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Jerzy Kukuczka - The Mountaineering Legend
This page is dedicated to Jerzy Kukuczka - one of the best alpine and high-altitude climbers in history. Kukuczka was born in Katowice (Poland) in 1948.Kukuczka ascended all fourteen eight-thousanders in the world in eight years (four summits in winter), a shorter time than any climber before and established ten new routes. He was one of an elite group of Polish Himalayan mountaineers who specialized in winter ascents.
1979 — Lhotse (Nepal) - normal route, alpine style
1980 — Mount Everest (Nepal) - new route
1981 — Makalu (Nepal) - new route, alpine style, solo
1982 — Broad Peak (China) - normal route, alpine style
1983 — Gasherbrum II (Pakistan) - new route, alpine style
1983 — Gasherbrum I (Pakistan) - new route, alpine style
1984 — Broad Peak (China) - new route, alpine style
1985 — Dhaulagiri (Nepal) - first winter ascent
1985 — Cho Oyu (Nepal) - second winter ascent, new route
1985 — Nanga Parbat (Pakistan) - new route
1986 — Kanchenjunga (Nepal) - first winter ascent
1986 — K2 (Pakistan) - new route, alpine style
1986 — Manaslu (Nepal) - new route, alpine style
1987 — Annapurna I (Nepal) - first winter ascent
1987 — Shisha Pangma (China) - new route, alpine style
He has climbed all above summits except for Mount Everest without use of supplemental oxygen.
Jerzy Kukuczka said: "I have something inside me that makes me have no interest in playing for low stakes. For me it is the high bid or nothing. That's what fires me."
Jerzy Kukuczka died on Lhotse on October 24th 1989. A second-hand rope he had picked up in a market in Kathmandu snapped during the climb plunging him to his death.
External Links
Jerzy Kukuczka: The Crown of the HimalayasJerzy Kukuczka – The ultimate legend
World News - Jerzy Kukuczka
Review of Kukuczka's book "My Vertical World"
"Kukuczka" - Movie by Jerzy Porebski