How the Greatest Climber Jerzy Kukuczka fell to his Death on Lhotse in 1989?

Рет қаралды 84,978

5 ай бұрын

Jerzy Kukuczka was a high-altitude climber from Poland. He is widely considered one of the greatest climbers of all times. In the mid-1980s, he won the Crown of the Himalayas and Karakoram when he became the second man in history to climb all fourteen eight-thousanders.
He achieved this remarkable feat on 18 September 1987, when he climbed Shishapangma, just eleven months after Reinhold Messner and, despite the obvious economic hardship Poland was enduring under Communist rule, in less than 8 years.
Ambitious, pioneering, and innovative, Kukuczka opened nine new routes on eight-thousanders, five climbs in alpine style and four in winter. But he had more than the challenge of the climb on his plate. He was a poor miner, living behind the iron curtain of communist Poland.
Despite having achieved the most major successes in the world of mountaineering, life had different plans for Kukuczka as he went on to pursue bigger goals. Kukuczka’s main interest lay in the unclimbed south face of Lhotse, a challenge described by many as impossible, and he took it as a challenge to be able to do what no one else had done.
Lhotse was a special mountain in the life of Jerzy Kukuczka. It was there that he began his Himalayan career on October 4, 1979, and lost his life there ten years later. Although Kukuczka climbed Lhotse without supplemental oxygen, it was also the only one of the fourteen eight-thousanders whose summit he reached both outside winter season and without establishing a new route.
It is easy to understand that the ambitious climber wanted to correct, as it were, his already spotless achievement by carving a new route on the intimidating, unclimbed South Face.
This video is about his last climb on Lhotse where he fell to his death at an altitude of about 8,300 meters above sea level.
#JerzyKukuczka #PolishClimbers #Lhotse
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Пікірлер: 158

@Zackenberg 4 ай бұрын

Finally someone from abroad honestly describing Jurek's mountaineering career and achievements ! :)

@maco1713 5 ай бұрын

Best climber of all...!greetings from Slovakia!

@epicadventurearchives 5 ай бұрын

No doubt, thanks.

@Felix-wp9fb 5 ай бұрын

One of the best i would say ;)

@EttorealbertoGelli-vr6sz 5 ай бұрын

@@Felix-wp9fb In my opinioni the 3 are. MESSNER. BONATTI. BUHL

@MrKveite1 4 ай бұрын

If he was the best he would be alive so he clearly wasnt..

@7seattle7 4 ай бұрын

@@MrKveite1 Bullshit

@Maryush.B-B.Pl.676 5 ай бұрын

Jurek Kukuczka from Poland 🇵🇱 he is our national Polish hero and one of the best mountaineers of his time. 👑🇵🇱👑 (R.I.P.) Jurek 💔

@epicadventurearchives 5 ай бұрын

No doubt he’s one of the greatest alpinists of all times. His impressive records speak volumes of his ability as a world class mountaineer.

@Maryush.B-B.Pl.676 5 ай бұрын

@@epicadventurearchives Thank you 🤝 thank you on behalf of all Poles 🇵🇱 our country has suffered a huge loss, in Polish Himalayan mountaineering, including winter expeditions started by Poles, over the years 1970/2020, nearly 60 Polish Himalayan climbers died. This is a very high price (💔R.I.P💔) Thank you for the film about Jerzy Kukuczka ❤️🤝🇵🇱

@kimmccabe1422 4 ай бұрын

Yes but that is an Indian accent telling his story..😊

@eliotness4029 4 ай бұрын

@Maryush.B-B.Pl.676 4 ай бұрын

@@eliotness4029 During the communist era, among Polish Himalayan mountaineers, "combining" reached the Olympic level. It is not the systems that create outstanding figures, but the atmosphere...

@bartekolszewski5763 5 ай бұрын

Great Jurek. My friend is Ryszard Pawlowski. I was with him on three expeditions to the high mountains

@judyo923 5 ай бұрын

This is my favorite High Altitude Climbing KZbin channel. You ALWAYS are respectful to the climbers, ALWAYS tell the truth, no sugar coating and you ALWAYS give us background on the person, giving them the dignity they deserve. Kukuczka is my favorite HA climber and thank you for this post - it's wonderful as usual!

@epicadventurearchives 5 ай бұрын

Thanks for your comment. Stay blessed.

