New route to Everest
1980
© 2020 Fundacja Himalaizmu Polskiego im. Andrzeja Zawady
Soon after all fourteen eight-thousanders of Himalaya and Karakoram had been summited a race began; its aim - reach the summits using new routes. Poles have also joined this ambitious competition. Just after the winter success on Everest, Andrzej Zawada led another expedition - this time to try and reach the summit of the world's highest mountain using new, ambitious route through South Pillar. Already in autumn 1974 Zawada was considering the South Pillar but conceded that such a climb would be challenging, as the most difficult stretch of the route is in the upper parts, over 8 thousand meters.
In 1978, Reinhold Messner received the permit to try ascending the South Pillar, but decided not to attempt the climb. In 1980, thirteen mountaineers took part in the Polish expedition - five of them were part of the winter one.
They succeeded in making history once again - in one year they have climbed Everest twice - for the first time in winter, and for the first time using the new route.
Official name of the expedition:
Mount Everest ‘80 Poland Expedition
Expedition's status: national expedition
Route: new route on South Pillar
Members: 15
Budget:
ca. $250,000 (including the winter expedition)
Base established: 31 December 1979 - equipment left from the winter expedition - 23 March 1980 - base re-established
Summit reached: 19 May 1980
Mountaineers
Andrzej Zawada – leader (51 years old during the expedition, Warsaw Mountaineering Club (Klub Wysokogórski; KW))
Andrzej Zygmunt Heinrich – sports, deputy leader (42 yrs., KW Cracow)
Krzysztof Cielecki (44 yrs., KW Warsaw)
Eugeniusz Chrobak (41 yrs., KW Cracow)
Ryszard Gajewski (25 yrs., KW Zakopane)
Lech Korniszewski - doctor (KW Warsaw)
Jerzy Kukuczka (32 yrs., KW Katowice)
Janusz Kuliś (30 yrs., KW Wroclaw)
Kazimierz Waldemar Olech (51 yrs., KW Warsaw)
Kazimierz Rusiecki (39 yrs., KW Warsaw)
Jan Serafin - doctor (46 yrs., KW Warsaw)
Wojciech Wróż (38 yrs., KW Poznan)
Communication, press, transport
Konstanty Chitulescu – radio operator
Marian Sajnog - Jelcz driver (41 yrs., KW Wroclaw)
Piotr Sawicki - press representative
Krzysztof Wiśniewski - Jelcz driver
Mirosław Wiśniewski - Jelcz driver
Base personnel and moutaineer porters
Pemba Norbu Sherpa – sardar
Modan Bahadur Karki – liaison officer
Mingma Tenjing Sherpa – moutaineer porter
Ang Purba Sherpa - moutaineer porter
Nawang Yonden Sherpa – moutaineer porter
Japyang Tensing Sherpa - cook
Sena Iyalzen - cook's helper
Padham Banadur - runner
1979
March 21
Permission for ascending Everest granted, but only before monsoon season, spring 1980.
July -
August
Andrzej Zawada sends invitations for the expedition to a number of Polish mountaineers. He asks for them to declare if they wish to ascend Everest - in spring or winter.
1980
March 7
The first group of mountaineers leaves from Poland to Kathmandu. For now, after coming back from the winter expedition, Andrzej Zawada stays in Poland. He's organising press events about the winter expedition and gathering additional funds needed for a spring expedtion. In the meantime, Lech Korniszewski and ambassador Andrzej Wawrzyniak try to smooth over the diplomatic incident, which broke out after Polish Press Agency - against Nepalese Ministry of Tourism's directive - was first to inform about the winter expedition's success. Nepal wants to revoke the premission and ban Andrzej Zawada from Nepal.
March 9
Mirek and Krzysztof Wiśniewscy fly from Warsaw to Mumbai to claim Jelcz truck from sea cargo and drive to Kathmandu.
March 19
Although they didn't receive the permission for the spring Everest expedition, its members fly to Lukla and then set out for the base.
March 20
The truck collected from Mumbai port.
March 23 - Lech Korniszewski decides to send mountaineers to the Base Camp and start preparations without permit.
