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Jerzy KukuczkaPolish climber
Date of Birth: 24.03.1948
Country:  Poland |
Content:
Biography of Jerzy Kukuczka
IntroductionJerzy Kukuczka was a Polish mountaineer who became the second person, after the renowned Italian climber Reinhold Messner, to conquer all 14 eight-thousanders. Remarkably, while Messner took 16 years to achieve this feat, Kukuczka accomplished the same in just 8 years.
Early Life and Career
Jerzy Kukuczka was born in 1948 in Katowice, Poland. After completing his schooling, Kukuczka attended a professional-technical school and started working in a mine. It was in the mine where he first encountered ropes and carabiners. He first set eyes on mountains at the age of 16, and although it was a somewhat late introduction, Kukuczka instantly fell in love with them. He began searching for opportunities to become an alpinist, even though it was not an easy task in socialist Poland. Obtaining visas and finding sponsors for his expeditions proved to be incredibly challenging. Nevertheless, Kukuczka managed to find a way to the mountains. In the 1960s and 1970s, he established several new routes in the Tatra and Dolomite Mountains, including some of the most difficult winter routes.
Achievements
In 1979, Kukuczka stood atop his first eight-thousander, Lhotse. The same year, he made his first attempt on Nanga Parbat in the Himalayas, although he had to turn back just a hundred meters from the summit. He later successfully conquered Nanga Parbat in the mid-1980s. In May 1980, Kukuczka climbed Mount Everest via the South Pillar, using supplemental oxygen, which was the only time he used it in his ascents. All his other climbs were done without oxygen. In 1981, he successfully reached the summit of Makalu, enduring extremely challenging conditions with strong winds and limited visibility due to dense fog. During that expedition, the entire team turned back, except for Kukuczka, who continued solo.
In 1982, Kukuczka summited Broad Peak, followed by Gasherbrum II in 1983, along with his compatriot Voytek Kurtyka. Just a month later, he conquered Gasherbrum I. In 1985, Kukuczka finally succeeded in ascending Nanga Parbat, making up for his failed attempt in 1979. He was known for his winter expeditions and pioneering new routes, including a famous one on K2 in 1986. That same year, Kukuczka climbed Kanchenjunga, marking another successful winter expedition.
In 1986, Kukuczka had an incredibly productive year. He established a new route on Manaslu, summited Annapurna I in February 1987, and then reached the top of Shisha Pangma in September of the same year.
Tragic Death
Jerzy Kukuczka met an untimely end during a climb on Lhotse, where he was attempting to establish a new route on the southern face of the mountain. He fell from a height of 140 meters when his safety rope, which he had purchased on a market in Kathmandu to save money, failed. His climbing partner later stated that even if the rope had held, Kukuczka would not have had a chance of survival due to the severe head injuries he sustained after hitting the rock multiple times during the fall. Kukuczka's body was found two days later, on October 26, 1989, and he was buried in a crevasse near the camp.
Legacy
Jerzy Kukuczka's record of climbing all 14 eight-thousanders in 8 years remains unmatched. He left behind two books about his ascents, documenting his remarkable achievements in the world of mountaineering.
