Jerzy Kukuczka facts for kids
Jerzy Kukuczka on Mount Everest, 1980
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Polish |
| Born | 24 March 1948 Katowice, Poland |
| Died | 24 October 1989 (aged 41) Lhotse, Nepal |
| Website | Virtual Museum of Jerzy Kukuczka |
| Climbing career | |
| Known for |
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| First ascents |
Gasherbrum II East, Biarchedi, Manaslu East, Yebokalgan Ri, Shishapangma West
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| Major ascents | Four winter ascents on the eight-thousanders |
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Józef Jerzy Kukuczka (born March 24, 1948, in Katowice, Poland – died October 24, 1989, on Lhotse, Nepal) was a very famous Polish mountain climber. He was known for climbing very high mountains.
On September 18, 1987, he became only the second person ever to climb all fourteen of the world's highest mountains. These mountains are called eight-thousanders because they are all over 8,000 meters (about 26,247 feet) tall. He achieved this amazing feat in less than eight years.
Jerzy Kukuczka is also the only person to have climbed two eight-thousanders in one winter. In total, he climbed four eight-thousanders during winter. Three of these were the very first winter climbs of those mountains. With another climber, Tadeusz Piotrowski, Kukuczka created a new path up K2. This path, called the "Polish Line," was climbed in a special way called alpine style. No one has ever climbed this path again.
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Climbing the World's Highest Peaks
Many people who love mountain climbing think Jerzy Kukuczka was one of the best high-altitude climbers ever. He climbed all fourteen eight-thousanders in just under eight years. For almost 27 years, he held the world record for climbing these peaks the fastest. In 2014, another climber, Kim Chang-ho, broke his record by a little over a month.
Unlike many other famous climbers, Kukuczka often chose new and difficult paths up the mountains. Many of his climbs were the first time anyone had ever used that path. He often climbed in the middle of winter, facing strong winds and extreme cold.
During his climbing career, Kukuczka created ten new paths on eight-thousanders. This is still a record today. He also climbed four of these giant peaks in winter. He was part of a special group of Polish climbers called Ice Warriors. They were experts at climbing mountains in winter.
It was hard to get money and equipment for expeditions in Poland during his time. To earn money for his climbing dreams, Kukuczka would paint tall factory chimneys. He did this by climbing them using ropes, which is a type of industrial climbing.
Kukuczka's Eight-Thousander Climbs
This table shows when and where Jerzy Kukuczka climbed the world's highest mountains. It also shows the paths he took and special details about his climbs.
| Year | Location | Mountain | Route | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Nepal | Lhotse | West Face | Normal Route |
| 1980 | Nepal | Mount Everest | South Pillar | New Route |
| 1981 | Nepal | Makalu | Variation to Makalu La/North-West Ridge | New Route, Alpine style, Solo |
| 1982 | Pakistan | Broad Peak | West Spur | Normal Route, Alpine style |
| 1983 | Pakistan | Gasherbrum II | South-East Spur | New Route, Alpine style |
| 1983 | Pakistan | Gasherbrum I | South-West Face | New Route, Alpine style |
| 1984 | Pakistan | Broad Peak | Traverse of North, Middle, Rocky and Main Summits | New Route, Alpine style |
| 1985 | Nepal | Dhaulagiri | North-East Spur | Normal Route, First Winter Ascent |
| 1985 | Nepal | Cho Oyu | South-East Pillar | Second Winter Ascent |
| 1985 | Pakistan | Nanga Parbat | South-East Pillar | New Route |
| 1986 | Nepal | Kanchenjunga | South-West Face | Normal Route, First Winter Ascent |
| 1986 | Pakistan | K2 | South Face | New Route, Alpine style |
| 1986 | Nepal | Manaslu | North-East Face | New Route, Alpine style |
| 1987 | Nepal | Annapurna I | North Face | Normal Route, First Winter Ascent |
| 1987 | China | Shishapangma | West Ridge | New Route, Alpine style, Ski Descent |
| 1988 | Nepal | Annapurna East | South Face | New Route, Alpine style |
He climbed all these mountains without extra oxygen, except for Mount Everest.
His Final Climb
Jerzy Kukuczka died while trying to climb the South Face of Lhotse in Nepal. This part of the mountain had never been climbed before. It happened on October 24, 1989.
He was climbing at a height of about 8,200 meters (26,900 feet). He was using a thin, used rope he had bought in a market. His climbing partner, Ryszard Pawłowski, said their main rope was stuck. So, they decided to use a different, less strong rope. When Kukuczka lost his balance and fell, the rope broke. He fell a very long way. His body was never found.
Remembering Jerzy Kukuczka
Jerzy Kukuczka is remembered in many ways:
- In 1996, his wife, Cecylia Kukuczka, created a special room in a summer house in Istebna, Poland. It is called the Memorial Chamber of Jerzy Kukuczka.
- A mountain hotel in Dingboche, Nepal, is named "Yak Hotel Jerzy Kukuczka."
- The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Katowice is a university named after him. It teaches about physical education and health.
- There is also a street named after him in the Gaj district of Wrocław, Poland.
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Monument in Katowice
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Jerzy Kukuczka's memorial with Lhotse in the background
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Memorial plaque in Istebna
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Monument of Polish mountaineers in Katowice
See also
In Spanish: Jerzy Kukuczka para niños