@normanmackenzie8130 5 ай бұрын

Again, you narrate a story i have never heard. I felt so so sad at Jerzy Kukuczka's death... he was so near...yet so far from the summit. I have a lot of respect for people like Jerzy Kukuczka. May he Rest in Peace where ever he lies. Keep your stories going...i like listening to them, as your video progresses.

@epicadventurearchives 5 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching. Stay blessed

@beatalundin553 5 ай бұрын

Jerzy Kukuczka had previously conquered Lotse, in 1979, the north-west face.

@eliotness4029 4 ай бұрын

@kentucy9999 4 ай бұрын

Fearless. The "Polish Line" on K2 will never be replicated. {Messner called it "suicidal."} Kudos to the great Jerzy Kukuczka.

@eliotness4029 4 ай бұрын

after communism crash there is no more alpinists in Poland. as well as in Soviet Union time Poland was 2 times in semifinal Football WC in 1974 and in 1982 and never again after communism crash. so evil Soviet communism.

@miketausig4205 4 ай бұрын

@@eliotness4029what does communism have to do with climbing? I could understand if mountaineers were not allowed to leave Poland in order to make ascents, but it’s been decades since Poland was a communist country.

@eliotness4029 3 ай бұрын

@@miketausig4205 so evil Soviet communism.

@AX1A 5 ай бұрын

for my generation of younger Alpinists, you are filling important gaps in the historical record. Namasté 🙏🏼

@epicadventurearchives 5 ай бұрын

Wow, thank you

@ochoymedio78 4 ай бұрын

I know that there have been many great alpinist in history lost to the mountains, like Janez Jeglic, Thomas Humar, JC Lafaille and so many more, but Jurek was always my favorite, dead or alive. All new routes (the friggin magic line!) or first winter ascent, often alpine style, w/o oxygen, stoic, quite and collected. He was the strongest among the strongest in the golden era of himalayan climbing. Greetings from Argentina Jurek, you'll never be forgotten.

@zztop4996 5 ай бұрын

Have missed your exceptional work. Glad to see another fabulous video from you. Excellent stuff!

@epicadventurearchives 5 ай бұрын

Thank you! Cheers!

@fritz4345 5 ай бұрын

Thank you for this. I just made it to the Kukuczka Memorial last year again. The Nuptse - Lhotse Wall is an amazing sight.

@epicadventurearchives 5 ай бұрын

Sounds great!

@eliotness4029 4 ай бұрын

@miketausig4205 4 ай бұрын

One of the most accomplished climbers of pre-90’s mountaineering. Politely, the accent is so incredibly thick in this narration that it is very difficult to interpret. That’s the only thing that hindered this from being a top notch video.

@AneskaCherry 5 ай бұрын

Thank you! Regards from Poland! 💖

@epicadventurearchives 4 ай бұрын

Welcome!

@eliotness4029 4 ай бұрын

@Trish.Norman 5 ай бұрын

Thank you❤. You did an excellent job on this video.

@epicadventurearchives 5 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@lisadolan689 5 ай бұрын

Agreed

@user-tn1vc1xz5d 4 ай бұрын

His book "my vertical world" is masterpiece. A legend. RIP. ❤🥰

@RG-ja34sep 5 ай бұрын

Very emotional watching this! Kukuczka will always be in the conversation when discussing the very greatest mountaineers of all time. Well done on your amazing account of the legendary Jerzy Kukuczka, really enjoy every one of your productions.

@epicadventurearchives 5 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching.

@alwaysfourfun1671 4 ай бұрын

I am not involved in climbing, let alone high altitude mountaineering. Very impressive and emotional story about mr. Kukuczka and his Polish mountaineering giant friends. A beautiful tribute!

@miketausig4205 4 ай бұрын

Something I’ve always wondered about mountaineers who die while climbing…. In life you often hear people say something to the affect of, “when I die, I want to die doing something I love.” Then you hear a story about someone like Jerzy Kukuczka who FELL to his death. So, I’ve always wondered what goes through the mind of someone like Jerzy, who inevitably must have known, DURING the fall, that he would die within seconds, possibly in a very painful way. Is it a moment of clarity & thought where you are able to be grateful for the gift of climbing, or is it pure panic & fear? Does “time slow down” as you “watch your life flash before your eyes,” or does everything happen so quickly that in one moment you’re falling, and then poof…nothingness. There is definitely no ONE single answer, as every climber is different, but still…. There’s obviously no way we could discover answers, and I realize these questions are a bit morbid, but they are questions I’m sure many people wonder about, especially when religion (or lack thereof) enters the conversation. Thanks for indulging me.

