Margo Hayes, Alex Honnold, and Sally Jewell are among the recipients of the American Alpine Club’s annual climbing awards.
The longest-running climbing award, the American Alpine Club (AAC) Climbing Awards, have been celebrating alpinists and climbers since 1976. Popular names and old-school climbers made the list this year.
Alex Honnold, Margo Hayes, John Roskelley, Sally Jewell, and Ellen Lapham won the distinction for 2018. The recipients demonstrated prolific climbing achievements and outstanding commitment to conservation issues.
“Though climbing’s popularity has exploded recently, it was long the domain of a few bold souls,” said AAC CEO Phil Powers. “Difficult and dangerous, it is a metaphor for much in life and an inspiration to many. These awards and the people who have earned them are that inspiration.”
America’s Top Climbing Awards: AAC
Each climber received a unique distinction that pays homage to ground-breaking climbers of yesteryear. The awards were differentiated by climbing achievements, conservation, and volunteerism.
Alex Honnold: Robert and Miriam Underhill Award
The Robert and Miriam Underhill Award is given annually to the person that demonstrates the highest level of skill in mountaineering through the application of skill, courage, and perseverance. And this year’s winner certainly doesn’t have any shortage of courage, with his audacious free-solo climbs.
“The ascent of Free Rider places Alex firmly in a category by himself as the greatest free solo rock climber of all time,” said Mark Richey, Selection Committee Chair.
This award is given in honor of Robert and Miriam Underhill, two climbing pioneers from the 1930s with notable ascents in the Tetons and Sierras. Previous winners include Steve House, Lynn Hill, Royal Robbins, Conrad Anker, and many other household climbers’ names.