By 2013, Broad Peak had almost 20 fatalities, making it one of the deadliest 8,000m peaks. That year, two expeditions — a Polish winter team and an Iranian summer team — added five more names to this fatality list, turning a milestone season into one of huge tragedies. Today, we revisit 2013’s two fatal Broad Peak expeditions.
The world’s 12th-highest peak, 8,051m Broad Peak is located in the Karakoram on the border between Pakistan and China. The mountain’s name comes from its broad summit ridge, which spans nearly 1.5km and includes multiple subsidiary peaks, such as the Rocky Summit at 8,028m and Broad Peak Central at 8,011m. This wide ridge, combined with the Karakoram’s extreme weather, avalanches, crevasses, and rockfall, makes Broad Peak dangerous. While it is often considered one of the easier 8,000’ers compared to K2 or Nanga Parbat, its fatality rate tells a different story. There are around eight deaths per 100 successful summits.
Early climbs and early fatalities
Broad Peak was first ascended on June 9, 1957. The Austrian team, led by Marcus Schmuck, climbed unsupported via the West Ridge without supplemental oxygen. Schmuck, Hermann Buhl (who died soon after on Chogolisa), Kurt Diemberger, and Fritz Wintersteller summited.
Broad Peak’s first ascent, 1957. Photo: Kurt Diemberger Collection
Broad Peak’s first registered death occurred in the summer of 1975. A Polish team led by Janusz Ferenski aimed for Broad Peak Central. The 15-member party set up Base Camp at 5,000m on the Godwin Austen Glacier on June 30, following a route close to the 1957 Austrian line but sticking to the ridge’s crest. They placed Camp 1 at 5,800m, Camp 2 at 6,550m, and Camp 3 at 7,200m, according to the American Alpine Journal.
On July 28, six climbers — Roman Bebak, Kazimierz Glazek, Marek Kesicki, Janusz Kulis, Bohdan Nowaczyk, and Andrzej Sikorski — pushed for the summit. The ascent was hard, with two challenging rock sections near the top. Bebak turned back before the col, but at 7:30 pm, Glazek, Kesicki, Kulis, Nowaczyk, and Sikorski reached the Central Summit, marking its first confirmed ascent.
Tragedy on the descent
As darkness and worsening weather closed in, the climbers navigated a treacherous ridge. They opted to rappel to a snow terrace to reach the col. Disaster hit when Nowaczyk’s rappel rope came loose, sending him plummeting down the Chinese side to his death. With no spare rope, the team continued unroped on the icy slopes. Kesicki and Sikorski slipped at different points and fell to their deaths. Kulis arrested his fall, and only he and Glazek survived.
Over the decades, there have been deaths from falls, exhaustion, and exposure, especially on the standard route from the Pakistani side. This route involves steep ice slopes, seracs, and a long summit ridge prone to whiteouts.
The 2000s saw more incidents. In 2009, Italian Cristina Castagna vanished during a descent in bad weather from Camp 4 at 7,400m. Her body was never recovered. In 2018, Icelandic climber Ingolfur Sveinsson died in an avalanche near Camp 2 at 6,000m.
More recently, in 2021, South Korean climber Kim Hong-bin perished after summiting, despite rescue efforts. In 2022, British climber Gordon Henderson fell to his death near the summit during a busy season that saw multiple fatalities on neighboring peaks.
Winter attempts amplify the dangers, with sub-zero temperatures, high winds up to 100kph, and limited daylight.
Broad Peak, winter 2013. Base Camp after a storm. The normal route on Broad Peak, followed by the first winter ascensionists, climbs to the prominent col (above the foreground tent) and then up to the main summit on the right. Photo: Adam Bielecki
The 2013 Polish winter expedition
The 2013 Polish winter expedition was part of a national program led by the Polish Mountaineering Association to conquer the 14 8,000’ers in winter. Directed by legendary climber Krzysztof Wielicki, who had himself made winter ascents of Everest and Kangchenjunga, the team aimed for the first winter summit of Broad Peak. This would be a significant achievement: At the time, only 11 of the 14 8,000’ers had been summited in winter, and Poles were responsible for nine of them.
The expedition arrived at Base Camp on January 23, facing brutal conditions. Temperatures dropped to -40°C, with strong winds and deep snow.
The core summit team consisted of four experienced climbers: Maciej Berbeka, 58, a veteran with a storied career; Adam Bielecki, 29, a rising star who had just completed the first winter ascent of Gasherbrum I; Tomasz Kowalski, 27, an ambitious young mountaineer; and Artur Małek, 34, known for his technical skill.
Berbeka, in particular, had a deep connection with Broad Peak. Born in Zakopane, Poland, in 1954, he was a UIAGM-certified mountain guide and member of the Tatra Volunteer Search and Rescue team. His achievements included the first winter ascents of Manaslu in 1984 with Ryszard Gajewski, and Cho Oyu in 1985 with Maciej Pawlikowski via a new route, making it the only winter 8,000m ascent by a new line. He had also summited Annapurna I, Everest, and Lhotse.
