Alpine mountaineering 1960-1968

The expedition's aim

Andrzej Zawada was unlucky when it came to alpine mountaineering. In 1947, when the first Polish expedition to central Alps started, in 1956, after Polish October, in 1957 and 1958, Zawada was busy organising and taking part in International Geophysical Year's scientific expeditions, in Vietnam, and later in Spitsbergen. After he came back, because he didn't "score" enough winter seasons in Tatra, he was not chosen for alpine expeditions. Others took part in them, and Zawada was looking for a way to rejoin the climbers. Thanks to his first winter climb of Tatra main ridge in 1959, he went on a semi-private expedition in Switzerland, but didn't have much success. The next chance came five years later. And, once more, he left his mark in the Alps.

Andrzej Zawada's alpine career was a short one. When in 1970 he tasted high altitude climbing, he concentrated his efforts there.

The expeditions' timeline

Andrzej Zawada w Chamonix (fot. Archiwum Fundacji Andrzeja Zawady)

1960

The first expedition

August - Andrzej Zawada's first alpine expedition - together with Zdzisław Kozłowski, Czesław Mrowiec and Andrej Grabiński - organised with mountaineering club from Geneva. They climbed a fairly easy Barrhorn (3610 m) in Pennine Alps. Difficult weather conditions made it impossible to continue climbing. On the way back Andrzej Zawada visited Paris for the first time.

Certyfikat zdobycia Mt. Everestu nową drogą wiosną 1980

1965

Summiting Mont Blanc

July 16

High-performance camp in Chamonix, France. Apart from Andrzej Zawada (deputy leader), Jerzy Warteresiewicz (leader), Krzysztof Cielecki, Jerzy Dyczek, Andrzej Heinrich, Janusz Kurczab, Gerard Małaczyński, Andrzej Mróz, Krzysztof Zdzitowiecki and Adam Zyzak took part. They were joined later by Maciej Popko and Ryszard Zawadzki. Their activity was concentrated entirely in Mont Blanc's massif.

Grupa polskich alpinistów pod budynkiem ENSA, Chamonix (fot. Archiwum Fundacji Andrzeja Zawady)

July 20

Base set up in GUMS tent campsite in Tacconaz. Extremely bad weather conditions.

July 23-24

After bivuac in Grands Mulets refuge, A. Zyzak and K. Cielecki climb Dôme du Goûter and go back to Chamonix (because of blizzard they can't reach Mont Blanc's summit).

Grupa polskich alpinistów w Chamonix (fot. Archiwum Fundacji Andrzeja Zawady).

July 24

A. Heinrich, J. Kurczab and J. Warteresiewicz ride to Plan des Aiguilles, where they bivuac.

July 27

A. Heinrich and J. Kurczab climb to the crag on 3008 m in Aiguille du Peigne ridge. J. Warteresiewicz, A. Heinrich, J. Kurczab and A. Mróz bivuac on Col de la Fourche.

J. Dymek, A. Zawada, G. Małaczyński and K. Zdzitowiecki bivuac in Argentiere valley.

Jerzy Werteresiewicz i Gerard Małaczyński w ścianie (fot. Archiwum Fundacji Andrzeja Zawady).

July 28-29

K. Cielecki and A. Zyzak climb Aiguille du Plan through ridges of Aiguille du Peigne and Aiguille des Felerins.

July 28

J. Dyczek and G. Małaczyński climb Col Cristaux from the northeast side, while A. Zawada and K. Zdzitowiecki climb western peak of Aiguille d'Argentiere on the southwest side.

August 5 - 6

J. Dyczek and K. Zdzitowiecki climb Col Verte using A. Charlet's northeast route, with their own adjustments.

Przez Mont Blanc de Courmayer na Szczyt Mont Blanc (fot. Archiwum Fundacji Andrzeja Zawady).

August 4 - 9

K. Cielecki, J. Kurczab and A. Zyzak traverse "Bonatti" pillar to reach Petit Dru.

Wierzchołek Mt.Blanc (fot. Archiwum Fundacji Andrzeja Zawady).

August 8 - 9

A. Heinrich and A. Mróz climb Mont Blanc by Innominata Ridge.

August 10

K. Tatarkiewicz (staying privately in Chamonix) and K. Zdzitowiecki traverse Mont Blanc's ridge through Mont Maudit.

Andrzej Zawada po przejściu Wielkiego Filara Narożnego (fot. Archiwum Fundacji Andrzeja Zawady).

August 9 - 10

G. Małaczyński, J. Warteresiewicz. A. Zawada and R. Zawadzki reach the foot of Grand Pilier d’Angle and after climbing it on August 10 - 14; they come back to Chamonix on August 15.

