French mountaineer Robert Paragot will be awarded the Piolet d'Or Carrière prize on March 24th in Chamonix. This prize, awarded by a board of famous mountaineers and journalists, salutes every year the whole career of one special mountaineer whose attitude, spirit and past achievements are remarkable.

Before him, Walter Bonatti, Reinhold Messner and Doug Scott were successively awarded the same honour. Robert Paragot is particularly well know for major ascents in the Alps, and on the highest peaks on earth: Aconcagua's South face in 1953, Mustagh Tower in 1956, Jannu in 1962, Huascaran's North face in 1966... He also conducted the successful expedition on Makalu West pillar in 1971.

He then became president of the French Mountaineeering Federation, and Head of the Mountaineering Expert team. He is now a strong model for the young generation of climbers and mountaineers.

Jean Afanasieff produced a great movie on the lives and careers of the first three Piolet d'Or Carrière laureates. You can watch it here (the video has been translated into french, please apologize for that!)

To learn more on the Piolets d'Or ceremony, go on the official website.