In 1988, Berbeka became the first person to reach over 8,000m during winter in the Karakoram by climbing to the Rocky Summit of Broad Peak. That 1988 attempt, part of a larger K2 expedition, had ended in controversy when Berbeka was told he had summited, only to learn later it was the slightly lower Rocky Summit, 23m shy of the true summit. This unfinished business drove him back 25 years later.
Maciej Berbeka during the Broad Peak winter expedition in 2013. Photo: Adam Bielecki
The summit push
The team established Camp 2 at 6,300m and Camp 4 at 7,400m. Acclimatization rotations were grueling, with storms burying tents and forcing delays. By early March, a weather window opened, and on March 4, the four climbers pushed from Camp 2 to Camp 4, arriving late after battling deep snow and crevasses. At dawn on March 5, they left at 5:15 am, roped in pairs: Bielecki and Małek leading, followed by Berbeka and Kowalski. The route above 7,700m featured three major crevasses, the largest secured with fixed ropes. Berbeka and Bielecki alternated leads to the 7,900m col between Broad Peak Central and the foresummit, reaching it by 12:30 pm.
From there, the summit ridge stretched out, but winter conditions transformed it into a technical nightmare. Cornices loomed, and unexpected ice required careful belaying.
The group reached the foresummit (Rocky Summit) around 4 pm, then continued to the main summit. Darkness fell as they pushed on, with headlamps piercing the freezing night. Between 5:20 pm and 6 pm, all four Polish climbers stood on the true summit. This was the first winter ascent of Broad Peak, and it was achieved without supplemental oxygen. It was a big moment: the 12th 8,000’er ascended in winter, and Berbeka’s third first winter ascent. He thereby joined an elite group that included only three others — Krzysztof Wielicki, Jerzy Kukuczka, and Simone Moro.
Adam Bielecki on the summit of Broad Peak, in winter, with K2 visible behind. Photo: Adam Bielecki
Struggles on descent
The team had summited late, and temperatures sank to -30°C with winds howling. Bielecki and Małek moved ahead, reaching Camp 4 by 10:10 pm and 2 am on March 6, respectively.
Berbeka and Kowalski lagged, exhausted from the long day. Kowalski radioed Base Camp, reporting fatigue, breathing difficulties, and a broken crampon. He had bivouacked at 7,900m in extreme cold, without a tent. Berbeka was last heard from near the col, urging Kowalski to descend. By morning, neither had reached Camp 4.
Rescue attempts began, but blizzards and high winds grounded helicopters and halted high-altitude searches. On March 8, Wielicki declared Berbeka and Kowalski dead, citing the altitude, conditions, and lack of contact. Berbeka’s body was never found, likely lost in a crevasse near 7,900m. Kowalski’s remains were spotted in 2022 by Polish climber Rafal Fronia at about 8,000m on the ridge.
In 2023, Fronia led a team funded by the Polish Olympic Committee and the climbing community to recover Kowalski’s body. They buried him in an ice cave at a less visible spot, providing some closure after 10 years.
Controversy
After the expedition, a Polish Mountaineering Association report criticized the expedition for poor communication — radios malfunctioned because of the cold and other technical issues — and a lack of team cohesion.
It faulted the late summit push, which left little margin for the descent, and the decision for Bielecki and Małek to hurry down without waiting. The report stated that the group “de facto ceased to exist” when Bielecki separated from Małek, violating the plan to descend as a unit. Bielecki and Małek defended their actions, arguing that stopping in the death zone would have led to hypothermia for all. Their survival instincts kicked in amid the winds at -40°C.
Italian climber Simone Moro supported them, noting winter climbing’s unforgiving nature in an interview with Planet Mountain. “Individual responsibility is key; you can’t sacrifice everyone,” Moro said.
The debate raged in Polish media, with some accusing the survivors of abandoning teammates, while others praised the historic ascent despite the risks. The Polish Mountaineering Association ultimately cleared the expedition of major fault but recommended better radio protocols and team training for future efforts.
Artur Malek below the last crevasse at 7,800m. Photo: Adam Bielecki
Berbeka’s legacy
The 2022 Netflix film Broad Peak, directed by Leszek Dawid, dramatized Berbeka’s life. It focused on the 1988 controversy and Berbeka’s drive for redemption. Starring Irakli Kvirkvelia as Berbeka, it portrayed the emotional toll of mountaineering, earning praise for highlighting Polish climbing history but criticism for some dramatized elements. The film grossed well in Poland and sparked renewed interest in winter climbing history.
The 2013 Iranian summer expedition
Just four months after the Polish expedition, there was another tragedy on Broad Peak.
A five-member Iranian team from the Arash Mountaineering Club in Tehran attempted a new route on the Southwest Face, dubbed Route Iran. Led by the experienced 47-year-old Ramin Shojaei, the group included Afshin Saadi, 43, Aidin Bozorgi, 24, Pouya Keivan, 24, and Mojtaba Jarahi, 28.
