The Polish team is heading for the summit of Laila Peak tonight. The climbers include winter Gasherbrum I summiter Janusz Gołąb and young climbers Marco Szwidergall and Bartek Ziemski. Expedition leader Jerzy Natkański remains in Base Camp.
The expedition, organized by the Kukuczka Foundation, is part of a winter 8,000m program intended to culminate in a no-O2 ascent of K2, possibly next winter.
The summit push on Laila comes one day after the Polish climbing community commemorated the 21st anniversary of the first winter climb on an 8,000m peak. On February 17, 1980, Leszek Cichy and Krzysztof Wielicki reached the summit of Everest. Read more about that feat and the Polish Winter Warriors’ illustrious history at 8tysiecy.pl. Make sure your Google Translate is well-oiled.
