Polish mountaineers, who for political reasons could not easily go abroad, missed the race to the top of the highest mountains in the Himalayas.
In the eighties, when it finally became possible, in the winter there was still a conquest of eight thousand - which many thought impossible, the Poles set off on their first expeditions to the Himalayas. Let me present some climbing legends.
Forty years ago today Leszek Cichy and Krzysztof Wielicki completed the first winter ascent of the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest.
Wielicki became the fifth man to conquer the Crown of the Himalayas - climbing all 14 mountains above eight thousand meters. He was also the first to reach the summit of Kangchenjunga and Lhotse in winter. Until today, he is an active mountaineer, leading Polish winter expeditions.
Cichy is the first Polish man to complete the Seven Summits challenge – climbing the highest mountains of each continent: Mount Everest (8,848 m), Aconcagua (6,961 m), Denali (6,194 m), Kilimanjaro (5,895 m), Mount Elbrus (5,642 m), Puncak Jaya (4,884 m), Mount Kosciuszko (2,228 m).
Jerzy Kukuczka is widely regarded by the climbing community as one of the best high altitude climbers in history. He was the second man after Reinhold Messner who climbed all fourteen eight thousand in just seven years, 11 months and 14 days. Unlike many outstanding mountaineers of his time, the routes that Kukuczka chose as Himalayan giants were usually original, many of them were first ascents and often took place in the grip of winter wind and cold. During his career, Kukuczka set ten new routes (still unbeatable record) and climbed four peaks in winter. He climbed all summits, except Mount Everest, without the use of additional oxygen.
He established a new route on K2 in the alpine style (the so-called “Polish Line”), which no one has ever repeated.
Wanda Rutkiewicz was the first woman on the K2 summit and the first Polish climber who climbed Mount Everest. During her excellent career, she climbed eight out of fourteen eight-thousanders. She died while climbing Kangchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world.
Adam Bielecki - one of the best Polish mountaineers of the new generation. He had already climbed K2 in summer, and he had first winter ascents of both Broad Peak and Gasherbrum.
Andrzej Bargiel is well known for skiing all the way down K2 as the first-ever person. This is the fourth eight-thousander conquered this way in the career of the 30-year-old Polish mountaineer.
In 2013, Bargiel skied down Shishapangma (8013 metres), in 2014 Manaslu (8156 metres) and in 2015 Broad Peak (8051 metres).
Of the eight-thousanders, only K2 in Karakorum (8,611 m), the second highest mountain in the world, remains unconquered in winter. Despite this fact there are many high mountains not climbed yet so there is still a big challenge in this field.
However, we must remember that it is a really dangerous sport and all professional expeditions to high mountains require not only the involvement of many people and sponsorship, but above all a team consisting of the best climbers.
- Do you like climbing in the mountains? What was the highest peak you climbed?
- What is your passion? Would you like to do it professionally?
- If you decided to go on a trip for several months, would you miss civilization?
Source:
https://www.thefirstnews.com/article/four-decades-ago-today-two-polish-climbers-made-history-with-first-ever-winter-ascent-of-mt-everest-10533https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanda_Rutkiewicz
Comments
2. Gardening is my passion, I spend every free moment in the garden. I love to plant, weed and water plants. I think I would be able to do it professionally. Unfortunately I don't know if I would find time for other gardens ....
3. I certainly wouldn’t miss the civilization, I love nature and silence. However, I would miss my loved ones.
2. My passion is Netflix. I think I do it very professional, especially this time))
I don't know what is my passion, I have things that I love to do but I don't think that this is passion
3. I think I would not dare to go on trip for several months, I think two weeks is enough for me.
Yes I would miss civilization, I think I can't spent so much time out of civilization
I have never tried this before. Your article looks really interesting and maybe i will try it when i will have opportunity.
2. What is your passion? Would you like to do it professionally?
I think everyone would like to do their passion professionally. When you are doing what you love you do not feel like you are working but sometimes it is connected with some negative effects.
3. If you decided to go on a trip for several months, would you miss civilization?
I think i could go somewhere but not for several months. It is too long and i would miss civilization.
2. I don’t have any passions. I’m a very boring person.
3. It depends on conditions of this trip. I think i would miss, i would rather like split this trip seven times for a month.
I like going to the mountains very much, especially in summer, to hike and climb them.
I don't like super high peaks, but moderate ones that are common in Poland. The higest was probably Snieżnik or some other summit in Karkonosze which I especially like.
2.
I make websites profesionally, I like technology and I'm often reading about this rapidly chaning field. It's quite fascinating for me, but I wouldn't call it a passion
3.
I like remote places, and would love to go on such trip. Siberia, Kazakshtan or Canada are good remote destinations, for me which are relatively safe. That cannot be said about extremely high mountains were a lot of people die. I feel that human contact is important, but I guess that I would apreciate it more if I spent some longer time alone.