@roybatty2030 4 ай бұрын

A good story, well told, thanks you so much.

@epicadventurearchives 4 ай бұрын

Thanks for listening.

@kickapootrackers7255 5 ай бұрын

Thank you kindly ,very informative and visual. Not my type of exploring but fascinating these climbers, and mountains. Fully enjoyed my friend 🤝

@epicadventurearchives 5 ай бұрын

Many thanks!

@williesnyder2899 4 ай бұрын

I “knew” of this man, or his name… I did not know the man!! Thank you! This was overdue on my part ~

@markwroblewski6500 5 ай бұрын

Great documentary.Rare footages and informative graphics.Beautifully presenting Kukuczka as one of the greatest Himalayans.Love your pronunciation of Lhotse as Lucy.

@epicadventurearchives 5 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful and you enjoyed it. Many thanks. Stay blessed.

@eliotness4029 4 ай бұрын

@markwroblewski6500 4 ай бұрын

Presently the whole Western World is in a devolution.We were told for decades that Lhotse,K2 etc were difficult to summit but today babysitted tourists do it in a hundred(s) per trip for 50000+ U.S. dollars.Proper way to summit Everest is for example via North Face without oxygen,without roping already provided.@@eliotness4029

@PK1999 5 ай бұрын

Great content! Thank you

@phoebehill953 5 ай бұрын

Very nicely put together video

@epicadventurearchives 5 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching.

@shawngross5420 5 ай бұрын

I had a difficult time with the English pronunciation until I realized the P & F sounds were often confused. I think I have it now. Interesting story.

@kalyantr7 4 ай бұрын

Jerzy Kukuczka climbed all the 8000s, mostly in "Alpine style" during winter with limited resources and no Sherpas. REINHOLD MESSNER climbed most of them with assistance from Sherpas in climbing seasons, so decide who is the greatest.

@Kamii1987 5 ай бұрын

Great job!

@lisadolan689 5 ай бұрын

Thank you Sir 🙏

@epicadventurearchives 5 ай бұрын

Most welcome

@meesalikeu 4 ай бұрын

excellent job thanks

@eliotness4029 4 ай бұрын

now days a lot of people in Poland wear clothes called the North Face, but none of them have ever seen where the North Face is, and even more so, none of them have ever seen that the South Face Lhotze is no less scary

@xPat99 16 күн бұрын

I tried to listen to this as a podcast. There’s a lot of information it’s really well done: unfortunately I cannot decipher the accent at times and I’m having trouble following ..

@frenchfree 4 ай бұрын

Voytek kurtika is still alive and stands as an alpine style emblem for Polish climbers.

@malcolmabram2957 4 ай бұрын

Thank you for such a respectful video, with respectful music. I read that he had bought poor quality ropes in Kathmandu, but that is probably unfair. It is difficult to say who the greatest mountaineer is of all time. Hillary and Norgay's triumph on Everest was the result of courage and an enormous logistical exercise. Now 1000s have climbed it for a large fee and Sherpa's. I looked at the equipment they used in a museum in NZ near Aoraki, it was pathetic by modern standards. Perhaps the greatest climber is Reinhold Messner who was the first to summit all 8000 m peaks, championing some challenging new routes along the way . If you read his book, 'All fourteen Eight Thousanders' he did cheat death on numerous occasions, particularly on Nanga Parbat and Manaslu. He gave up after his last 8000m climb, ironically as with Kukuczka, Lhotse, which is much harder than Everest. He felt he had defeated death too many times

@arnabbhattacharya6579 4 ай бұрын

K2 via THAT route !! He was the best.

@user-oe3eb7mu3t 5 ай бұрын

Sherpalar hariç bana göre dünyanın gelmiş geçmiş en iyi dağcısı Jerzy Kukuczka dır. O imkansızlıklar içinde 14*8000 lik zirvelerin bir çoğuna yeni rotalar açarak 8 yılda tamamlaması bunun kanıtıdır

@LimakNiwos Ай бұрын

Best Climber Ever!

