Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 15, 2013 - 03:41pm PT
Wojciech Kurtyka
"His climbs in Poland consist of many difficult climbs – in crags, the hardest free climbs and free solo climbs of the time. In the Tatra Mountains he did a lot of first free ascents, first ascents in winter and established new winter routes.
Kurtyka became well known abroad in early 1973 after achieving the first winter ascent of Trollveggen (Troll Wall) in Norway, the highest vertical cliff on the continent (4 men Polish team).
He started in Greater Ranges in 1972, completing a little known – but important according to him – first ascent of the wall of Akher Chogh in Hindu Kush, in lightweight, alpine style. He started climbing in the Himalayas in 1974. After participating in two big Polish national expeditions in 1974 and 1976, he gradually turned to lightweight expeditions.
His teammates were such world-class Himalayan climbers as, among others, Alex MacIntyre (1977, 1978, 1980, 1981), Jerzy Kukuczka (1981, 1983, 1984), Doug Scott (1993, Nanga Parbat attempt), Erhard Loretan (1988, 1990, 1991, 1997), Reinhold Messner (1982, Cho Oyu winter attempt), Yasushi Yamanoi (2000, 2001, K2 and Latok attempts).
The ideas of minimal equipment and support even on the most difficult walls and highest peaks was included in his philosophical concept of the "path of the mountain".
Kurtyka's and Robert Schauer's (Austrian) climb of the West face of Gasherbrum IV in 1985 was selected by Climbing magazine as one of the 10 most impressive climbs of the 20th century (including rock climbing, bouldering etc.).
Besides being a climber, Kurtyka is author of many articles on climbing published in Polish and English. He is also an inventor (around 1980) of the local Polish grading system of free climbs. This system uses an opened scale, called "Kurtyka scale" or "Krakowska scale"."
Ed Viesturs about Polish climbers when "Freedom climbers" was published: “For many years, we in the climbing community have stood in awe of the accomplishments of Polish climbers. Relatively late into the Himalyan game due to political and monetary restrictions enforced onto them within their own country, the Poles sought the mountains as their escape. It was in fact the hardships they endured within Poland that hardened them physically and emotionally to seek out and endure the toughest climbs in the world. Freedom Climbers is a very enlightening and captivating look at the Polish climbing superstars, what drives them, their amazing accomplishments and their continuing role in pushing the limits in the mountain arena.”
It doesn't matter. Even if they speak incomprehensible Canadian there is a lot of excellent pictures, film and music. You can even hear Barbara Streisand sing "woman in love" in American.
I just watched the video about Kurtyka. The video is not only a testimony to his achievements, but also a portrait of a humble human being.
Thank you Marlow. Excellent post!
A little known fact about Polish climbers in the 80’s and 90’s is how they founded their trips abroad. At that time, a regular job paid about $500-$1000 a year. It was impossible to save money for even a small expedition. But in the early 80’ a group of climbers opened a new company that utilized their climbing skills. The services included painting industrial chimneys and constructions plus some other odd jobs. That new “occupation” paid 10-20 times more than any other job (including a doctor or lawyer). A few more companies like that soon opened. Since those businesses were operated by climbers and for climbers, the profit was often used to finance expeditions to the mountains abroad. I know this first hand because I used to work for one on those companies. I wasn’t a mountain climber, though. All I did was some rock climbing, maybe 20 days total in the 80’s. What I climbed more often, were viaducts. LOL! They were old and decommissioned, and had brick surfaces. That was a Polish version of gym climbing! But I had a chance to climb and work with many climbers that actually went to the Alps and Himalayas. Many of those climbers were Polish freedom fighters as well. Many times I discussed politics, philosophy, or even quantum physics when hanging from a rope and painting something. Good times!
Krzysztof Wielicki, another Polish hardman.
In 1984 he climbed Broad Peak (Falchan Kangri) in a day. Round trip from base at 4950m to the top at 8047m in 22h 10min. That's over 10,000 vertical feet!
“In the summer of 1984, Wojtek Kurtyka put me on. Together with Jurek Kukuczka, we were together on an expedition to Broad Peak (8047 m). We were climbing in order to adjust and Wojtek noticed that I'm walking very fast. I was always there 2-3 hours before the others. He said, since I'm moving so fast, maybe I could reach the summit in one day. So I gave it a try, at first in secret, at night. I reached 7200 m. It was foggy. I didn't see where I was, I got scared. You walk alone, without a rope, without fixed ropes marking the route, around a mountain crack. I withdrew. After a week I did it again. I headed off to the north. I managed to reach the summit in 16.5 hours and to walk back in less than 6 hours, so I made it in a day. This has been mentioned in the world press as a record”.
Now this 62 years old climber is leading the Polish Winter Broad Peak Expedition 2012/2013.