I don't like high mountains. For me, the most beautiful are low mountains like "Beskid Niski". You can wander there through the wilderness, admire beautiful wooden churches and cottages and regenerate your strength in cosy spas. The Low Beskid is still one of the least touched corners of our country. And it is exceptionally beautiful. The highest peak I have reached is Pico Ruvio. It is the highest peak on Madeira, 1862 m above sea level.
What is your passion? Would you like to do it professionally?
My passion is history and numismatics (and some others). In total, it started 17 years ago with numismatics, and so it has passed on to history, The beginning of numismatic collecting turned after a few years into a scientific activity concerning various issues related to the broadly understood history of Polish minting from the X-XX century. Later, the time came for general and regional history. I don't think that this is the basis of my maintenance.
1. If you decided to go on a trip for several months, would you miss civilization?
I've been at the campsite for a month and it's been far too long.
I do like climbing mountains. My parents instilled in me a love for nature, and Polish landscapes so every year we plan a trip to Bieszczady with my them and their friends. We also were a few times in “Slovak Paradise” and I loved it. I am aware of the fact that these are not the highest mountains, but as I don’t have acrophobia I’m planning to go and try my strengths on the Kilimanjaro mountain after finishing PJATK. It requires a bit of preparation in my opinion, so I do want to develop my physical strength (and of course raise money) before I decide to do it.
What is your passion? Would you like to do it professionally?
I think my main passion is singing. Back when I was smaller, I used to have professional singing classes every week, I even tried my strengths in some contest for people from music schools and stuff. I do love it, it is my passion and I enjoy it very much, but I’m not planning to do anything connected with that genre.
If you decided to go on a trip for several months, would you miss civilization?
It’s hard to tell. If I was there all by myself, I would probably get homesick quite fast. But if I was there with my family or my boyfriend, I assume it would be actually quite bearable for me. I do like to have a lot of “alone time”, I enjoy spending time surrounded by nature untouched by humans, so I think that few months without people, internet and phones wouldn’t be so hard for me.
2. I don’t have any passions. I am just a normal person. I like my job – I am a programmer, and it gives me satisfaction. Also, I am a little bit interested in trains and public transport system, but I’m not a fanatic of any kind. I don’t like “engineering ignorance”. I have to be aware which model of an airplane I fly, or which kind of train I ride.
3. Yes, long term it would be too boring, and I’d have an impression of wasted time. I could cut myself off civilization for a month for example, but probably not longer. Anyway, I think that nowadays we are overwhelmed with technology and ease of communication. Everyone could use a little vacation without all these devices, to gather thoughts, contemplate and clean up the mind. I am introvert, so I can imagine that.
2. Sport is my passion, I love to practice it and it makes me forget about ordinary problems, I can survive. However, I have too weak skills to be very successful. Maybe if I were a child again and had the knowledge I have today, it would be different. Today I focus on programming, because it is in this industry that I can be successful.
3. This is probably a bad question. After all, can I go on a trip to a place where there is civilization? I think it would be hard for me, at first I would probably enjoy peace and quiet for a few days. However, after a while I would get bored and would like to return to a normal home. Several times I was on vacation in a tent. It was a nightmare, I'm too comfortable - I like civilization.
2. I don't think I have something I could call my passion. I just get bored with almost everything after short while of starting it, whatever it would be. Maybe board games as I always like to come back to them? But still, it's not something I would call passion and I even don't have such approach to them as I used to.
3. Define several :D. 'Short' several would be probably pretty nice holidays. 'Long' several? Not so sure anymore. But I think I don't need a lot of civilization to be happy. I love silence and solitude. Additionally I had a lot of contact with nature since I was a kid and never complained about it. Rather quite opposite. But we never know until we try.
No, I do not like climbing and hiking. The highest peak I was on is probably Mashuk, as it is in the city I am from.
What is your passion? Would you like to do it professionally?
My passion is making videogames, and I am already doing it professionally :)
If you decided to go on a trip for several months, would you miss civilization?
not people but the comforts of the civilization, yes.
2. I like swimming the most. I train swimming mainly for health, but it also gives me pleasure. It is a pity that the pools are currently closed due to the coronavirus epidemic. Would I like to do it professionally? Rather not - I prefer to myself.
3. If I had been traveling for several months in a remote area, it seems to me that I could miss everyday life, civilization and people. Because we are created to live among others.
2. Darts are my passion. As soon as I have some free time I dedicate it to throwing darts. Although this is my passion I would not like to do it professionally. There are a lot of trips to tournaments associated with this profession, which would make me absent at home.
