JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) -- Two employees of Exum Mountain Guides were nominated for mountaineering's most prestigious award for their climb of an Alaskan peak last year.

Kevin Mahoney, 35, and Ben Gilmore, 33, spent four days climbing Moose's Tooth in the Alaska Range, a 4,500-foot ascent covering rock, ice and snow.

It was only the second independent line completed on the mountain's face.

Mahoney and Gilmore traveled light and didn't set up advance camps or fixed ropes. And they climbed in rough weather, reaching the summit during a blizzard.

Gilmore and Mahoney went to Grenoble, France, last week as one of six climbing parties nominated for the Piolet d'Or, French for golden ice ax. Montagnes Magazine has presented the award annually since 1991 for the year's finest ascent of an alpine peak.

"This is kind of a normal route for us -- a big alpine face is the kind of climbing we tend to do together," Mahoney said.

"Compared to other routes we'd done, this one was much more committing. In the end, there were certain cruxes that proved difficult, but we found certain conditions to be better than what we expected."

While in France, Mahoney and Gilmore gave several presentations about their climb to a jury panel and an audience of about 1,000 people.

The award went to a team of 10 Russian climbers who staged a 50-day, expedition-style ascent of the vertical north face of Jannu, a 25,295-foot peak in Nepal.

"Ben and I have always stuck to alpine-style climbing," Mahoney said. "Siege style is less about the climbing and more about getting to the top, so it's less appealing to us."

Also nominated was former Exum guide Steve House, whose two-day, solo ascent of 22,000-foot K-7 in Pakistan was the audience's popular choice. House was the first person to repeat a route that was originally established by a Japanese party of 30 climbers.

Information from: Jackson Hole News And Guide, http://www.jhnewsandguide.com