The Mugs Stump Award is given annually to climbers attempting alpine climbing objectives that exemplify fast, light and clean tactics. The awards are a tribute to the late Mugs Stump, one of North America’s most prolific and visionary climbers, who died in a crevasse fall in Alaska in May 1992.

The Mugs Stump Award Winners for 2008 are:

• Ryan Johnson, Mendenhall Towers, Alaska; with Sam Magro, Kyler Pallister, Erik Pallister, and Mike Thompson. The climbers seek 800- to 1,000-meter ice and mixed lines on the north walls of these seldom-visited peaks, in the Coastal Range of southeast Alaska.
• Craig McGee, Mount Logan, Alaska; with Brad White. The 3,000-meter unclimbed Southeast Rib of Canada’s highest peak.
• Eric Decaria, Kedar Dome, India; with Zack Smith. Bid for a complete alpine-style first ascent of the Central Spur, then up an unclimbed snow ridge to the summit (6,831 meters), for 6,000 to 7,000 feet of rock, mixed, and snow climbing.
• Jonny Copp, Dojitsenga, Tibet; with Micah Dash. First ascent of this 5,800-meter Tibetan rock peak via the continuously steep East Ridge (1,500 meters). The mountain lies between Rawu and Lhagu in the Kangri Garpo range of southeastern Tibet.
• Kevin Mahoney, Kangtega, Nepal; with Ben Gilmore and Freddie Wilkinson. Direct route on the North Face of this 6,799-meter peak, in the Khumbu Valley, Nepal.
• Vince Anderson, Makalu, Pakistan; with Steve House and Marko Prezelj. The climbers propose an alpine-style bid on the West Face of the planet’s fifth-highest peak, an objective unclimbed in its entirety and described by Messner as one of the greatest high-mountain walls in the world.
• Dave Turner, South Tower of Paine, Argentine Patagonia; solo. The virgin south face of the South Tower of Paine: an 800-meter VI+ alpine wall capped by 350 meters of steep, difficult mixed climbing.

“Mugs approached climbing as a celebration of boldness, purity and simplicity,” says Michael Kennedy, one of the founders of the award. “This year’s teams embody the same spirit and vision that fueled Mugs's dreams.” The Mugs Stump Award helps fund small teams tackling difficult climbs in the great mountains of the world. For 2008, a total of $30,000 was awarded to the seven expeditions, all of which are encouraged to leave no trace of their passage. Applications are due December 1st each year with the awards being announced in January.

Previous year's winners are listed below:

Sponsored by: