Andrzej Zawada

Andrzej Zawada (born Maria Andrzej Zawada; 16 July 1928 – 21 August 2000) was a Polish mountaineer, pioneer of winter Himalayism. Zawada was an organiser and leader in numerous high-mountains expeditions. Author of movies and photographs from expeditions, co-author of Alpinist books. Honorary member of the British Alpine Club, French Groupe de Haute Montagne and American The Explorers Club.

Andrzej Zawada
Zawada during the Mount Everest winter expedition (1979/1980)
Personal information
Birth nameMaria Andrzej Zawada
Born16 July 1928
Olsztyn, Poland
Died21 August 2000
Warsaw, Poland
NationalityPolish
Family
ParentsFilip Rawicz Zawada

Grandson of Tomasz Rawicz-Zawada young participant of January Uprising in 1863. Son of Filip Rawicz Zawada, Polish legionnaire and consul.

Zawada studied physics and geophysics in Wrocław and Warsaw. Received an engineer's degree in seismology. In 1955–1993 he worked at the Institute of Geophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Amongst climbers he is known for his phrase: "Tell me, what you did in the winter in the Tatras, and I'll tell you what climber you are".

Selected expeditions
  • In 1959 he was a leader to a first winter crossing through the whole main ridge of Tatra Mountains, which took 19 days.
  • In 1971, as chief he led the Polish expedition to make the first ascent to the Khunyang Chhish (7,852 m, 25,761 ft) in the Karakoram. He also reached the summit.
  • With Tadeusz Piotrowski he made the first winter ascent of Noshaq (7,492 m, 24,580 ft) in the Hindu Kush (13 February 1973). It was the world's first winter climb above 7,000 metres (23,000 ft).
  • On 25 December 1974, Zawada became the first man in the world to exceed a height of 8,000 metres (26,000 ft) in the winter, alongside Zygmunt Andrzej Heinrich, by reaching a height of 8,250 metres (27,070 ft) on Lhotse.
  • In 1977 Zawada made the first crossing of the 1,600-metre (5,200 ft) north wall of Koh-i Mandaras (6,631 m, 21,755 ft).
  • In February 1980 Krzysztof Wielicki and Leszek Cichy made the first winter ascent of Mount Everest (8,848 m, 29,029 ft), the highest mountain on Earth. Zawada led the expedition. It was the first winter ascent of a peak above 8,000 m.
  • In May 1980 Zawada led an expedition of Everest with Andrzej Czok and Jerzy Kukuczka and ascended a new route.[1]
  • In February 1985 Maciej Berbeka and Maciej Pawlikowski made the first winter ascent of Cho Oyu. It is the only winter ascent on an eight-thousander using a new route. Zawada led the expedition.
  • On 31 December 1988 Krzysztof Wielicki made the first winter ascent of Lhotse. Zawada led the expedition.

Books
  • Marcinek, Kazimierz; Zawada, Andrzej (1973). Ostatni atak na Kunyang Chhish (in Polish). Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Sport i Turystyka. OCLC 7233551.

References
  1. Michael Keller (23 August 2017). "Death Before Failure: Wanda Rutkiewicz & The Golden Age of Polish Mountaineering". Culture.pl. Retrieved 15 June 2018.


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