3. No, I wouldn't miss anything what I have every day :).
I am not much of a fan of such activities to be honest. I have been to a couple of those trips but I have never been very excited about them. Once every few years there is a opportunity to go for a mountain walk but I usually turn those down. I can't remember which of the peeks was the highest but I will make a guess and say that Śnieżka was the highest one.
What is your passion? Would you like to do it professionally?
I am at that point of life where I don't know what my exact passion is and I am in the middle of a process of finding it. I hope that I am close. Turns out that technology and computers seems to be a huge part of my life so I guess that might be something related to this. 3D graphics seems to be something which combines those factors with creativity so this might be it. Will see.
If you decided to go on a trip for several months, would you miss civilization?
I am sure I would. I am a tech guy. I like to have access to information, music, entertainment and so on. I know that such "detox" would have some amazing benefits and I would like to try one but I am also sure that I would miss civilization very much.
2 / For me, conquering every peak is tantamount to solving another scientific problem. I make an ascent to experience the elusive sense of flight again and again. The tremendous effort expended during the ascent is rewarded with a heady sense of satisfaction when you stand at the highest point of the mountain range. I am attracted to the mountains by absolutely clean air and extraordinary nature, a combination of green grass and blue ice, cold stone and a delicate flower; crystal waterfalls and sparkling snow caps, unprecedented flowers.
3 / Travel enriches a person, allows you to look at yourself from the perspective of another spiritual heritage ... Mountains provide great opportunities for a good rest, especially its active species ... Undoubtedly, mountains have long attracted people. And the desire to be as close to them as possible is understandable ... The mountains satisfy the “sensory hunger”. Now, the craving for shining heights, along with striving for other unexplored expanses, supports the spirit of search, discoverer in a person, educates and polishes, and often revives the quality of a wrestler ... But the specificity of the mountains is that people here more often look for uncomfortable conditions, remote and undeveloped places.
I used to go climbing with my parents as a kid to polish mountains. I remember that I really enjoyed that. Then I had a long break and last autumn I went to Bieszczady with my girlfriend for her birthday. The peaks we climbed were not the highest in the area and I don’t remember the names but nevertheless, it was really satisfying and enjoying.
2. What is your passion? Would you like to do it professionally?
My passion is definitely everything related to cars and automotive industry. What I would like to do most is just racing but looking at it more objectively, I go through open career offers on racing teams’ websites from time to time to check if they look for a software engineer. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll be their asset helping with achieving world champion title.
3. If you decided to go on a trip for several months, would you miss civilization?
It depends on a trip but knowing myself, if I were to go on a several-month trip I would include cities and capitals in my list of places that I would like to visit during the trip.
2. For years my biggest passion was dancing, and I still love it, but I actually never wanted to do It professionally.
3. Probably yes, but it would depend on who I would be travelling with and where would be this trip.
Thank you for your answer. Definitely some people are simply better genetically conditioned to be at high altitude. I envy my patience, I have never liked working in the garden, although picking a self-grown fruit is very satisfying.
3200 is a big achievement. I dream of entering the five-thousander in the future but I don't know if I dare. In my case, a trip for several months would also be too long, I have many habits here, which, although they are not directly related to civilization, would be difficult to recreate while traveling.
Thank you for your answer. The directions you choose are very close to mine - natural areas that have not been changed much by people. You are right that, although in the mountains you can definitely cut off from civilization and be alone with yourself there are many other places where you can experience the same.
In my childhood I walked the mountains. My highest peak is Rysy from the Polish side ;-), those who walk in the mountains know what I am talking about. Now I had to give up. But if I can go to the mountains, don't climb to admire them.
2. What is your passion? Would you like to do it professionally?
I believe that professionalism kills passion in my concept. I prefer to do something out of passion not professionally. It is important that it makes you happy.
3. If you decided to go on a trip for several months, would you miss civilization?
I never lack civilization. If I leave, I am happy if I can rest. But after some time the internet is missing.
It's nice that the hobby was turned into a scientific activity. Maybe if it were to bring financial benefits it would eventually become an ordinary job instead of passion.
I think that having a passion completely detached from work has many advantages, thanks to which there is always a stepping stone from everyday tasks.
I am impressed, I think I would be able to withstand a few weeks and also on condition of being in the company of loved ones.
Thank you for your answer. I also experienced a similar adventure and I do not recall it positively. It's nice to have a guide and a more experienced person in the group. I also think that it is easier for me to endure the current situation in civilization than if I had to go to a place cut off from technology.
Thank you for your answer. I agree with you that spending too much time away from civilization would be a waste of time. Sometimes when I go to the countryside I have the impression that most of my days are the same. It's also nice to be able to learn something in your spare time that you don't have time for in normal life. And for this it is easiest to use even tutorials, which are abundant on the Internet.
