Andrzej Zawada - Muzeum Andrzeja Zawady (2024)

When looking at photographs and listening tofamiliy stories told byyour mother and grandfather you learn about heroism and patriotism, you realise that your own life can't be mundane. It must become remarkable.

"One needs great ideas tobe motivated and worthy. That's why Idecided that whatever Ido, Imust be the best in it"

He crossed the first boundary already in 1959. He was 31 and led 5 friends from his mountaineering club toclimb Tatra main ridge for the first time during winter. It wasn't exactly legal at the time, but for Polish mountaineers it was an unattainable Holy Grail. The need topush his limits was growing in Zawada. Although maybe not from the very beginning - after his father's death he lived with his family in Rabka and once World War II has ended in Przesieka, near Jelenia Góra. At that time mountain climbing wasn't at the forefront of his mind. What was? Dancing and soirees, where Chopin was played and Polish poetry recited. He was surrounded bywomen and his mountaineering plans were left for later. After many years, he still remembered the taste of wine he had in 1947, when after he passed his Matura exam his mother organised adance for his classmates. He also remembered the day he left tostudy physics in Wrocław. That's when his life began tochange.

In Jelenia Góra young Zawada watched gliders, how they looped and rolled, higher and higher. Even 10 km up! Higher than Everest. He liked it. It's probably why after two years of studying and encouraged byRoman Teisseyre he moved tothe University of Warsaw and signed up for an aeroclub. He was parachuting, flying and he loved the adrenaline. Then, afriend from university, Elżbieta Kowalska proposed climbing Tatra mountains. They took Roman Teisseyre with them as well. It was summer 1950 and Zawada touched the granite of Tatra mountains for the very first time.

„My first night in amountain shelter…”

But mountaineering wasn't love at the first sight for Zawada, he was in two minds about it and his restless soul was still searching.

“What did actually change in this year after Iwent tothe mountains - alot, but also nothing”

He spent over ayear in Vietnam. He came back tanned and with hundreds of meters of film. In cinema, together with Anna, they watched recordings from the expedition. Anna was proud of Andrzej. He went back toTatra, climbed and watched other club members prepare for expedition in Alps. He dreamt about it as well, but once more chose adifferent road. His films from Vietnam were so successful that he got another great proposition - tofilm on Spitsbergen!

„I had tomake adifficult choice again - Alps or Spitsbergen? Ican't say that Ichose Spitsbergen only because it paid well, but it would be hypocritical of me toclaim that it was not one of the reasons” - he explained in one of his interviews.

He left in June 1958, again as apart of International Geophysical Year, tofilm and climb with Ryszard Schramm. From him Zawada heard about the first, summer climb through Tatra main ridge in 1955. When he returned toPoland, Zawada already had aplan.

„Perhaps it was thanks toour quite celebrated climb or detailed description of the route that more and more people were interested in and climbing Bonnatti's route”

Today, the story of Zawada's return from France in 1968 and its consequences doesn't sound like much, but then it was no laughing matter. In Paris Zawada bought his dream car - Simca Aronde. He was going back with his friend, Maciej Kozłowski. Nothing would have happened if Kozłowski wasn't smuggling "Kultura Paryska" (émigré literary-political magazine), and they weren't stopped at the border. This resulted in further searches, also in Zawada's home. It quickly evolved in aso-called "mountaineers case" and Zawada unknowingly became apart of investigation made byDepartment of Security. His passport was taken and his participation in the planned 1971 expedition on Kunyang Chhish (the first post-war expedition in the highest mountains) was uncertain. And it was Zawada, who got the proposition from the Mountaineering Club toorganise and lead it. Zawada's experience from Internation Geophysical Year finally worked in his favour. As his go-getter attitude and luck - he was friends with Andrzej Paczkowski, who at the time presided over Sports Comission of Mountaineering Club. Zawada's task wasn't easy - he had tofind members for his expedition, organise reconaissance in Karkoram (the plan was toclimb the virgn peak of Malubiting 7458 m) and lead the expedition itself. He didn't reach Malubiting, but Pamir and Pamir-Alay mountains, where he tested his own ability toacclimatise tohigh altitudes as well as potential candidates (for example Wanda Rutkiewicz and Halina Krüger) for Karkoram expedition.

In the end, on Kunyang Chhish in May 1971 they went in an entirely male team. They succeeded, but not without price - the highest price of Jan Franczuk's life.

„We all had one goal: summit one of the two highest, virgin peaks in the world. It was so important that wewere prepared tosacrifice much. Wewon, but wepaid for it dearly: with the life of one of us” - Zawada wrote after the expedition.

New Polish altitude record jump-started Zawada's mountaineering career. At that time, nobody knew how far he will go.

„Winter climbing gives me the greatest satisfaction, because it raises the difficulty bar, because it demands alot from the climber. It shows us what weare capable of. For me, this is the future of himalaism. - The most difficult routes in the thoughest conditions!” - he wrote after many years.