This was no novice crew; they built on prior Iranian efforts. In 2009, a 10-person Arash team had climbed the lower half of the Southwest Rib to 6,800m before retreating because of an illness. In 2011, a six-person follow-up fixed ropes for 350m across a traverse but ran out of time. Bozorgi, Keivan, and Jarahi, the team’s young members, were the strongest options for the alpine-style push above 7,000m.
Bozorgi, from Tehran, was a climbing prodigy. He started mountaineering at 13, summited Damavand at 15, earned a degree in electrical engineering, and excelled at ice, rock, and big-wall climbing.
Keivan was a skilled all-rounder, and Jarahi was set to marry soon after the trip, adding personal stakes. His teammates teased him about his upcoming wedding. Their climbing motivation stemmed from national pride and a desire to prove Iranian prowess on uncharted terrain, despite tensions with the Iranian Mountaineering Federation over funding and support.
The three Iranian climbers edge toward the far end of the initial traverse onto the west face. Photo: Ramin Shojaei
The summit
The climbers arrived at Base Camp in late June 2013, sharing facilities with international teams, including Americans and a Mongolian woman.
They acclimatized via the normal route, establishing Camp 3 at 6,800m by early July. On July 13, Bozorgi, Keivan, and Jarahi branched right onto the new line, facing poor weather and a shift from snow to rocky terrain. They bivouacked at 7,350m that night, advancing only 100m the next day through difficult mixed climbing to 7,450m.
On July 15, progress improved on easier ground, leading to a bivouac at 8,000m just below the summit. Early on July 16, they reached the top via their new route, a major achievement, partial though it was, joining the normal route higher up.
A fatal descent
Opting for the standard route to Camp 3 for safety, they traversed the col at 7,900m but took a wrong turn onto a subsidiary spur with rocky, exposed terrain.
They were exhausted, without food or water, and the wind had torn away their tent, forcing two more bivouacs above 8,000m. On July 19, Bozorgi radioed Shojaei at Base Camp, reporting dire conditions: no supplies, Jarahi ill, and all affected by fatigue and altitude. Their last contact was fragmented, and Bozorgi couldn’t share GPS coordinates. Pakistani porters reached the col on July 20 but found no trace amid deteriorating weather. Rescue efforts, involving helicopters and other expeditions, were halted by storms. On July 22, the three were declared dead.
Shojaei later reflected on the team’s errors. They underestimated the descent’s complexity, their team leader was insufficiently acclimatized, and they relied on an alpine-style push without enough gear. The new route was a bittersweet success, celebrated in Iran for its ambition but mourned deeply. The climbers’ bodies were never recovered, likely lost in crevasses or avalanches.
Iranian media highlighted the Iranian Mountaineering Federation’s mismanagement, with Bozorgi having written a pre-expedition letter criticizing their support. The Arash Club honored them with memorials, emphasizing their role in advancing Iranian mountaineering amid economic challenges.
The west side of Broad Peak above 7,000m. (3) is the Iranian route of 2013. The red ‘X’ marks the location of Aidin Bozorgi’s last call. Photo: Ramin Shojaei
Descents a recurring problem
The 2013 Broad Peak tragedies fit into a pattern of risk on 8,000’ers. The death zone above 8,000m causes rapid deterioration from hypoxia, frostbite, and exhaustion. The Polish incident exposed winter climbing’s special challenges — shorter days, unstable snow, and cold — while the Iranian one showed the peril of new routes, with navigation errors and resource depletion. Both teams succeeded in their goals but faltered on the way down, the most dangerous phase. The descent accounts for over 70% of the fatalities on such peaks.
Comparisons to other tragedies, like the 1996 Everest disaster or the 2008 K2 tragedy, reveal common threads: weather changes, communication failures, and ethical dilemmas over leaving teammates. Broad Peak’s long ridge amplifies these, with whiteouts causing disorientation. Post 2013, safety improved slightly with better forecasts and gear, but the fatality rate remains high.
These stories remind climbers that 8,000m peaks demand humility, as Wielicki noted in a documentary on the expedition: “Happy expeditions are those when everyone returns.”
Conclusions
The 2013 Broad Peak tragedies encapsulate the dual nature of high-altitude mountaineering, triumphs sometimes overshadowed by profound loss. The Polish team’s first winter ascent was a historic feat, cementing their nation’s dominance in extreme climbing, yet the deaths of Berbeka and Kowalski highlight how quickly ambition can lead to disaster.
These events may teach critical lessons. Preparation is vital, but so is adaptability. The Polish Mountaineering Association’s report, which emphasizes communication and cohesion, could prevent future mishaps. New routes, while innovative, require conservative margins, as the Iranians learned too late. Ethically, debates over descending ahead versus group survival persist, but Moro’s defense is true: In the death zone, self-preservation can sometimes save at least part of the team.
Broad Peak from Concordia. Photo: Wikimedia
