Toralles, Busom and Sanmartín become the first Spanish team to win a Piolet d'Or for an ascent
Their line climbed the east spur and continued to Yerupajá Sur. The jury highlighted the commitment: high on the ridge there was no realistic retreat and little chance of rescue.
Marc Toralles, Bru Busom and Rubén Sanmartín have received the Piolet d’Or in France’s Oisans region. According to Desnivel, it’s the first time a Spanish team has won it for an ascent. Sílvia Vidal received a special mention in 2021.
The Yerupajá route
The award recognises L’essència del compromís, established on Yerupajá Grande (6,634m) in Peru’s Cordillera Huayhuash.
They climbed the east spur and ridge to the main summit. They then followed a ridge of about 600 metres to Yerupajá Sur (6,480m) and descended its southeast face, in about 1,000 metres of rappels.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Grade | 6c+, M6+, 95° |
| Date | August 2025 |
| Length | 1,400m on the official site; 3,000m in Desnivel |
They carried only eight snow stakes, not enough to rappel what they had climbed: the only way out was over the summit.
Why they won
The jury valued the level of commitment, with no realistic retreat high on the ridge and little chance of rescue. It also noted that the team keeps pioneering bold lines in the Southern Hemisphere, a sign that high-quality climbing remains possible away from the Himalaya. According to Desnivel, the three emphasised preparation, autonomy and risk management.
The other winners
- Ultar Sar (7,388m), Pakistan: Ethan Berman, Maarten van Haeren and Sebastian Pelletti, for the southeast pillar.
- Aikache Chhok (6,673m), Pakistan: James Price and George Ponsonby, for the northwest face.
- Jannu East, Nepal: Benjamin Védrines and Nicolas Jean.
- Women’s mountaineering mention: Tiphaine Dupérier, for the ascent and ski descent of the Schell route on Nanga Parbat.
- Career award: Peter Habeler, who with Reinhold Messner made the first ascent of Everest without supplemental oxygen in 1978.
Another great Spanish line this autumn is the first ascent of Jugal II.
Sources and references
- Desnivel – Marc Toralles, Bru Busom y Rubén Sanmartín reciben el primer Piolet d'Or para una cordada española, in Spanish (26/10/2026)
- Piolets d'Or – Yerupajá Grande (6,634m)
- ExplorersWeb – And the Piolets d'Or Awards Go To… (04/09/2026)
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