A quick look at Kazuya Hiraide (Veikka’s climbing partner).

Kazuya with Yuka Komatsu (also a climber). Photo credit Karrar Haidri.

Recent Piolets d’Or winner Kazuya (the “Golden Ice Axes” are presented annually during four-day Festival at the foot of Mont Blanc in April) is aiming for a new route on Gauri Shankar (7134m) its SE face after summiting Gasherbrum 1 with Veikka.

Kazuya used to be pure rock climber but has become a remarkable, elite level technical, alpine-style mountain climber on steep, hard routes. He has climbed over 8000m summits G2 and Broad Peak last year with Veikka Gustafsson and Hirotaka Takeuchi. Before in Pakistan Kazuya has climbed Khunyang Chhish (7431m), Golden Peak (7027m) and Laila Peak (6200m). He also rode a mountain bike up to K2 BC, 2006.

Yilpiz (5313m) east of Muztagh Ata in Chinese Xinjiang was climbed in an eight-day alpine-style push before, but Kazuya and Kei Taniguchi repeated the route in just five days in 2005.

Kazuya received his Golden Ice Axe -prize (the Spirit of Exploration prize) for the first ascent of the southeast face of 7,756-meter Kamet in India which he ascented with Kei Taniguchi.

Kazuya and Taniguchi have formed a remarkable partnership in recent years. In 2004, the two made the first ascent of a technical route on Spantik (7,028m). The following year, they made the second ascent of the southeast ridge of giant Mustagh Ata (7,546m) in western China and next to India’s Garhwal to climb Shivling (6,543m) via a partial new route on the north face.

Kazuya is a member of AKU COMMUNITY MEN AND WOMEN FOR MOUNTAINS

“AKU members don’t conquer mountains. The mountain conquers them. With its beauty and the boundless generosity with which it offers obstacles, the unexpected and never-ending emotions. That’s the experience of mountaineering men and women. AKU men and women.”

Kazuya is also a professional videocameraman and photographer.