August 11 - 13

A. Heinrich and A. Mróz traverse the west wall of Petit Dru using Magnone’s route.

Andrzej Zawada w ścianie Filara Narożnego (fot. Archiwum Fundacji Andrzeja Zawady).

14 August 1965 - Bonatti-Gobbi route on Grand Pilier d'Angle in the Mont Blanc massif climbed again for the first time.

August 15 - 16

A. Zyzak climbs Mont Blanc through Aiguille du Gouter.

Zejście do schroniska Vallota (fot. Archiwum Fundacji Andrzeja Zawady).

August 20 - 21

A. Heinrich, J. Kurczab and A. Mróz climb the west wall of Petites Jorasses using A. Containine's route.

August 25

Taking down the base.

1966

Awful weather at the foot of Mont Blanc

July - August - high-performance camp in Chamonix, France. The camp ended without much success due to harsh weather conditions and tragic death of Maciej Pogorzelski on the slope of Mont Blanc, during descent from Dôme de Rochefort (4016 m) on the ridge of Grandes Jorasses. A. Zawada (with a team) climbed one of the easier, icy routes to Aiguille Blanche de Peuterey, right next to Grand Pilier d'Angle.

Maciej Gryczyński, Marek Grochowski i Andrzej Zawada (fot. Archiwum Fundacji Andrzeja Zawady).

Toaleta w Taconnaz (fot. Archiwum Fundacji Andrzeja Zawady).

Andrzej Zawada podczas wspinaczki(fot. Archiwum Fundacji Andrzeja Zawady).

1967

And again, the weather is awful

February - high-performance camp in Chamonix, France. Andrzej Zawada planned together with Jerzy Warteresiewicz a winter climb on Grand Pilier d'Angle. Unfortunately, bad weather - heavy rainfall - thwarted their attempts.

W dali Mont Blanc de Tacul (fot. Archiwum Fundacji Andrzeja Zawady).

1968
The second winter climb of the northern wall Aiguille Blanche
February - March - high-performance camp in Chamonix, France. Andrzej Zawada planned, once again, to attempt winter climb on Grand Pilier d'Angle. And once again, weather thwarted his plans. Instead, the team decided to climb the north wall of Aiguille Blanche de Peuterey (4107 m) in Mont Blanc massif.
  
March 8
The team of M. Kozłowski, J. Michalski, J. Poręba and A. Zawada travel to Aiguille du Midi and then climb to Col de la Fourche (3709 m).
  
March 9
Rest, observing north wall of Aiguille Blanche de Peuterey.

Wyjście ku przełęczy Col de la Fourche (fot. Archiwum Fundacji Andrzeja Zawady).

10 March 1698 - the second, winter climb on north wall of Aiguille Blanche de Peuterey in the Mont Blanc massif.

March 10

The team set out at 3 am, at 6 am started climbing the 730 m ice wall, at 10 am they reached an ice fall, at 4 pm ridge and then west summit; at 5 pm they started descent to Col Pauterey (3934 m). In harsh condtions, extremely strong wind and complete darkness they reached Brenva glacier and stopped there for the night.

Jacek Poręba, Jerzy Michalski i Maciek Kozłowski ku Aguille Blanche (fot. Archiwum Fundacji Andrzeja Zawady).

March 11 - 12

Rest in bivacco on Col de la Fourche.

March 13

Return to Chamonix.

The expedition's result

Alpine climbing was meant to be a natural progression of Andrzej Zawada's mountaineering career. Unfortunately, in 1950s due to work and frequent trips aborad he was unable to devote himself to climbing. Zawada concentrated on one project, the most important in his alpine career: climbing in summer and winter the famous Bonatti-Gobbi route through Grand Pilier d'Angle (Italians succeeded in 1957). Why this route? Walter Bonatti was at the time one of the best, and definitely the most daring alpine mountaineer. He was the visionary of alpine climbing and proved time and again that nothing is impossible. Repeating any of his feats brought fame in the mountaineering world. And if Bonatti himself deemed the route through Grand Pilier d'Angle the most difficult he ever climbed... It was an easy choice. The successes of the teams that Zawada was part of were hailed in Polish and foreign mountaineering press. Climbing Grand Pilier d'Angle - as well as two other Polish ascents - were deemed by the Italian magazine “Rivista mensile del Club Alpino Italiano” as most important alpine climbs of 1963-1967.

After the winter success of 1968, French paper Le Dauphiné Libéré wrote - "Four Polish mountaineers succeeded in one of the greatest winter ascents left in the Mont Blanc massif".

Grand Pilier d'Angle, almost vertical, 1,000 meter rocky cliff on the south side of Mont Blanc. For mountaineers it is a symbol of challenge and elegance.