Aleš Česen Receives Third Golden Ice Axe, This Year for the Ascent on Gasherbrum III

Aleš Česen Receives Third Golden Ice Axe, This Year for the Ascent on Gasherbrum III.

Among this year's recipients of the golden ice axe, the highest recognition for alpinistic achievements in the world, is also the Slovenian-British team Aleš Česen and Tom Livingstone, who in August last year in alpine style climbed a 2000 vertical meters long first ascent route along the western ridge on Gasherbrum III (7952 m) in the Karakoram. This is already Česen's third golden ice axe for an outstanding alpinistic achievement and thus he enters among the six alpinists who have received this prestigious recognition three times or more; among them is also Marko Prezelj with four golden ice axes. The international commission will award two more ascents by American alpinists in December in Italy, and the special award for women's alpinistic achievement will be received by Slovenians Anja Petek and Patricija Verdev.

A century earlier, in 1924, at the Olympic Games in Chamonix, special medals for alpinistic achievements were awarded for the first time, during the Olympic Games Paris 2024, top alpinists Aleš Česen and Tom Livingstone in alpine style climbed a 2000 vertical meters long first ascent route Edge of Entropy along the western ridge on Gasherbrum III in the Karakoram. This was only the third ascent to the summit, which shares the record of the highest non-eight-thousander with Gjachung Kang (also 7952 m). The upper part of the ridge was dizzily sharp and steep, one of the most demanding pitches was the very last one, which on August 4, 2024, led them to the 15th highest mountain in the world, otherwise they needed seven days for the ascent and return to base camp.

The well-coordinated Slovenian-British team will receive the golden ice axe for the exceptional ascent in December this year, the highest international recognition for alpinistic achievements. Last year, Aleš Česen said that when they reached the summit of Gasherbrum III, they were so physically exhausted that there was no euphoria, he also remains on solid ground upon the news of the new alpinistic recognition: "Without any self-complacency, it was clear to both Tom and me that this was a completely above-standard ascent. So this award is not such a big surprise as it was, for example, in 2015 for the ascent in Hagshu. Otherwise, I do not experience this golden ice axe as a trophy, but more in the sense of a voice of the professional public for the quality and values (classic) alpinism."

In addition to them, two American teams will be awarded with the golden ice axe: August Franzen, Dane Steadman and Cody Winckler for the first ascent on Yashkuk Sar (6667 m) in the Karakoram and Spencer Gray and Ryan Griffiths for the first ascent on the southwest summit of Kaqur Kangri (6859 m) in the Himalaya. The highest international alpinistic awards will be presented between December 9 and 12, 2025 in San Martino di Castrozza in Italy. The international jury, which selected three from 70 outstanding ascents of 2024 and awarded them with the golden ice axe for alpinistic achievements, consists of renowned names from the world of alpinism: Ethan Berman, Aymeric Clouet, Young Hoon Oh, Ines Papert, Enrico Rosso, Jack Tackle and Mikel Zabalza.



This will be the second joint golden ice axe for Česen and Livingstone, as they received it together with Luka Stražar in 2019 for the first ascent from the north side on Latok I (7145 m) in the Karakoram, otherwise the third for Česen, who received the first in 2015 with Luka Lindič and Marko Prezelj for the first ascent in the north wall of Hagshu (6657 m) in the Indian Himalaya. "These three ascents are quite different. If Hagshu was a complete surprise, then in terms of what route we would climb, it was more expected for Latok and Gasherbrum. Also in terms of complexity and dimensions, Hagshu can hardly be compared with the other two. But clearly in all cases it is about top ascents of large format. And all three were done in excellent atmosphere and each with the right measure of uncertainty. So each of these ascents was a top adventure," emphasizes Česen.

The team Česen-Livingstone climbs at the highest level and realizes visionary alpinistic goals. Although they climb together only occasionally, they are connected by their attitude to alpinism and managing risk on a shared rope, as Česen says: "Tom and I don't climb together on a daily basis, since he lives on the western side of the Alps, and I on the eastern. But when we meet, the energy is always excellent, regardless of whether we are climbing something serious in the Himalaya, some quick ascent in the Alps, or 'just' some easy ridge route in the Slovenian Alps. Both have a similar attitude to alpinism, above all practically the same to managing risk in alpinism, which is especially important in high mountains."



In the world, there are only six alpinists - among them two Slovenian - who have received the golden ice axe three times or more. Five times they honored the British alpinist Paul Ramsden, four were received by Slovenian Marko Prezelj and Japanese Kazuya Hiraide, three times were awarded for outstanding alpinistic ascent the Briton Mick Fowler, Japanese Kenro Nakajima and now Slovenian Aleš Česen.

This year's presentation of golden ice axes will be strongly Slovenian colored, as in December the special award for women's alpinistic achievement of 2024 will also be received by Anja Petek and Patricija Verdev, namely for their first ascent on Lalung I (6243 m). To the Himalayan six-thousander they ascended in September last year along the eastern ridge by the 2000-meter first ascent route Here comes the sun, traversed the mountain and descended along the western ridge and across the north wall. Besides Česen and Livingstone's ascent and the pair Petek-Verdev ascent, among the outstanding ascents were also the first solo ascent of Matic Jošt on Spao Ri (T9, 6,107m) in the Indian Himalaya and the first ascent route of the Slovenian-British pair Gašper Pintar-Tom Livingstone in the south wall of Mt Dickey in Alaska. In Italy, they will also award the golden ice axe 2025 for lifetime work in alpinism, the recipient of which is not yet known.

The history of the golden ice axe has been markedly marked by Slovenian alpinists, who in 33 years of awarding the highest alpinistic recognition have been awarded twelve times. The first awarded golden ice axe in 1992 for the first ascent along the south pillar of Kangchenjunga (8476 m) were received by Marko Prezelj and Andrej Štremfelj, who was in 2018 also the first Slovenian recipient of the golden ice axe for lifetime work in alpinism. In 1997, Tomaž Humar and Vanja Furlan received it for a new route in the northwest wall of Ama Dablam (6812 m) in Nepal. In 2007, the award golden ice axe was received for the second time by Marko Prezelj, together with Boris Lorenčič for the climbed new route in the pillar of Chomolhari (7326 m); the same year, the golden ice axe according to the audience was also received by Pavle Kozjek for the first solo ascent on Cho Oyu (8201 m) and the publication of the photograph of the massacre of Tibetan refugees on the Nangpa La pass. In 2012, the golden ice axe for the first ascent route in K7 West (6858 m) in Pakistan was received by Luka Stražar and Nejc Marčič, in 2015 for the first ascent in the north wall of Hagshu (6657 m) in the Indian Himalaya Aleš Česen, Luka Lindič and Marko Prezelj, and in 2016 for the first ascent route on Cerro Kishtwar (6173 m) in India Urban Novak and Marko Prezelj, together with American Hayden Kennedy and Frenchman Manu Pellissier. In 2019, for the first ascent on Latok I (7145 m) from the north side, the golden ice axe was also received by Aleš Česen and Luka Stražar, who ascended the seven-thousander in the Karakoram with Briton Tom Livingstone. In 2022, the golden ice axe for lifetime work was received as the second Slovenian by Silvo Karo. In 2025, his third golden ice axe will be received by Aleš Česen for the first ascent with Tom Livingstone along the western ridge on Gasherbrum III (7952 m) in the Karakoram, and as the first Slovenian alpinists, the special award for achievements in women's alpinism will be received by Anja Petek and Patricija Verdev for the first ascent on Lalung I (6243 m) in the Indian Himalaya.