FREEDOM CLIMBERS The Golden Age of Polish Climbing

“Freedom Climbers, author Bernadette McDonald tells the story of a group of extraordinary Polish adventurers who emerged from under the blanket of oppression following World War II to be among the world’s leading climbers. McDonald focuses on three legends:
Jerzy Kukuczka, who climbed all fourteen of the world’s 8000-meter peaks either in wintertime or by new routes;
Voytek Kurtyka, known as the thinking man’s climber</> because of his characteristic combination of technical skill and pragmatism;
and Wanda Rutkiewicz, whose bravery drove her to hobble to K2 base camp on crutches, and whose ambition and drive reshaped mountaineering gender politics.
At a time when Poland was locked behind the Iron Curtain, these intrepid explorers found a way to travel the world in search of extreme adventure — sometimes financed by odd jobs, other times selling whisky on the black market. because of their perseverance and intensity, they ruled the climbinh world in the 1980s and 1990s. The mountains were an oasis, an escape, and an addiction. Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, and Nepal became second homes to these Polish climbers, who evolved into the toughest group of Himalayan mountaineers the world has ever known.”