Kunyang Chhish
1971

Ascending the virign peak of Kunyang Chhish (7852 m above sea level), located in the Hispar Muztagh massif in Karakoram (Pakistan) was meant to be a Polish comeback after the Second World War. In 1966 French climbers wanted to organise a joint French-Polish expedition to Hindu Kush. Andrzej Zawada persuaded them to try a more ambitious climb. Unfortunately, after everything had been established, the French withdrew. Poles received a permit to ascend Kunyang Chhish - they were to attempt climbing the third out of the highest, unclimbed mountains. Kunyang had already defeated two expeditions - British-Pakistani (1962) and Japanese (1965). Andrzej Zawada chose a different route to the summit than the one taken by the Japanese - through southeastern wall, so-called Ice Cake. The route is much shorter, but also much more difficult. It leads through technically difficult, exposed terrain, which requires anchoring kilometers of fixed rope. Unfortunately, although the expedition was successful, it wasn't lucky. Jan Franczuk, the youngest member of the expedition, died in an ice crevasse. The team dedicated to him a documentary about the expedition (“Khiangyang Kish znaczy Góra Narożna” - "Kunyang Chhish, the Corner Mountain"). In 1973, Wojciech Kurtyka named the new route on the north wall of Aiguille du Dru “Voie Petit Jean” - in Jan Franczuk's honour.