When he came back toPoland, he started writing, wanted topublish abook about Noshaq. He had the title "Noshaq -50°C", found apublisher and started painstakingly writing. Or rather, dictating it toAnna, as he didn't have enough patience for writing. He also didn't have the mind for it - once he returned from Noshaq, he started dreaming about K2.

„How laughable seemed the troubles of the French expedition's leader on western pillar of Makalu in 1971, when he told me he can't decide from which company he wants toorder the equipment. Oh, if only in Poland there was even one shop with climbing gear”

- complained Zawada and devoted himself tomaking shoes, tents, warm jackets, anoraks, gloves...

“We asked tohave "Made in Poland" written on all this gear, so that wecan show it”

Zawada wrote. And although the expedition turned out tobe both unsuccessful and unlucky - cameraman Stanisław Latałło died on Lhotse - Zawada announced one success: together with Andrzej "Zyga" Heinrich they climbed above 8000 m in winter. But just after deciding togo back he wasn't in high spirits.

“For me it was atragedy. Iwas 250 m away from the peak, after fighting so many weeks for Lhotse, Ihad tosuddenly give up and descend”

- said Zawada in the documentary from the expedition. When he was returning from Lhotse he already had anew, daring plan.

„We've moved the limit of human abilities, westarted alpine style climbing on very difficult walls of mountains higher than Mont Blanc bytwo or two and ahalf thousand meters. It goes without saying that not everyone will be able todo it, but higher difficulty means greater challenge.”

And then he began preparations for most likely the most important expedition in his career.

This expedition almost didn't happen, it even wasn't meant tohappen. Nobody have ever tried totake up such achallenge before. So Nepalese were absolutely against winter climbing in Himalaya. But after his Noshaq and Lhotse experiences, while he was still fighting for aK2 permit, Zawada, with Polish diplomats in Kathmandu, tried topersuade Nepalese government that opening the third climbing season is agreat chance both for mountaineers and for the country itself. Zawada wanted alot - permit for climbing Mt. Everest byanew route (southern pillar) and for winter expedition. While social unrest raged in Poland, Zawada was looking for climbers ready totake on not any mountain, but the mountain - Mt. Everest. He didn't want todo it like Wanda Rutkiewicz in 1978 - using normal route, like acog in amachine of an international expedition. He wanted tobe apart of Polish expedition and toleave Polish flag on the peak. He invited 40 mountaineers. And then suddenly, everything started towork out - it was more than he could take on.

„Like from Santa Claus' bag!”

He got permits for K2, for new route on Everest and in autumn 1979 for winter attempt on Everest. All the expedition's members want toforget what happened next. Complete chaos, making gear, clothes, organising food and transporting tonnes of equipment byair cargo toNepal. And everything on astrict deadline. After that, they fought like lions for 40 days, they braved the unnknown and "if it wasn't Everest" Leszek Cichy and Krzysztof Wielicki most likely wouldn't have reached the summit. 17 February 1980 went down in history. It was the first summiting of an eight-thousander in winter, and the highest one toboot.

Then on the 19th May Andrzej Czok and Jerzy Kukuczka repeated the success - and established anew, Polish route. Zawada was on cloud nine. "Everything he does is asuccess" - papers wrote. But he was afraid that the Polish feat would be treated like acircus trick, that winter climbing will not be accepted and nobody will follow in Polish footsteps. He needn't have worried - already in December 1980 Japanese expedition set out for Everest. In total six expeditions decided toattack eight-thousanders in winter!

"Our expedition hasn't even finished yet, when others asked for winter permits. Next winter, season 1980/1981, two strong expeditions made attempts on Everst. Japanese with famous Uemura wanted torepeat our climb through classic route and British, led byA. Rouse, wanted touse Yugoslavian route through the west ridge. Both expeditions confirmed how difficult the conditions are in winter. Japanese didn't reach South Col and the British didn't manage tocross 7000 m. Our ascent became all the more important" - Zawada wrote after the expedition.

Andrzej took Anna toNepal, he wanted toshow her Himalaya in winter. He needed the most important person in his life tounderstand his passion.

„The south-east wall was so high and steep it was hypnotizing. Wefelt excitement of the fight and terror triggered byroaring avalanches and dangeorusly glinting barriers made of seracs” - described Zawada.

The end of 1980s was the time of great geopolitical changes. While Berlin Wall was falling, Andrzej and Anna were building the walls for their own house. From their flat on Saska Kępa they moved toan old, lovely villa in Żoliborz. Zawada finally had his garden and studio. The studio was in the attic - with alarge library, opening roof and atelescope, which he used towatch the stars. He spent long hours there surrounded byhis gear, memories and plans, which were more dreams than anything possible toaccomplish. Because of the economic changes of 80s and 90s and tragedy under Lho La pass, where the best of Polish mountaineers (including Zyga Heinrich) died buried under the avalanche, there was nobody who could take part in an expedition. And definitely not in alarge, national one. And Zawada didn't see himself in alpine style climbing. How would it look like in winter? With bare minimum gear, without lines and tents on an eight-thousander? Impossible. Then again, Krzysztof Wielicki's feat - solo winter climb on Lhotse in 1988, during Belgian Everest expedition was afood for thought. But Zawada treated it as an exception. After all, how many Wielickis can you find in Poland? And although his idyllic life with some business trips for Geophysical Institute here and there was anice change from chaos of organising expeditions, Zawada longed for his old life.

