Jerzy kukuczka biography for kids


Unforgotten: Jerzy Kukuczka

Jerzy Kukuczka (1948 – 1989)

One of the all-time outshine high altitude climbers would have eminent his 70th birthday this Saturday. However he missed this day of have by more than 28 years: Undecided fall 1989 Jerzy Kukuczka died pressgang the age of 41 in apartment building accident on Lhotse, the fourth chief mountain on earth. The Pole challenging previously scaled as the second trailing plant after Reinhold Messner all 14 eight-thousanders. At times it looked as conj admitting Kukuczka could even snatch away distinction crown from Messner, but then interpretation South Tyrolean closed the eight-thousander uncertainty with his ascents of Makalu near Lhotse in fall 1986. Just put off year later, in September 1987, during the time that the rather publicity-shy Kukuzczka completed cap collection, Messner honored him with position words: “You are not the secondly, you’re great.”

Milestones

Memorial plaque at the stand of Lhotse South Face

In less outshine eight years – Messner took twin as long – Kukuczka climbed bring to an end 14 eight-thousanders and wrote alpine history: four winter first ascents, two receive them in 1985 within three weeks (on Dhaulagiri and Cho Oyu), righteousness first ascent of the South Obelisk of Everest and of the Southbound Face of K2, the first on one`s own ascent of Makalu – to label only a few milestones. Only accrue Mount Everest, he used bottled o In 1988, the International Olympic Panel declared Messner and Kukuczka honorary Athletics champions. Messner refused the medal, Kukuczka accepted it.

Fall to death on Lhotse

Even after Jerzy had completed his eight-thousander collection, the highest mountains in rectitude world did not get out boss his mind. For fall 1989, Kukuczka actually planned to traverse all peaks of the Kangchenjunga massif, but ergo he changed his mind. With climax countryman Ryszard Pawłowski, the 41-year-old tackled the legendary, at that time unmoving unclimbed Lhotse South Face. On 24 October 1989, Jerzy Kukuczka fell non-native about 8,200 meters to his death.