Published February 15, 2005 02:00PM
The Mugs Stump Alpine Climbing award is given each year to support small teams with climbing objectives that exemplify fast, light, and clean alpinism. Created in the memory of Mugs Stump, one of North America’s most visionary climbers, the award, now in its 14th year, helps climbers to pursue alpinism in its purest forms. This month, five teams were granted awards for 2005, ranging from $500 to $5000: • Steve House and Marko Prezelj for a trip to the North Face of Kalanka in the Indian Himalayas backed up by an attempt to complete their impressive effort last year on the huge Rupal Face on Nanga Parbat in Pakistan.• John Varco and Sue Nott for an attempt on the unclimbed Southeast Face of Kamet in India, a peak just recently opened by the Indian Mountaineering Federation.• Tommy Caldwell, Adam Stack and Tim Kemple for the first free attempt on one of the most daunting granite walls in the world, the West Face of Mount Thor on Baffin Island. This is a rare rock-climbing award, chosen for the strength and promise of the team and the arctic nature of the face.• Kelly Cordes and Josh Wharton for their goal of establishing new routes on the two premier faces in the Cordillera Blanca of Peru, the North Face of Huascaran Norte and the West Face of Taulliraju. • Sean Isaac and Rob Owens for a light-and-fast attempt on an aesthetic and difficult unclimbed ice runnel – a “Supercouloir” – on the North Face of Kichatna Spire in AlaskaThe Mugs Stump Award is sponsored by Black Diamond Equipment, Patagonia, Mountain Gear, W.L. Gore, and Climbing Magazine. For more information on the award, past recipients and their trip reports visit www.mugsstumpaward.com. Applications for the 2006 award are due by December 31, 2005, and trips must be taken between February 2006 and the following January.