Tadeusz Piotrowski (mountaineer)
Encyclopedia
Tadeusz Piotrowski was a Polish mountaineer
and author of several books related to the subject. He has been referred to as "perhaps the finest winter mountaineer of his day".
, around the time when he was a student at the Szczecin University of Technology. He would go on to become one of the leading Polish mountaineers, known worldwide as a winter climbing specialist. He was one of the earliest mountaineers to specialize in winter climbing.
His best known climbs, usually first along the given path, and most of them in winter, include: Trollryggen
, Norway
in winter 1972, Noshaq
, Afghanistan
in winter 1973, Trollryggen, Norway in winter 1974, Trollryggen, Norway in winter 1977, Tirich Mir
, Afghanistan in 1978, Rakaposhi
, Pakistan
in 1979, Distaghil Sar
, Pakistan in 1980, Api
, Nepal
in winter 1983 and K2
in China
/Pakistan in summer 1986.
In 1974, his climbing companion, Stanisław Latałło, died on Lhotse
; whether Piotrowski could have helped him caused some controversy among Polish mountaineers. In 1983, Piotrowski directed the winter ascent on Api Mountain (7132 meters above sea level), and reached its peak on Christmas Eve
. He was accompanied by Andrzej Bieluń, who climbed at the head, and was lost, assumed dead near the top of the mountain.
Piotrowski died on 10 July 1986. Two days previously he had finished - with Jerzy Kukuczka
- the first ascent
of the South Face of K2 (also called the "Polish Line") - a very difficult and dangerous route which was threatened by serac
s and had been called "suicidal" by Reinhold Messner
. "The route is so avalanche-prone, that no one else has ever considered a new attempt." It was during the descent by a classic route (the Abruzzi Spur) that he lost both his crampons and fell to his death at the height of around 7900 meters, following two exhausting stopovers at the wall with no food or water. The route Piotrowski and Kukuczka climbed remains unrepeated.
For his mountaineering successes, Tadeusz Piotrowski became a four-time recipient of the highest sports medal in Poland
, the Gold Medal for the Exceptional Sporting Achievements.
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
and author of several books related to the subject. He has been referred to as "perhaps the finest winter mountaineer of his day".
Career
He began his career in the 1960s in Poland's Tatra MountainsTatra Mountains
The Tatra Mountains, Tatras or Tatra , are a mountain range which forms a natural border between Slovakia and Poland, and are the highest mountain range in the Carpathian Mountains...
, around the time when he was a student at the Szczecin University of Technology. He would go on to become one of the leading Polish mountaineers, known worldwide as a winter climbing specialist. He was one of the earliest mountaineers to specialize in winter climbing.
His best known climbs, usually first along the given path, and most of them in winter, include: Trollryggen
Trollryggen
Trollryggen is a peak along the Trolltindene ridge along the Romsdalen valley. It is located in the municipality of Rauma in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The Rauma River and the highway lie just to the east of the ridge.....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in winter 1972, Noshaq
Noshaq
Noshaq is the highest mountain in Afghanistan and the second highest independent peak of the Hindu Kush after Tirich Mir . Noshaq is located in the northeastern corner of the country along the Durand line which marks the border with Pakistan. It is the westernmost peak in the world...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in winter 1973, Trollryggen, Norway in winter 1974, Trollryggen, Norway in winter 1977, Tirich Mir
Tirich Mir
Tirich Mir is the highest mountain in the Hindu Kush region and the highest mountain outside of the Himalaya-Karakoram range, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The mountain was first climbed in 1950 by a Norwegian expedition consisting of Arne Næss, P. Kvernberg, H...
, Afghanistan in 1978, Rakaposhi
Rakaposhi
Rakaposhi , is a mountain in the Karakoram mountain range in Pakistan. It is situated in the Nagar Valley approximately 100 km north of the city of Gilgit in the Gilgit District of the Gilgit-Baltistan province of Pakistan. Rakaposhi means "Snow Covered" in the local language. Rakaposhi is...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
in 1979, Distaghil Sar
Distaghil Sar
Disteghil Sar or Distaghil Sar is the highest mountain in the Hispar Muztagh, a subrange of the Karakoram mountain range, in Gilgit-Baltistan. It is the 19th highest mountain on earth and the 7th highest peak in Pakistan...
, Pakistan in 1980, Api
Api (mountain)
Api is the highest peak in the Yoka Pahar Section of Gurans Himal, part of the Himalayas in the extreme northwest corner of Nepal, near the borders of India and Tibet...
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
in winter 1983 and K2
K2
K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
/Pakistan in summer 1986.
In 1974, his climbing companion, Stanisław Latałło, died on Lhotse
Lhotse
Lhotse is the fourth highest mountain on Earth and is connected to Everest via the South Col. In addition to the main summit at 8,516 metres above sea level, Lhotse Middle is and Lhotse Shar is...
; whether Piotrowski could have helped him caused some controversy among Polish mountaineers. In 1983, Piotrowski directed the winter ascent on Api Mountain (7132 meters above sea level), and reached its peak on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
. He was accompanied by Andrzej Bieluń, who climbed at the head, and was lost, assumed dead near the top of the mountain.
Piotrowski died on 10 July 1986. Two days previously he had finished - with Jerzy Kukuczka
Jerzy Kukuczka
Jerzy Kukuczka , born in Katowice, Poland, was a Polish alpine and high-altitude climber. On 18 September 1987, he became the second man, after Reinhold Messner, to climb all fourteen eight-thousanders in the world....
- the first ascent
First ascent
In climbing, a first ascent is the first successful, documented attainment of the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route...
of the South Face of K2 (also called the "Polish Line") - a very difficult and dangerous route which was threatened by serac
Serac
A serac is a block or column of ice formed by intersecting crevasses on a glacier. Often house-sized or larger, they are dangerous to mountaineers since they may topple with little warning...
s and had been called "suicidal" by Reinhold Messner
Reinhold Messner
Reinhold Messner is an Italian mountaineer and explorer from Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol "whose astonishing feats on Everest and on peaks throughout the world have earned him the status of the greatest climber in history." He is renowned for making the first solo ascent of Mount Everest without...
. "The route is so avalanche-prone, that no one else has ever considered a new attempt." It was during the descent by a classic route (the Abruzzi Spur) that he lost both his crampons and fell to his death at the height of around 7900 meters, following two exhausting stopovers at the wall with no food or water. The route Piotrowski and Kukuczka climbed remains unrepeated.
For his mountaineering successes, Tadeusz Piotrowski became a four-time recipient of the highest sports medal in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, the Gold Medal for the Exceptional Sporting Achievements.