1983 Polish Women's Broad Peak First Female Ascent Expedition

Poland🏔️ 6 Peaks

Anna Czerwińska

Anna Czerwińska was born on July 10, 1949, in Warsaw, Poland. Holding a doctorate in pharmacy, Czerwińska turned her methodical scientific discipline toward the High Tatras, where she formed an indomitable climbing partnership with Krystyna Palmowska. Together, they became the vanguard of Polish female mountaineering during its golden era, establishing themselves as equals to the leading male alpinists of Europe. In 1977, Czerwińska and Palmowska made international headlines by completing the second female ascent and first all-female team ascent of the direct North Face of the Matterhorn in Switzerland. In the summer of 1983, operating without high-altitude porters or bottled oxygen, Czerwińska and Palmowska climbed Broad Peak (8,051m) in the Karakoram, securing the first female ascent in world history. Two years later, in 1985, they teamed with Wanda Rutkiewicz to complete the historic first all-female ascent of Nanga Parbat (8,126m) via the Kinshofer Route. Czerwińska's climbing career spanned five decades. Later in life, she embarked on an ambitious quest to summit the eight-thousanders and the highest peaks on each continent. On May 22, 2000, at fifty years of age, Czerwińska stood atop Mount Everest (8,848m), becoming the oldest Polish woman to summit the mountain. In rapid succession, she went on to conquer Shishapangma, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, and Makalu, becoming the second Polish woman after Wanda Rutkiewicz to conquer six eight-thousanders. Beyond her summits, Czerwińska was a gifted writer whose seventeen published books captured the humour, intense suffering, and camaraderie of high-altitude mountaineering with rare honesty. She passed away in Warsaw on January 31, 2023, leaving an enduring legacy of female independence, resilience, and literary eloquence in global alpine culture.

Poland🏔️ 4 Peaks

Krystyna Palmowska

Krystyna Palmowska was born on November 11, 1948, in Warsaw, Poland. A brilliant student who earned an advanced degree in electronic engineering from Warsaw University of Technology, Palmowska discovered her calling in the High Tatras in the early 1970s. Forming an inseparable, lifelong climbing partnership with fellow Polish mountaineer Anna Czerwińska, Palmowska developed remarkable technical proficiency on vertical granite and steep winter mixed routes. In 1975, Palmowska was selected for Wanda Rutkiewicz's groundbreaking Polish expedition to the Karakoram. Operating without commercial infrastructure, Palmowska achieved the summit of Gasherbrum II (8,034m), solidifying her reputation as one of the world's most capable female high-altitude climbers. Two years later, in 1977, Palmowska and Czerwińska shocked the European alpine establishment by making the second female ascent—and first all-female team ascent—of the treacherous North Face of the Matterhorn in Switzerland. Palmowska's crowning achievement took place in June 1983 on Broad Peak (8,051m) in Pakistan. Operating as a self-reliant two-woman team without high-altitude porters or bottled oxygen, Palmowska and Czerwińska climbed the standard route in lightweight alpine style. On June 30, 1983, Palmowska became the first woman in history to stand on the 8,051-metre summit of Broad Peak. In 1985, Palmowska joined Wanda Rutkiewicz and Anna Czerwińska to make the historic first all-female ascent of Nanga Parbat (8,126m) via the Kinshofer Route. In the tragic summer of 1986 on K2, Palmowska reached 8,200 metres on the South-Southwest Ridge (the Magic Line), demonstrating exceptional endurance and sound judgment by retreating safely before catastrophic blizzards enveloped the mountain. Palmowska remains celebrated as one of the finest purists of Poland's Golden Age of Himalayan exploration.