He began his mountaineering career in the USSR mountaineering championships before continuing it amid the smoking ruins of the former Soviet Union. Alexander Odintsov will receive of the 2025 Piolet d’Or Lifetime Achievement Award, a fitting tribute to the man behind some of the greatest first ascents in the Pamir and Karakoram ranges. A bridge between two eras, Alexander Odintsov experienced the sacrifices required by heavy expeditions—Jannu in 2004—before continuing to explore legendary walls (success on Latok III, failure on Masherbrum) in a modern style. A Russian climber awarded by the Piolet d’Or Lifetime Achievement – a premiere : the Piolets d’Or wanted to show that mountaineering transcends the turmoil of current war.
His list of ascents began in the official records of the USSR. Born in Saint Petersburg in 1957, Alexander Odintsov discovered mountaineering through the mountaineering club at the Leningrad Mining School. In the 1970s, Soviet mountaineering