Wanda Rutkiewicz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wanda Rutkiewicz
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Wanda Rutkiewicz climbing on Góry Sokole (Falcon Mountains) in 1968
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| Born |
Wanda Błaszkiewicz
4 February 1943 |
| Died | 13 May 1992 (aged 49) |
| Nationality | Polish |
| Occupation | Mountaineer |
| Known for | First woman to successfully climb K2 |
Wanda Rutkiewicz (born Wanda Błaszkiewicz) was a famous Polish mountain climber and computer engineer. She was born on 4 February 1943 and disappeared on 12–13 May 1992.
Wanda made history as the first woman to reach the top of K2, which is the second-highest mountain in the world. She was also the third woman, and the first European woman, to climb Mount Everest, the world's highest peak.
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Early Life and Sports
Wanda Rutkiewicz grew up in a smart Polish family in Plungė, Lithuania. Her father, Zbigniew Błaszkiewicz, was an engineer and a big sports fan. Her mother, Maria, loved reading about other cultures and dreamed of visiting the Himalayas.
After World War II, her family moved to Poland, first to Łańcut, then to Wrocław. Wanda started school in 1949 and joined the Scouts. A sad event happened when she was five: her older brother, Jerzy, died in an accident involving an old bomb from the war.
Wanda was a talented athlete in many sports. She trained in running, long jump, discus throw, and high jump. In 1961, she won a gold medal in shot put at a Polish university competition.
While studying at the Politechnic institute, she joined the Academic Sports Union (AZS Wrocław) and played volleyball. Even though she was not very tall (168 cm), she led her team to a big competition in Budapest in 1965. Some people thought she might even play for the national team or go to the Olympics, but Wanda chose mountain climbing instead. She later became an electrical engineer.
Wanda's love for climbing started by chance. In 1961, her heavy Polish motorcycle, a SFM Junak, ran out of fuel. A kind motorcyclist stopped to help her, and he was with a friend, Bogdan Jankowski, who was a climber. This meeting led Wanda to try climbing for the first time in the Falcon Mountains (Góry Sokole) near Janowice Wielkie.
Amazing Climbing Adventures
Wanda's first big climbing trip was to the Pamir Mountains. She found it tough because she didn't get along well with some of the male climbers.
After that trip, Wanda started leading her own expeditions. She even led several all-female climbs. She became known for being a very direct and strong leader.
On 16 October 1978, Wanda made history. She became the first person from Poland, the third woman overall (after Junko Tabei and Phantog), and the first European woman to reach the top of Mount Everest. She achieved this amazing feat even though she wasn't feeling well and needed special medicine to stay strong during the climb.
It was a special day for Poland because on the same day, her countryman, Cardinal Karol Wojtyła, became the Pope. When Pope John Paul II and Wanda Rutkiewicz met in 1979, he said, "The good Lord wanted this—that we rise so high on the same day."
In 1986, Wanda became the first woman to successfully climb K2 without extra oxygen. She was part of a small team led by Lilliane and Maurice Barrard. However, this victory was sad because both the Barrards died during their descent. They were among 13 climbers who died on K2 that summer.
Wanda Rutkiewicz had a big goal: to be the first woman to climb all 14 of the world's highest mountains, known as the eight-thousanders. During her climbing career, she successfully reached the summits of these mountains:
- 1975 – Gasherbrum III
- 1978 – Mount Everest
- 1985 – Nanga Parbat
- 1986 – K2
- 1987 – Shishapangma
- 1989 – Gasherbrum II
- 1990 – Gasherbrum I
- 1991 – Cho Oyu
- 1991 – Annapurna I
- 1992 – Kangchenjunga (this climb is not fully confirmed)
The Mystery of Her Disappearance
In 1992, while climbing Kangchenjunga, Wanda Rutkiewicz, who was 49 years old, was last seen by a Mexican climber named Carlos Carsolio. She was resting high up on the mountain's north-west side, trying to reach what would have been her ninth eight-thousander. She was very tired and decided not to go down. Carsolio said he was too weak himself to convince her to descend.
In 1995, some climbers thought they found her body on the mountain. But after looking closely at the clothes and items found, it seemed to be the body of another climber, Yordanka Dimitrova, who died in an avalanche in 1994.
It is still unknown if Wanda Rutkiewicz reached the summit of Kangchenjunga. If she did, she would have been the first woman to climb the world's three highest mountains. Her body has never been found.
Remembering Wanda
On 16 October 2019, Wanda Rutkiewicz was featured as the daily Google Doodle. This was to celebrate the 41st anniversary of her climb of Mount Everest. The image showed her climbing snowy peaks on a rope.
See also
In Spanish: Wanda Rutkiewicz para niños
