Freedom Climbers

Between 1980 and 1989, Polish climbers were giant, world-wide leaders as high-
altitude climbers, especially in the Himalayas. This volume documents those
charismatic leaders and their iconic climbs in a defining chapter of Himalayan
climbing history. The book tells the story of a group of extraordinary Polish
adventurers who emerged from under the blanket of oppression following the
Second World War to become the world’s leading Himalayan climbers. Although
they lived in a dreary, war-ravaged landscape, with seemingly no hope of
creating a meaningful life, these curious, motivated and skilled mountaineers
created their own free-market economy under the very noses of their Communist
bosses and climbed their way to liberation.

At a time when Polish citizens were locked behind the Iron Curtain, these
intrepid explorers found a way to travel the world in search of extreme
adventure to Alaska, South America and Europe, but mostly to the highest and
most inspiring mountains of the world. To this end, Afghanistan, India,
Pakistan and Nepal became their second homes as they evolved into the toughest
group of Himalayan climbers the world has ever known. Winner of the Boardman
Tasker 2011.
(Paperback edit.)