@beatalundin553 4 ай бұрын

Jerzy Kukuczka had previously conquered Lotse, in 1979, the north-west face.

@Fazianastore 4 ай бұрын

Miss you

@jcmangan 5 ай бұрын

Du bist nicht der Zweite. Du bist groß. Reinhold Messner

@drpenrose 4 ай бұрын

DarWINNING

@L3GHO5T 4 ай бұрын

Where are you from? I love your the accent on your English!

@kamakaziozzie3038 Ай бұрын

I really like having fingers and toes so probably not going to try Himalayan climbing

@jeanriff7954 5 ай бұрын

Thak you for the video.God have his soul.

@johnreilly8672 5 ай бұрын

I would think the best climber ever would live to grow old and tell stories about it.

@doitbeforeyoudieful 4 ай бұрын

Hard to understand u a little bit, try to throttle down the background music down.

@goldenniblings 4 ай бұрын

Press CC and enjoy.

@fedorpravov5372 5 ай бұрын

This is a great channel about mountains. I think it would have many more viewers and subscribes if the author used English native narrator.

@epicadventurearchives 5 ай бұрын

Thanks for the tip!

@listrahtes 4 ай бұрын

I rate Kukuczkas ascents of the 8000ers much higher than Messners. He did not only do them under much more difficult financial circumstances but choose a lot more difficult routes to achieve them. Otherwise he would have been faster. It was all about the challenge for him and in that he surpasses Messner by quite some in regards to achievements . Messner knew that , thats why he did not invite him to his expedition to Lhotse and thats why Messner often tried to derail a climbing partners achievements after the ascent as he was a greedy egoistical maniac. The lies Messner has told over the decades really are countless as his lost trials at court about it . Most in my mind was Peter Habeler who saved Messners life on the descent of Everest and at that time was also quite famous as he was the first to ever ascent a 8000m mountain in alpine style without oxygen. Habeler was by all acounts not only equal but the stronger climber when both of them took on Everest but Messner did everything he could after they got back to talk down on Habeler and damage his reputation. Messner is a stain on the mountaineering history with great achievements but also great character flaws. Regarding 8000m climbing Kukuczka is superior to him in all accounts.

@eliotness4029 4 ай бұрын

@Norfeusz1989 4 ай бұрын

He was Greatest.

@eliotness4029 4 ай бұрын

@olasek7972 5 ай бұрын

Impossible to understand

@MrGTX23 4 ай бұрын

The mountain needed a sacrifice

@ukrulesall1 4 ай бұрын

Reinhold messner solo Everest w/o oxygen. Can that ever be topped?

@wiktormat4958 4 ай бұрын

It has been topped many times. This does not diminish Messner's achievement.

@craigbritton1089 4 ай бұрын

@@GARRY3754afterwards without O2 but not by a new line and by yourself on the mountain

@Letnothinggotowaste 4 ай бұрын

Gravity?

@gogamich 4 ай бұрын

Fall of Jerzy Kukuczka: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJeqe5eMaLeKm68

@wiktormat4958 4 ай бұрын

Fake. Is not Kukuczka.

@The_Touring_Jedi 4 ай бұрын

Like the Western narative description of how Polish famous climber lived behind the "Iron Curtain" where life was so bad....😂

@eliotness4029 4 ай бұрын

@noidreculse8906 4 ай бұрын

The Best? There at least 10 other climbers that could fit that title, he was good no doubt, but the best means better than everyone else, of all time.

@ricki-bobby 4 ай бұрын

All of Polska was sad when Kukuczka die. Only Polish Pope more popular at the time

@kimmccabe1422 4 ай бұрын

There are many best climbers who died! R.i.p. Ps. Strangest Polish accent i ever heard lol.

@eliotness4029 4 ай бұрын

@tomkoolchowy3536 4 ай бұрын

I don't know what country he's from, but he's definitely not Polish.

@marcussilvertabby1433 5 ай бұрын

At 19:10 I hear 'Sex games were established on the face. The crux was pumpkin four and after the tarf". 😮 ?

@rochus_wagner 5 ай бұрын

It couldn't have been the "Greatest Climber" if it stayed there, please don't throw around the markers for those who went up and went home to their families, this marker is a privilege for those people. Thank you!

