![Grit and Rock grant recipients. [Image] Derek Franz](https://alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/grit-and-rock-new-1-930x620.jpeg)
Grit and Rock recently announced six teams as recipients of its 2019 First Ascent Award. The grant, which distributes $10,000 a year for women-led expeditions, aims to level the playing field in alpinism by encouraging first ascents by women. This year’s award will support climbs in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Canada and Kyrgyzstan.
![Tom Ballard, left, and Daniele Nardi. [Photo] Ballard, Nardi collections](https://alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/ballard-nardi-2-930x620.jpg)
The bodies of Tom Ballard, 30, of Britain, and Daniele Nardi, 42, of Italy, were spotted through a telescope above Camp III on Nanga Parbat’s Mummery Rib at around 5900 meters on March 9. A BBC.com story posted today, March 11, quoted Italian Ambassador to Pakistan Stefano Pontecorvo as saying there might be a possibility of recovering the bodies.
![Elena Quispe and Ana Lia Gonzales at the summit. [Photo] Jaime Murciego](https://alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/cholitas-4-930x620.jpeg)
Two “Cholitas Escaladoras” from El Alto, Bolivia, became the first Aymara women to summit Aconcagua (6962m) in January. Three others nearly succeeded as well. Their achievement represents a benchmark for indigenous women reclaiming their identity after centuries of discrimination and for the Bolivian climbing community as a whole.
![Tom Ballard, left, and Daniele Nardi. [Photo] Daniele Nardi's Facebook page](https://alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/ballard-nardi-1-930x620.jpg)
Tom Ballard, 30, of Britain, and Daniele Nardi, 42, of Italy, are missing on Nanga Parbat (8126m) in Pakistan. According to updates on Nardi’s Facebook page, helicopters are attempting to deliver a rescue team “as close as possible” to Camp 3 today, where a tent “invaded by snow” was spotted amid “traces of an avalanche” during a morning reconnaissance. The climbers were last heard from on Sunday, February 24, while attempting a winter ascent via a new route up the Mummery Rib, which is prone to avalanches. Their last known position is somewhere around 6300 meters between Camp 3 and Camp 4.
![A climber rappels in Utah's San Rafael Swell, one of many areas across the country that will soon have wilderness designations if President Donald Trump signs the Natural Resources Management Act, which was passed by Congress on February 26. [Photo] John Easterling](https://alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/san-rafael-swell-pano-930x272.jpeg)
Yesterday the House of Representatives passed a historic bipartisan bill titled the Natural Resources Management Act, 363-62. It cleared the Senate, 92-8, on February 12, and it is anticipated that President Donald Trump will soon sign it into law. The legislation combines more than 100 previously existing bills that affect public lands all over the country, and it includes provisions that pertain directly to climbers and climbing areas.
![Ari Novak on Snow Leopard (HWI 7), Spiti Valley, India. [Photo] Austin Schmitz](https://alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/piti-dharr-ice-fest-1-930x620.jpg)
The first Piti-Dharr International Ice Climbing Festival took place in India’s Spiti Valley on January 5-15. During the event, Indian climber Bharat Bhushan and Americans Ari Novak and Karsten Delap completed the first ascent of Frozen Diesel (HWI 6+), and Novak and Delap established Snow Leopard (HWI 7, 150m).
![Sam Hennesse. [Photo] Seth Timpano](https://alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/aac-cutting-edge-grants-1.jpg)
Sam Hennessey, Chantel Astorga and Chris Wright are all receiving American Alpine Club Cutting Edge Grants this year. Hennessey plans to attempt the north face of Chamlang (ca. 7300m) in the Eastern Himalaya of Nepal with Rob Smith, Seth Timpano and Michael Gardner; Astorga will try Pumari Chhish South (7350m) in Pakistan’s Hispar Karakoram with Anne Gilbert Chase; and Wright is aiming for Link Sar (7041m) in the Eastern Karakoram, Pakistan, with Graham Zimmerman, Mark Richey and Steve Swenson.
![Kyle Dempster in his elements. [Photo] Andrew Burr](https://alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/kyle-dempster-packrafting-file-photo-1-930x620.jpeg)
The application period is now open for the second annual Kyle Dempster Solo Adventure Award. Applications are due by March 15 for trips taking place between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020.
![Katie Ives. [Photo] David Swift](https://alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/katie-ives-portrait-698x620.jpg)
Alpinist Editor-in-Chief Katie Ives has been selected as a judge for the 2019 Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature. The other two judges are Roger Hubank and Tony Shaw. The award will be presented at the next Kendal Mountain Festival in the United Kingdom on November 14-17.
The American Alpine Club recently announced the award recipients who will be honored at the club’s annual benefit dinner on March 9 in San Francisco, California. The honorees are Kelly Cordes, Jim Donini, Brette Harrington, Tom Hornbein, Jeremy Jones, Michael Kennedy and Kate Rutherford. Dennis Urubko, Adam Bielecki, Jaroslaw Botor and Piotrek Tomala are also being recognized for their rescue of Elizabeth Revol on Nanga Parbat last January. Colin Haley is the keynote speaker.
![Whitney Clark (pictured), Josie McKee and Caro North received a 2018 Grit and Rock Award to attempt a first ascent on Arjuna (6230m) in India's Kishtwar Province. [Photo] Josie McKee](https://alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/whitney-clark-on-arjuna-north-930x620.jpg)
The Grit and Rock First Ascent Expedition Award for female alpinists is now accepting applications until January 15, 2019. The program launched in October 2016 and is now in its third cycle.
![Jess Roskelley leads through loose blocks on Day 2 during the first ascent of Canmore Wedding Party (AI5 M7, 2,625') on A Peak in Montana's Cabinet Mountains. [Photo] Scott Coldiron](https://alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/canmore-wedding-party-1-930x620.jpg)
Jess Roskelley wrote the following story about a new route he climbed with Scott Coldiron on A Peak in Montana’s Cabinet Mountains on November 18-21. They named their route Canmore Wedding Party (AI5 M7, 2,625′). Coldiron, a veteran of the Gulf War, wrote an On Belay story for Alpinist 64 about returning to the Cabinet Range after a long hiatus to pursue his dreams of finding new ice and alpine routes.
