbi, who revolutionised the profession, for the finest international mountaineering achievement by a mountain guide with a client. Finally, the Forte di Bard award will be given in recognition of the "ethical" commitment made by a mountain professional in the mountains.
The Aosta Valley Autonomous Region, as event promoter alongside the Fort di Bard and Grivel Mont Blanc, considers this focus on mountain professionals to be extremely important. The mountains are part of the Valley’s DNA. Just think that 40% of the Valley’s territory is above the tree line and that it includes the massifs of Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa, the Matterhorn and the Gran Paradiso. These are part of Man’s heritage that the Region and its population wish to promote and protect for future generations.
It is no coincidence that the Gran Paradiso National Park was the first national park to be created in Italy. Just as it is no coincidence that one of the first Associations of Mountain Guides in the world was created here with the Courmayeur Society of Guides in 1850, followed by further groups such as Cervinia, Aosta, Arnad, Champoluc-Ayas, Cogne, Gressoney-Monterosa, Rutor – La Thuile, Valgrisenche, Valpelline and the Gran Paradiso.
Eleven groups form the Aosta Valley Union of Mountain Guides which, in turn, is a member of the International Association of Mountain Guides (UIAGM) which represents mountain guides in 23 countries. The valley is also home to the Alpine Army Training Group, founded in Aosta in 1934 and widely considered one of the world’s most famous alpine corps.
The five awards, to be presented on the 7th March during a special evening ceremony at the Hotel Billia Congess Centre at Saint-Vincent Saint-Vincent, hope to bear testimony to the importance and centrality of the mountains as a natural resource indispensable for Man, as well as asserting the fundamental role the mountain professionals play in the development, conservation and the diffusion of these principles.
The Mountain Guides and professionals from the armed forces who work in the mountains express these principles through the practice of cutting-edge mountaineering, taking into consideration Man and Nature with the aspiration of becoming positive role models for the wider community.
The Saint-Vincent Award for Mountain Professionals. First edition Friday 7th March – 8.30pm. Gran Paradiso Room, Grand Hôtel Billia Congess Centre, Saint-Vincent, Aosta Valley.
Forte di Bard Award for ethics and solidarity:
This award goes to Doma Sherpa, alpinist and organiser of treks and exhibitions, for her life’s work dedicated to the mountains and for her commitment to her f ellow countrymen and their shared culture. Her actions have been an example to everybody, not just as an alpinist: she was the first Nepalese women to climb Everest from both the South and North faces; but also for her vision of modernity whilst maintaining strong roots in the mountains and the environmental values that are an intrinsic part of the Sherpa culture.
"Whilst looking at the Chomolongma I began to desire to climb the high mountains"
Pemba Doma Sherpa
The winners
Rajen Thapa receiving the award in memory
of
his wife Late Pemba Doma Sherpa
Grolla D’Or for the finest international alpinist achievement by an alpine guide
This is for his ascent of the unclimbed Jannu West Pillar (7710m – Himalayas) accomplished with Sergey Kofanov from 14th to 21st October 2007. The achievement crowned Valery’s dream that he’d had for the last seven years and at the same time resolved one of the Himalayas’ aesthetic "problems", on what is often called the World’s most beautiful mountain. Light weight style, extreme difficulty (VI/WI4+/80° ice/M5), completed in perfect alpine style and the complexity of the route that, along its 3000 metres, combines rock, ice and mixed, all go to create one of the greatest achievements of the last few years.
"As time goes by one realises that there are no limits. The only limits are in are own heads. The choice is always ours and it is the ability to choose and nothing else that defines our future."
Valery Babanof
Grolla D’Or for the finest international alpinist achievement by an alpine guide from the Aosta Valley
For the first solo ascent and first repetition on 16th April 2007 of the Direct route on the South face of the Matterhorn. This route was opened by his father Marco with Walter Cazzanelli and Vittorio De Tuoni in 1983. The exploit is living proof of how the culture and traditions of the Aosta Valley and of all the mountains in the world continue to be an integral part of the profession of the alpine guide. A "knowledge" that is transmitted from father to son and that the new generations evolve by adding new experiences and ideas.
Grolla D’Or for the finest international alpinist achievement by an alpine guide from the Aosta Valley in the "professionals in uniform" category
For the expedition to the Antarctic by the soldiers from the High Mountain Army Group of the Alpine Regiment Training Centre: the First Officers Ettore Taufer and Giovanni Amort, Officer Elio Sganga and Corporal VFP4 Marco Farina who all reached the summit of Mount Vinson (4897m) following a traverse to the Antarctic’s highest mountain of 270 km, on skis, with no backup and on a totally new route. This experience, at the end of the International Year of the Poles was significant not just for the alpinism relevance but also for exploration and from an environmentally sustainable perspective.
The Toni Gobbi Grolla d’Or for the finest international alpinist achievement by an alpine guide with a client
For his tenth ascent on 9th April 2007 of the Eiger’s North Face along the Heckmair route with a client. The importance of this ascent derives from the ability to interpret and transmit, as an Alpine Guide, the significance of mountain ideals and alpinism using his own experience as a man of the mountains and expert alpinist.
"I had wanted to become a guide ever since I was a child… It is a means to make my passion go further, to make use of my experience and to transmit and share everything that the mountains can give us."
This award goes to Doma Sherpa, alpinist and organiser of treks and exhibitions, for her life’s work dedicated to the mountains and for her commitment to her f ellow countrymen and their shared culture. Her actions have been an example to everybody, not just as an alpinist: she was the first Nepalese women to climb Everest from both the South and North faces; but also for her vision of modernity whilst maintaining strong roots in the mountains and the environmental values that are an intrinsic part of the Sherpa culture.