@utahdan231 5 ай бұрын

The best climber. People from communist countries can’t be compared to those from West. Their expeditions were financial struggles, they did not have good quality equipment, they did not have money to pay for expeditions , they did very dangerous work to make money. Very often they did not have money to come back home after expedition. My highest admiration to those from Eastern block to achieve unbelievable. REST IN PEACE ALL.

@wkgurr 5 ай бұрын

And they did not have the wall to wall coverage the majority of the Western expeditions had. Their feats are only known to a few insiders. I read the name Kukuckza the first time in a book on K2. On this mountain Kukuckza and another Polish climber named Piotrowski - who died on the mountain - established an insane new route up the South face of K2 that has remained unclimbed since then. @@utahdan231

@eliotness4029 4 ай бұрын

it is a question of luck in mountains.

@craigbritton1089 4 ай бұрын

Many of the 14 by new and harder routes

@frankblangeard8865 4 ай бұрын

11:35 "What was the cause...we will never know". Seems like the video title should be "Who knows how Kukuczka died, we don't".

@JCO2002 5 ай бұрын

To summarize, narcissism once again ends poorly.

@eliotness4029 4 ай бұрын

@jamesdalling5603 5 ай бұрын

Hard to make u out

@dbb1722 4 ай бұрын

They never consider the sherpas who guide them up these mountains 😂😂😂

@SilverWealth_Draper_Mint 5 ай бұрын

Hire a Narrator. Can’t understand a word

@janusn9 5 ай бұрын

You hire a translator, its your problem.

@Oster131 5 ай бұрын

Learn english.

@fabioresende3442 2 ай бұрын

native portuguese speaker here, I understand 100% with NO PROBLEM AT ALL. Maybe try learning english better.

@DrWade-ny2he 5 ай бұрын

Are you really a great climber when you use prepared ropes for climbing?

@tunatuna6723 5 ай бұрын

To which climbers are you referring?

@eliotness4029 4 ай бұрын

it is a question of luck in mountains. and you have no idea about mountains

@brianarnold4819 5 ай бұрын

Sorry, but not dying while climbing is THE most important criteria for being mentioned as greatest of all time classification. Impactful, or greatest ambassador of climbing doesn't require such absolutes as not dying. If I kill myself with a hammer, while trying to drive a nail in, I can't then be admired for my SUPREME hammer skills. It's your feelings against rational logic. I am a red blooded, God fearing man. Therefore I care for all His Creation. Including this man whom died and devastated his family. I believe in the example of Jesus. satan said "if you really are who you claim to be, then throw yourself off of this high place and God will not allow you to be smashed down on the rocks". Jesus replied " It is written, thou shalt not temp thy God".

@zuckfacegobbels4527 5 ай бұрын

The guy fell to his death how can he be a great climber? what the hell wrong with people?

@KowalskyLeon 4 ай бұрын

Sticking to your "theory" the best climber shoud stay at home on his couch - he will survive, at least not die falling... Dummkopf.

@eliotness4029 4 ай бұрын

it is a question of luck in mountains.

@margarita8442 5 ай бұрын

wanted to be a hero went to zero

@Maryush.B-B.Pl.676 5 ай бұрын

,,wanted to become a hero " ? Little girl, you have no idea what kind of person Mr. Jerzy Kukuczka was ! More respect ! There are no heroes in Himalayan mountaineering, it's not about that, it's about climbing itself, which you know nothing about! ! ! !

@markwroblewski6500 5 ай бұрын

Don't be a swine by disrespecting great Kukuczka!

@Maryush.B-B.Pl.676 5 ай бұрын

@@markwroblewski6500 Thank you for this comment bro 👊 I'm Polish climber , and this stupid girl insults not only Mr. Jerzy Kukuczka but also my entire country ! This girl achieved nothing in her life, and Jurek was the second person to conquer the crown of the Himalayas, the 14 highest peaks in the world. Each peak with a new route.

@KowalskyLeon 4 ай бұрын

Comparing with Jerzy Kukuczka you are not even a zero.

@Maryush.B-B.Pl.676 4 ай бұрын

@@KowalskyLeon thank you bro 🤝🇵🇱 Głüpia pisda zagotowała mi krew 🤬