In 2003, Cool was nominated alongside climbing partners for the Piolet d'Or award for a route on Annapurna III. In 2012 he made good on an 88-year-old Olympic pledge by taking one of the 1924 Olympic Gold Medals awarded to the 1922 British Everest Expedition (awarded for Outstanding feats of human endeavour) to the summit of Everest. This prompted Lord Coe to personally thank Cool and his team for helping kick start the 2012 Olympic Games.