Our own Regan is keeping the Polish hardman/suffering tradition alive and well.
I love the stories of how Poles bitd left town with 2 lbs of cheese, 4 lbs. of chocolate, a pack of chewing gum, and about $0.35 in hard currency and somehow manage to trade and travel their way to Nepal or Pakistan, knock off three 8,000 meter peaks in a season, and fly home first class. Fine folks, indeed.
"Which woman has climbed more 5.14b routes than anyone except Josune Bereziartu (who’s in a class of her own)? It’s not Liv Sansoz or Beth Rodden or Martina Cufar. The answer is Aleksandra “Ola” Taistra of Poland, who just redpointed her third 8c (5.14b): Die Hard, a bouldery monodoigt testpiece at Grotte Gabbio, near Fenrentillo, Italy. In 2004 and 2005, Taistra completed two 5.14b routes in Poland: Power Play and Nie dla Psa Kielbasa.
Taistra, 25, is not the only Polish strongwoman. Last year, Kinga Ociepka, climbed the 5.14b Geminis at Rodellar, Spain, at age 20."
I had the honor of climbing with Voytek Kurtyka, when we were all about the same age of 29.
My partner John Bouchard and I met up with Voytek and his Polish partner, on the last few pitches of the Walker Spur, in a raging thunderstorm.
Voytek and Bouchard both were hit by lightning. I'm sure they won't forget it, nor I.
I remember years back, there was an article in Rock and Ice, I believe on climbing epics or something like that, and Bouchard contributed a story about getting hit by lightning on the Walker Spur.
I think we both consider it one of our closest calls. I only had him in a body belay with NO tie-in. We were in one hell of a hurry, since it was like a blizzard, and as I remember it, there weren't any obvious spots to put in protection for an anchor.
Voytek took off leading the last pitch, and Bouchard followed up right behind him. Just after Voytek reached the top, there was one horrendous lightning strike, and Bouchard was hit pretty bad; falling off.
Somehow, Bouchard grabbed Voytek's rope, with his good arm, saving himself.
When I arrived on the summit, a few minutes later, Voytek said, "I'm O.K.
only hit in the head, but your friend is hurt real bad"
Bouchard thought his arm was broken, but within 10 minutes, the shock started to wear off. When we all got back to Chamonix, John found that he had burn holes in his mittens and his socks!
In hindsight, if Voytek hadn't led off, ahead of Bouchard, I wouldn't be here to write this, since Bouchard would of pulled me off with him.
Voytek once commented on the success of Polish climbers in the Himalayas.
He said something like "Himalayan climbing is the art of suffering and Poles know how to suffer because we have always been between the hammer and the anvil" He was referring of course to Germany and Russia
I had the pleasure of directing him and Fred Beckey to the party location at the end of a Calgary climbing Festival back in 88(?). Fred was saying things like "Well Voytek do you want to grab a beer?"
"Maciej Berbeka, Adam Bielecki, Tomasz Kowalski and Artur Malek completed the feat at about 6 pm local time, scaling the famed peak in the Karakoram range, which lies on the border between Pakistan and China.
The news was relayed by noted climber Artur Hajzer, coordinator of the programme Polish Winter Mountaineering in the Himalayas 2010-2015.
“The summit has been conquered!” Hajzer hammered out on his Facebook page.
“It will be possible to speak of the entire success of the expedition when the team returns to base,” he added, noting that the climbers have to make a rapid descent as night is falling.
Nine mountaineers took part in this year's expedition, which was led by legendary climber Krzysztof Wielicki, 62, who came out of retirement for the venture.
Wielicki was the first climber in the world to make a winter ascent of Mount Everest, and the fifth to conquer all fourteen of the world's “eight-thousanders” (peaks over 8000m).
Broad Peak rises to 8047m, but has only now been conquered during the winter season.
Various members of the team attempted to scale the peak over the last few weeks, but winds, among other problems had prevented success until now."
25 years ago, almost to the day, Maciek Berbeka has reached Rocky Summit. So as of today he made it to the top - Broad Peak. It is his third winter ascent of the peak over 8000 m (Manaslu and Cho Oyu in eighties). This guy is 59 years old. What a FEAT! Congratulations to Maciek and the whole Polish Team!!!
"Considering all the circumstances, conditions, my experience, history of Himalayan mountaineering, knowledge regarding physiology and high-altitude medicine as well as consultations with doctors and co-organizers of the expedition in Poland, I have to declare Maciej Berbeka and Tomasz Kowalski dead.
Taking into account the time that has passed since the last contact, altitude where it took place, their condition, current weather conditions and all other factors, I have to claim openly that both climbers are dead.
The expedition has come to an end. We are packing the base camp and start to descend. March via the Baltoro Glacier will take approximately 5 days. We will come back to Poland on approximately 20th March. Due to lack of electricity, we will not have any possibilities to maintain contact via telephones or e-mails and thus, the will not be any information about us till approximately 15th March."
