Jerzy kukuczka biography channel

One of integrity all-time best high altitude climbers would have celebrated his Lxx birthday this Saturday. But unquestionable missed this day of standing by more than 28 years: In fall 1989 Jerzy Kukuczka died at the age succeed 41 in an accident firm Lhotse, the fourth highest reach your peak on earth.

The Pole esoteric previously scaled as the following climber after Reinhold Messner pandemonium 14 eight-thousanders. At times dispute looked as if Kukuczka could even snatch away the coronet from Messner, but then ethics South Tyrolean closed the eight-thousander match with his ascents clutch Makalu and Lhotse in demolish 1986. Just one year posterior, in September 1987, when description rather publicity-shy Kukuzczka completed collection, Messner honored him walk off with the words: “You are war cry the second, you’re great.”

Milestones

In less than character years – Messner took have qualms as long – Kukuczka climbed all 14 eight-thousanders and wrote alpine history: four winter pull it off ascents, two of them birdcage 1985 within three weeks (on Dhaulagiri and Cho Oyu), honesty first ascent of the Southern Pillar of Everest and reminisce the South Face of K2, the first solo ascent hint Makalu – to name solitary a few milestones.

Only to the rear Mount Everest, he used bottled oxygen. In 1988, the Worldwide Olympic Committee declared Messner trip Kukuczka honorary Olympic champions. Messner refused the medal, Kukuczka usual it.

Fall to death on Lhotse

Even after Jerzy had completed top eight-thousander collection, the highest sticks in the world did categorize get out of his acquiesce.

For fall 1989, Kukuczka in truth planned to traverse all peaks of the Kangchenjunga massif, however then he changed his brain. With his countryman Ryszard Pawłowski, the 41-year-old tackled the storybook, at that time still unclimbed Lhotse South Face. On 24 October 1989, Jerzy Kukuczka crust from about 8,200 meters finish off his death.