A tragedy that shocked all of Poland. “I only saw Jurek flying into the abyss”

Although he came from Katowice, it quickly turned out that his destiny was not the heaps, but the mountains. Jerzy Kukuczka was the second man in the world to conquer the Crown of the Himalayas and the Karakoram – 14 main peaks over 8,000 meters high.

The tragic death of Jerzy Kukuczka. Memories of Ryszard Pawłowski

It is worth adding that the first person in history to do the above was Reinhold Messner. However, it took the Italian sixteen years to achieve this. Kukuczka definitely picked up the pace, achieving this result in less than eight. The Pole also had several other, unique achievements to his credit. Example? He was the only person in the world who conquered two eight-thousanders in one winter. Kukuczka was able to bend the laws of physics, setting himself increasingly greater challenges. However, he knew that without risk it was impossible to achieve something unattainable for an ordinary mortal.

Unfortunately, on the fateful day of October 24, 1989, the legend of Polish (and world) mountains lost its luck…

Ryszard Pawłowski decided to create unique memories from that expedition. The author Aneta Hołówka asked the companion of Kukuczka’s fatal expedition what exactly happened and what those moments look like from the perspective of the past 35 years. The tragedy occurred while climbing Lhotse (the fourth highest peak on earth, located on the border of Nepal and China) via a new route through the famous, then unclimbed southern wall.

Pawłowski attacked the peak together with Kukuczka. Unfortunately, the line did not last…

– Jurek started to slide. It seemed like it would stop on the first belay pass. To my horror, it turned out that these flights did not work. They jumped out and Jurek gained more and more momentum. At some point it was no longer just a slide, but a normal flight. He started bouncing off the rocks. All I could do then was curl up inside myself, because I knew that in a moment I would feel a huge tug. I wondered if I, too, would soon be removed from my position. I felt a tug, but the rope, fortunately for me, broke somewhere on a sharp edge. I only saw Jurek falling into the abyss – Pawłowski described the events of October 24, 1989.

Kukuczka’s body was never found. However, the official version after the tragedy was that the Polish legend was buried in an ice crevice. Thanks to this, Kukuczka’s family could apply for compensation after the tragic death.

Could something more have been done that day to avoid a tragedy?

– Jurek’s and my skills were sufficient, we had a chance to do it, and it was a coincidence that things turned out this way. Because just as well, with a bit of luck, we could have been the first to conquer the then largest Himalayan goal. The best people die in the mountains – David Lama and Ueli Steck, who were soloists, were excellent climbers, and yet by accident they died. My reflection is that even the biggest and best can die in the mountains (…) It was an unfortunate accident and, unfortunately, there are many such events in the mountains. No one left anyone here, no one abandoned anyone, Jurek fell off the rope. Of course, there will always be those who say different things. But the opinions from years ago stayed in my memory. Last year, when Janusz Kalinowski organized expeditions to the Himalayas, he encouraged me to be a guide. I refused and said then that I didn’t want anyone to write in case of any unforeseen situations: not only did he cut off Jurek Kukuczka’s rope, but he was also going to the Himalayas for our money – added Pawłowski.

Kukuczka is a character that definitely goes beyond the world of mountains. There is a housing estate named after him in Katowice. It is similar with the Katowice Academy of Physical Education, also named after Jerzy Kukuczka. Additionally, streets in countless cities, from Wrocław, through Częstochowa, Łódź, Warsaw, to Świdnik – that is, in fact, all of Poland. The Polish Post Office issued a commemorative stamp, Kukuczka also has monuments, but also a chorten in memory of a Polish legend of global importance.

A characteristic reliquary was placed under the southern face of Lhotse (8,511 m) in memory of three Polish Himalayan climbers who died during expeditions to this extremely difficult face of the fourth highest peak on earth. We are talking about Rafał Chołda, Czesław Jakil and Jerzy Kukuczka. Chorten has been officially operating since 2008.