{{Short description|Russian sports award}} {{For|the Asian film awards called Snow Leopard awards|Asian World Film Festival}} {{use dmy dates|date=September 2021}} The '''Snow Leopard award''' ({{Langx|ru|Снежный барс}}) was a Soviet mountaineering award, given to highly skilled mountaineers. It is still recognized in the Commonwealth of Independent States. To receive this award, a climber was required to summit all five peaks within the former Soviet Union with elevation above {{cvt|7000|m}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alpklubspb.ru/ass/a388.htm|title=Альпинисты Северной столицы. История появления жетона "Покоритель высочайших гор СССР" ("Снежный барс").|website=www.alpklubspb.ru}}</ref>
It was founded on October 12, 1967 by the Central Council of Sports Societies and Organizations of the USSR.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.expeditions-unlimited.com/en/blog/snow-leopard/snow-leopard-challenge-five-soviet-7000 |title= Snow Leopard Challenge: the five Soviet 7,000.}}</ref>
==The peaks== thumb|''Peak Ozodi'' The Snow Leopard peaks include:<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://peakery.com/peaks/lists/soviet-snow-leopards/ |title=Soviet Snow Leopards • peakery |access-date=2016-06-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160329044451/http://peakery.com/peaks/lists/soviet-snow-leopards/ |archive-date=2016-03-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref> #Ismoil Somoni Peak {{convert|24590|ft}} #Jengish Chokusu {{convert|24406|ft}} #Ibn Sina Peak {{convert|23406|ft}} #Peak Ozodi {{convert|23310|ft}} #Khan Tengri {{convert|22999|ft}}
In Tajikistan's Pamir Mountains there are three Snow Leopard peaks, Ismoil Samani Peak (formerly Communism Peak) {{convert|7495|m}}, Peak Ozodi (formerly Peak Korzhenevskaya) {{convert|7105|m}}, and Ibn Sina Peak (formerly Lenin Peak) {{convert|7134|m}} on the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border.{{cn|date=September 2021}}
In the Tian Shan there are two Snow Leopard peaks, Jengish Chokusu (formerly Peak Pobeda) {{convert|7439|m}} in Kyrgyzstan (divided by the border with China), and Khan Tengri {{convert|7010|m}} on the Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan border. Khan Tengri's geologic elevation is {{convert|6995|m}} but its glacial cap rises to {{convert|7010|m}}. For this reason, it is considered a {{cvt|7000|m}} peak.{{cn|date=September 2021}}
In order of difficulty, Jengish Chokusu is by far the most difficult and dangerous, followed by Khan Tengri, Ismail Samani Peak, Peak Korzhenevskaya, and Lenin (Ibn Sina) Peak.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}}
==Recipients== There are more than 600 climbers, including 31 women, who have received this award between 1961 and 2012 (although not all of them completed the five peaks).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.russianclimb.com/snowleopard/table.htm|title=Wejherowo - Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia|website=www.russianclimb.com}}</ref>
===Records=== * Boris Korshunov (Russia) – nine times Snow Leopard (1981 – 2004) and last award at the age of 69 * Andrzej Bargiel (Poland) – all five ascents in 29 days 17 hours 5 minutes (time counted from leaving the Advanced Base Camp under Lenin Peak, 15 July 2016) * Elvira Nasonova (Russia) – three time "Snow Leopard," the only woman to do so.
==Further reading== * [http://www.summitpost.org/the-snow-leopards/235234 The Snow Leopard mountains at Summitpost]
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Snow Leopard Award}} Category:Mountaineering awards Category:Soviet awards Category:Mountaineering in the Soviet Union Category:1967 establishments in Russia Category:Snow leopards in popular culture