„Climbing gives me the distance from the comfortable, safe life, which welead in the city. Even more, it lets me accept this life, because Iknow that Ican domore that chase my own tail around small, unimportant matters of everyday life.” - he confided in his interview.

He couldn't stay still. He set out in 1990, not on an expedition, but toChamonix, where he was invited for the 40th anniversary of summiting the first eight-thousander - Annapurna. He stood next tohis idols Maurice Herzog, Achille Compagnoni, Edmund Hillary, Kurt Diemberger, as an equal. Two years later, also in France, together with chief editor of "Taternik" Józef Nyka, Zawada sat in jury of the first edition of mountaineering award Piolet d'Or. Less than ayear later - another trip. This time toLondon for the 40th anniversary of summiting Everest.

„The first evening it was only us, mountaineers, from all over the world. Lord Hunt was, as always, open and very friendly. During the official event in Royal Geographic Society, wehad the honour tomeet Queen Elizabeth II. She remembered that summiting Everest was awonderful gift from British mountaineers for her coronation in 1953” - Zawada wrote toAnna Milewska.

Anna was equally busy, both with theater and films. She was travelling through Poland and they didn't meet at home often. In the middle of 1990s Zawada retired. He felt that his experiences in Himalaya can be turned into business, and encouraged bythe success of Polish brand Alpinus, he began production of sleeping bags under the brand Tatra Top. Following strategies of Western European and American companies, he decided toadvertise his product himself. He visited fairs and presented his products all over Poland. He was quite successful - Zawada received aprestigious "Dobry Wzór 1996" award from Institute of Industrial Design.

Nanga Parbat was meant tobe an easy mountain. Not when it comes toclimbing - although Zawada clasified it as equal toCho Oyu, just one of the smaller eight-thousanders. The travel was supposed tobe easy - small, winter caravan meant low costs. And although Andrzej Zawada still dreamt of winter K2, he knew that he simply couldn't afford toorganise such alarge expedition. Nanga was meant tobe the return tonational expedtions, as well as test and marketing for Tatra Top sleeping bags. He began organising the expedition with great enthusiasm, only tomeet with one problem after the other: there was not enough money, climbing equipment... And most importantly - people; the expedition looked nothing like the ones from 1980s. The old mountaineering guard - or what was left of it - wasn't very keen on taking part in it and there weren't many young and experienced climbers. They set out in December 1996, quick action, success was at their fingertips. Although he was right under the peak, Zbigniew Trzmiel turned back. He was only 300 m away from the peak - and for the next 19 years nobody will be able toclimb higher. This record inspired Zawada togo there again next year. He took camera crew and the expedition was turned into adocument - adramatic document. There was absolutely no chance toattack the summit. Extremely heavy snowfall, earthquakes, Ryszard Pawłowski's accident and melting snow made it impossible. Zawada had toaccept the failure.

„We were powerless, and so wedon't have any regrets. Even if there were fifty or hundred of us, in such conditions wewouldn't climb Nanga Parbat. When it comes tothe risk there is aline, which mustn't be crossed. Even under pressure: you got so much money, it's going towaste... Life is more important” - Zawada said after the expedition.

In 1998 he didn't know that he had two years left. Once more, just like at the beginning of 1990s, he lived his life tothe fullest. In France he joined elite Groupe de Haute Montagne - together with Edmund Hillary, Chris Bonington and Reinhold Messner. He gave lectures in United States for Polish Americans. He took advantage of sudden media interest - Anna Milewska became astar thanks toher role of Julia in TV series "Złotopolscy". Press called Zawada "the famous actress' husband", and so he appeared on balls, charity auctions and gave intrviews. Finally, he could talk not only about his passion for mountains, but also cars, jazz, tinkering and astronomy.

When in 1999 Krzysztof Wielicki suggested organising winter K2 expedition - this time starting in China (Wielicki climbed there in the summer of 1996) - Zawada once more devoted himself tomountains. But he didn't reach K2. Right after winter reconnaissance led byJacques Olek and Darek Załuski, on the 21st August 2000 Zawada lost his fight with cancer. Afew weeks before his death, Anna Teresa Pietraszek finished recording her interview with Zawada. Film "Ostatnia rozmowa" ("The Last Conversation") - Zawada's mountaineering testament - was broadcasted byTVP.

„There, in the mountains, you strongly feel this direct contact with matter, this mass of matter, this great cosmos. It seems that it's enough toreach towards the sky and you can grab the stars in your hands. In the eternal conflict between spirit and matter, in my case matter won.”

Andrzej Zawada was buried on Powązki Cementery (quarter 65-2-13).

Wywiad zBernadette McDonald

Wywiad zAnną Pietraszek

Wywiad zHanią Wiktorowską iAndrzejem Sobolewskim