Krzysztof Wielicki
Leader of the winter expedition of Polish Mountaineering Association to Broad Peak
What happens if you bring some of the worlds best alpinists into the same room for a group interview?
That's what the French climbing Magazine Vertical did in October 1985. Those present were Wanda Rutkiewiscz, Eric Escoffier, Voytek Kurtyka, Erhard Loretan, Pierre Beghin, Doug Scott and Reinhold Messner. Here's the article translated and published in Mountain 109, 1986
Posted here on the Polish climbing thread because two Poles are involved - Wanda and Voytek.
Credit: Marlow
Credit: Marlow
Credit: Marlow
Credit: Marlow
There's an interesting take on the funding of climbers - receiving money from the State or not.
The Italian is not willing to take money from the State - the possible fascist State. But I think most Italians would be willing to receive money from one of Berlusconi's firms even with the possibility of Mafia and corruption involved. Italians don't trust the State. They have been governed by a bunch of infighting principalities, by Spain, by Austria and by France. They have to rely on themselves and the fox Berlusconi at least was seen as one of the people. After all, the idea of self-made man is really Italian, not American. Being in the pockets of corporations is good. Being in the pockets of the State is bad. Americans and Italians are similar in their views.
The Poles are willing to receive money from the State. Money from the State is money from the people collected through taxes to be used at purposes that serve what's common good. In Norway people would think in the same way. Being in the pockets of the State is not bad and not much will be asked for. Norwegians will take money from corporations too...
And the French? Pragmatics: They'll receive money from the State or from corporations because they need them, but if you ask them what they think, they'll say: "...but I don't like the money..."
The irony of the article above is that the majority of the people interviewed in it are now dead...
Wanda Rutkiewiscz- 1992 - Kangchenjunga
Eric Escoffier- 1998- Broad Peak
Erhard Loretan- died in the alps in 2011...
His credibility was greatly tarnished though, after he was convicted of manslaughter for the death of his seven-month-old son...
Pierre Beghin- Annapurna 1992
The mountains sure have an appalling death toll... Especially when you are pushing the limits....
Yes, and had that lightning strike on the Walker Spur in 1975,been a little more direct, Voytech wouldn't have gone on to the greater ranges, and I wouldn't be typing this.
The Gasherbrums are lonely - Voytek Kurtyka in Mountain 97, 1984
The remarkable traverse in June/July 1983 by Voytek Kurtyka and Jurek Kukuczka of Gasherbrum 2 and the ascent of the South-West face of Hidden Peak - followed by friendly ravens...
My bad if I came across as disingenuous, At the time I was not into climbing. I remembered the headlines and not much more regarding the matter. But "new sh#t has come to light", and my opinion has changed.
Another video featuring Wojciech Kurtyka....
Lots of interesting stuff on that utube channel...
Jelenia Góra ([jɛˈlɛɲa ˈɡura]; German: Hirschberg im Riesengebirge) is a city in Lower Silesia, south-western Poland. The name of the city means "deer mountain" in Polish, and German. It is close to the Krkonoše mountain range running along the Polish-Czech border – ski resorts such as Karpacz and Szklarska Poręba can be found 10 to 15 kilometres (6 to 9 miles) far from the town.
Jelenia Góra is situated in Lower Silesian Voivodeship (since 1999), having previously been the seat of Jelenia Góra Voivodeship (1975–1998). The city constitutes a separate urban gmina and city county (powiat), as well as being the seat of Jelenia Góra County (which surrounds but does not include the city). As at 2009 the population of Jelenia Góra is 84,564
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A climbing guide to some of the crags in the area (bolted and trad routes)
That last photo probably brings back fond memories of suffering.
I'll be visiting John Porter, in the UK, in a few weeks. After a few beers,
we will probably be discussing the Poles, as Porter has been on a few expeditions with Kurtyka.
Porter's book, "One Day as a Tiger", features many comments on the Polish climbing scene in the 70's.
Art of Freedom (2011) - The Polish Himalayan Phenomenon
Art of Freedom tells the stories of the most difficult Polish expeditions and the most spectacular ascents. It depicts the essence of Himalaism: overcoming the weaknesses of the human body in the most extreme conditions. It is also a story of endurance, solidarity, trust and concern for the overall well-being of the team. After all, Himalaism is the school of life, a test of survival and the experience of true freedom.
The documentary film Art of Freedom answers the most poignant questions on the phenomenon of Polish expeditions to the Himalayas. Poles have reigned the highest mountaintops of the world for more than 20 years. They not only set down new trails, but new rules of behavior. They set themselves apart with an original style of climbing, endurance, conscientiousness about the overall well-being of the team - and solidarity.
Let us know!