Spanish mountaineer Jordi Pons-Sangines has been elected honorary member of the UIAA. Jordi has for thirty years been a dedicated volunteer for the UIAA and worked hard to develop mountaineering sports and promote mountaineering around the world. Elected unanimously by our members at the 2007 General Assembly in Matsumoto, Japan, Jordi was clearly touched by the vote of thanks from the federation. He became the UIAA’s fifth current honorary member.
Climbing mountains and volunteering for the UIAA are just two of the many challenges and interests the 72-year-old has pursued over the years. He has held conferences, courses and seminars as well as making prize winning films about mountaineering. He has helped build up the competition sport of Ski Mountaineering and worked on mountain protection.
Jordi is currently the Vice President of the Spanish Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (FEDME), but he has done much of his work for the UIAA outside Spain and Europe. He was active in the development of the Pan-American Union of Mountaineering and Climbing (UPAME), which has boosted mountaineering sports in the Americas. This new partnership improved the co-operation between the various Central and South American mountaineering federations and highlighted the need for all the American federations to become members of the UIAA. Jordi also worked on the commission for safe methods, which later became the Safety Commission.
Jordi has always believed that competition sports should be an important element of the UIAA and that our federation should be a part of the Olympic movement. He has been vice president of the International Council for Ski Mountaineering Competitions (ISMC) and is still actively involved in this sport.
Jordi is an accomplished mountaineer with many impressive ascents, but he has always advocated the balance between the sport and the protection of the environment. Therefore he was one of the founders of Mountain Wilderness , an international movement for the preservation of mountain environnements.
List of ascents
1959 CIMA GRANDE DI LAVAREDO North face, Comici Route
1960 CENTINELLE ROUGE (Mont Blanc), first Spanish ascent
1960 TORRE TRIESTE, Cassin-Ratti route, first Spanish ascent
1961 NEVADO HUACARAN SOUTH, 4 days first absolute ascent
1962 CERVINO (Matterhorn) North face, 21st ascent, first Spanish ascent
1964 EIGER North Face 47th ascent, first Spanish ascent
1967 GRANDES JORASSES WALKER RID, first Spanish ascent
1964 CIMA GRANDE DI LAVAREDO DIRECTISSIMA
1963 NEVADO SIULA GRANDE, HUAY HUASH DIRECTISIMA, first ascent
1965 CIMA CANALI, Herman Buhl route
1966 CHIMBORAZO, first Spanish ascent
1967 GARET EL D´JENOUN. ARGELIA, 4 days, first absolute ascent
1968 MOUNT ARARAT
1969 ISTOR-O-NAL HINDU KUSH 7398mm, first absolute ascent
1970 PIZ BADILE North East Face
1974 ANNAPURNA EST. 8024m, first “8000″ of Spain
1976 AGPATUT (Greenland)
1978 YERUPAJÁ South direct west
1979 DHAULAGIRI I. 8172m 6th ascent
1981 AMA DABLAM 6.768m 3ª ascent
1982 EVEREST WEST RIDGE (8.500 meters)
1983 ACONCAGUA, Argentina
1984 CHO OYU, 8201m, 3rd ascent after Messner and Vera Kormakova.
1985 KILIMANJARO
1987 MACKINLEY West ridge
1988 GASHERBRUM II, 8035m
1991 KANJIROLAWA 6250m, Dhaulagiri area, North West face 1st ascent
1997 NEVADO ARTESONRAJU 6.050m, West face
1999 PIRAMIDE TACUL, Contamine Route
2003 DRU North Face, Allain route
2006 NEVADO PISSIS, 6.882m Argentina
2007 THE PROFESSOR, ICE FALLS. Canada
2007 LOUISE FALLS, LAKE LOUISE. Canada
2007 SERAC GRASSI, ALPS
2007 DENT DU GEANT, ALPS