2.I spend a lot of time riding my bike and it is my passion. I don't think I could do it professionally though. I like the simplicity of it and I think professionalism doesn't allow simplicity.
3.No way, I love travelling and I love being far away from everyone.
Thank you for your answer. Indeed, winter sports give more fun to many people. Just enjoying the hobby is very important, not always the financial benefits would go hand in hand with satisfaction. In addition, it is a nice escape from normal life. I also never liked camping trips and even though I didn't miss the Internet and telephone it was bad because of the lack of access to a normal bathroom and kitchen.
I've never tried it but I can imagine myself doing and enjoying it. I can visit mountains once a year, so if I need to decide, I always dedicate every minute of that time for snowboarding.
2.What is your passion? Would you like to do it professionally?
Passion and professionalism is a rough relationship. Love-and-hate rollercoaster among the way. I turned my programming passion into a professional career path. I don't regret the transition but I can fully understand why people do regret leveling their passion into professional career.
3.If you decided to go on a trip for several months, would you miss civilization?
Yes. I like to keep myself busy, even if it is passive entertainment - like watching movies or reading books. I would hardly be able to stand myself without anything I could focus on
I agree that access to information and technology is very convenient and useful - thanks to which we can easily develop, but who knows, maybe a few weeks rest would have a positive effect on our acquisition of knowledge.
It would be a nice combination of passion and work, while there would be little risk that passion would start to tire you. There are also many cities on my list, even though I live in a city, I would always choose to visit other cities first.
I wouldn't call it my hobby or passion, but I enjoy doing so from time to time. I climbed only in the Polish mountains and never went to the Rysy for some reason, so honestly, I don't know. But one of the highest mountains in the Polish Tatry.
What is your passion? Would you like to do it professionally?
I do consider programming my passion and I do it professionally, so I hope that doing that every day it would not kill my enjoyment. Skiing used to be my passion, but since I live in Warsaw it's getting harder and harder to manage to go somewhere. I wouldn't consider doing it professionally, because of the money and the country we live in - very bad for being a professional alpine skier.
If you decided to go on a trip for several months, would you miss civilization?
I think I will. I like the comfort zone, I think that's why it's called like that. But to go back from such a trip to a civilization certainly feels amazing.
I like mountains overall but I don't climb it to get some result. I do it for fun when I am on holiday with parents or friends. I used to do that a lot when I was young. We often went to Beskid Żywiecki. Landscapes there were very beautiful.
2. What is your passion? Would you like to do it professionally?
From young age I loved all kinds of sports. I practiced tennis for a long time since young age but I got injured. Later I practiced football and I dreamed about becoming a footballer but I also got injured. Now I would rather say that I have things that I really like to do. For sure my passion is football but it involves more cheering for Chelsea rather than playing it professionaly.
3. If you decided to go on a trip for several months, would you miss civilization?
Probably I would but I think that such a long trip can work like a big detox. Nowadays life is full of action, people have so many incentives and I think that it is really important to go to countryside from time to time. Mountains can work aswell ;)
I do, but unfortunately I don't climb very often. Highest peak I climbed was Rysy.
What is your passion? Would you like to do it professionally?
Programming is my passing and I do it professionally.
If you decided to go on a trip for several months, would you miss civilization?
For sure, civilization is very comfortable sometimes. But depending on the trip destination it may be worth it.
Yes, I enjoy climbing the mountains although it's pretty tiring. I am not sure what was the highest peak I climbed, perhaps it was mountain Baiyun nearby my homecity in Guangzhou, China. It has very beautiful view after you reach the peak. I've also climbed some mountains in Zakopane in Poland.
2. What is your passion? Would you like to do it professionally?
My passion is music, I've played a guitar for many years and I've learned several things about music. After all I decided I won't do it professionaly because what you love doesn't necessary can bring you money for living.
3. If you decided to go on a trip for several months, would you miss civilization?
I think of course I would miss civilization since I'm used to live in the city where I can shop anytime or order food when I'm hungry. These are things not easy to give up on.
2. At this moment my passion is running, during quarantine it is a perfect activity for me, I could do it professionally but I am too old.
3. I think at beginning it would be very hard for me, but after 2 months I would get used to it, I'm just wondering if I would have problem back to civilization
2. My passion revolves around gaming, watching anime and reading books. In my opinion doing your passion professionally can kill your love to it, because the effort you put into it has to be even bigger than normally.
3. Yes, for sure. I'm not a big fan of trips, especially ones this long, so I wouldn't be keen to try it.
2. I love to car racing. It is pretty expensive sport then I am rather saving money for some increasing-power modifications. There are other units which I also need to replace before start more serious racing. Main required part is frame which stiffnes the body of car.
3. I always going on a trip with my girlfriend, so when I am with her I only miss my family. So concluding I would not miss a civilization in any way.