March 23
Polish mountaineers reach the base under the foot of Everest and start moving the equipment to the upper camps. Jerzy Kukuczka calls their illegal activities "dealing with it the Polish way". Andrzej Zawada flies to Nepal.
March 25
The part of the expedition with Kazimierz Krzysztof Cielecki, Waldemar Olech and Andrzej Heinrich stay in the base, taking care of the equipment left after the winter expedition. At the same time two other expeditions from Spain are in progress - Basque aiming for Everest and Catalan for Lhotse.
March 26 - the conflict with Ministry of Tourism is smoothed over and the expedition receives permission for climbing.
March 26
Appeased, Nepalese Ministry grants Poles the permission to climb Everest. This late permit is a punishment for Poles; Nepal hopes that this will disrupt Polish climbing plans and teach them a lesson.
March 27
Re-establishment of the Camp I. Both CI and CII, set up during the winter expedition, had been secured and were waiting for the spring team. Mountaineers move additional equipment and expand the camps.
March 28
Re-establishment of Camp II.
April 2
The truck with the expedition's luggage arrives in Kathmandu.
April 7
E. Chrobak and K. Cielecki set up CIII on the South Pillar (7200 m). Regardless, the steep snowy-ice wall between CII and CIV had to be anchored.
April 14
A. Zawada and doctor J. Serafin fly from Kathmandu to Lukla.
April 18
A. Zawada and J. Serafin reach the Base Camp.
April 28
Thanks to the great effort of the entire team, A. Czok, Z. Heinrich. J. Kukuczka, W. Olech and W. Wróż set up CIV at 8050 m; arduous work on securing the almost vertical rock barrier begins - this is the most difficult 200 m of the entire climb. The entire team is engaged. Jerzy Kukuczka gives it a five on a scale used in Tatra mountains, meaning "very hard".
We could use some onions, we've got warm boots here in the tent, so onions and this orange juice from Catalans. We're drinking it fast.
April 29 - Team Czok - Kukuczka anchores the rock barrier, the key part of the new Everest route.
May 15
R. Gajewski, J. Kuliś and K. Rusiecki leave equipment for CV on 8300 m.
May 16
One of the Sherpas from the Catalan expedition is caught in an avalanche and dies from wounds two days later. For safety reasons, Andrzej Zawada considers limiting the expedition's efforts to only one successful attack on the summit.
Huge avalanche, about 1km from those seracs where Basques were climbing. Catalan camp was swept away, find out how many people were in Catalan camp IV and let us know. We'll be searching (…) there are losses.
May 18
A. Czok and J. Kukuczka reach the equipment left for CV, set up CV and anchor additional 250 m of fixed rope over the camp, securing the most difficult places.
May 19, ca. 5 pm - Andrzej Czok and Jerzy Kukuczka reach the summit.
May 19,
5 am
A. Czok and J. Kukuczka set out to attack the summit. Weather conditions are exceptionally bad, deep snow, frost and wind slow them down. Only after seven and a half hours of climbing they reach the South Summit (8750 m). Even without additional oxygen in the cylinder they continue the attack and summit Everest four hours later (ca. 4 pm). From the summit, they take the Basque flag. Descending to CV takes 17 hours and is full of dramatic turns - Kukuczka stumbles and falls down the steep slope. Due to high avalanche risk Andrzej Zawada decides not to attempt further ascents - even though most of the climbers are ready for the attack. This is met with vehement protests from dissatisfied mountaineers.
Hallo Jurek,
how's it going?
May 24
The flag is lowered and the Base Camp dismantled.
May 31
The expedition flies from Lukla to Kathmandu.
June 6
The first group reaches Warsaw.
June 10
The truck with the expedition's equipment reaches Mumbai and two days later is loaded on a ship.
July 6
The truck is back in Gdynia.
Members of the Polish expedition succeeded in marking the seventh route to the summit of Everest - the shortest one. The route's difficult parts were graded as III - IV in UIAA grading system, including ice climbing at an angle of 55 degrees. Andrzej Zawada deemed it safer than the normal route (climbed by the first summiters) and envisioned that in time it will become the main route. This Polish feat was the greatest success of spring season in Himalaya and media around the world covered it extensively. Andrzej Zawada was proud that he led two lucky and succesful expeditions - everyone was alive and Everest summited twice.
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