Why a Booktrail?
1970s, 1980s: The Polish golden age of mountaineering that redefined Himalayan climbing in the 1970s and 1980s.
Art of Freedom
What you need to know before your trail
Voytek Kurtyka is one of the greatest alpinists of all time. Born in 1947, he was one of the leading lights of the Polish golden age of mountaineering that redefined Himalayan climbing in the 1970s and 1980s.
His visionary approach to climbing resulted in many renowned ascents, such as the complete Broad Peak traverse, the ‘night-naked’ speed climbs of Cho Oyu and Shishapangma and, above all, the alpine-style first ascent of the West Face of Gasherbrum IV. Dubbed the ‘climb of the century’, his route on GIV with the Austrian Robert Schauer is – as of 2017 – unrepeated. His most frequent climbing partners were alpine legends of their time: Polish Himalayan giant Jerzy Kukuczka, Swiss mountain guide Erhard Loretan and British alpinist Alex MacIntyre.
Locations
Reset- Poland
- A: Skrzynka
- B: Trzebieszowice
- Norway
- C: The Troll Wall
- Afghanistan
- D: Kuh-e Bandaka
- India
- E: Changabang
Travel Guide
Just some of the mountains climbed:
Norway
Troll Wall
Afghanistan
Kohe Bandaka
India
Changabang with Alex MacIntyre and John Porter
Pakistan
Broad Peak (Broad Peak is the 12th highest mountain in the world at 8,051 metres above sea level) with Jurek Kukuczka
Gasherbrum IV with Robert Schuaer
Gasherbrum IV, surveyed as K3, is the 17th highest mountain on Earth and the 6th highest in Pakistan. It is one of the peaks in the Gasherbrum massif
Tibet – Cho Oyu
Cho Oyu is the sixth highest mountain in the world at 8,188 metres above sea level. Cho Oyu means “Turquoise Goddess” in Tibetan
China – Shishapangma
Shishapangma, also called Gosainthān, is the 14th highest mountain in the world at 8,027 metres above sea level
Booktrail Boarding Pass: Art of Freedom – The life and climbs of Voytek Kurtyka
Destination: Poland, worldwide Author/Guide: Bernadette McDonald Departure Time: 1970s, 1980s
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