Lucky Eight. We know the composition of the expedition unification Makalu (8463 m)

Unification expedition of the Polish Mountaineering Association to the fifth mountain in the world will begin on August 20. Our Himalayan mountaineers plan to conquer the mountain without oxygen, via the route of the first conquerors from 1955. The last ascent was made by Poles (Kopyś-Kołakowski) in this style 22 years ago. Lineup of the expedition:

	Artur Hajzer – 49 years old. Mountaineering Club in Katowice. Leader of the expedition. Resident of Mikołów. Entrepreneur. Conqueror of 6 eight-thousanders including 3 via new routes. Author of the first winter ascent of Annapurna 8,091 m.
	Adam Bielecki – 28 years old. Mountaineering Club in Cracow. He comes from Tychy but lives in Cracow. Psychology student at Jagiellonian University. He has been climbing in the mountains for 13 years. Leader of several expeditions into various mounatins on 5 continents. Winner of the award in the Kolosy 2000 competition for making at the age of 17, as the youngest in the world, lone ascent on Khan Tengri 7,010 m in the alpine style.
	Tomasz Chwastek – 30 years old. Mountaineering Club in Cracow. He comes from Katowice but lives in Cracow. Mountain guide, cartographer, specilist in geographical information systems, during the expedition responsible for topography and communication matters. He climbed in the Tatra Mountains, the Dolomites and the Alps. Participant in Elbrus Race 2010 competition. He completed several mountains marathons and ultramarathons.
	Adam Ciućka – 34 years old. Mountaineering Club in Bielsko-Biała. He comes from Jeleśnia near Żywiec; occupationally, he tends gardens in the UK. Conqueror of 4 seven-thousanders. Last year he summited Gasherbrum II.
	Jacek Groń – 39 years old. Mountaineering Club in Nowy Sącz, resident of Muszyna, physiotherapist-chiropractor; he has been climbing for 20 years in the Tatra Mountains, the Alps and the Himalayas among other places; author of several first ascents in the Tatra Mountains. Enthusiast for mountain biking (MTB).
	Kacper Tekieli – 27 years old. Resident of Gdańsk. Member of Mountaineering Club in Trójmiasto. He climbed in the Alps, mountains of Colorado, Nevada and Alasca. One of the most active climbers in last winter seasons. In 2010, as a participant in „VI International Elbrus Race,” he reached the highest summit in Europe in less than 5 hours.
	Tomasz Wolfart – 29 years old. He lives in Wrocław and is a member of Mountaineering Club in Wrocław. Assistant leader of the expedition dealing with oganizational matters, has his own small company. Tatra Mountains climber, Himalayan mountaineer, ski-alpinist. He is experienced thanks to 10 ascents made in high mountains (the Andes, the Himalayas, The Caucasus Mountains) and climbing over 50 routes in summer and winter.
	Maciej Stańczak – 26 years old, born in Opole. Paramedic – graduated from Medical Academy in Wrocław; in addition, scout leader and competitor of NONSTOP ADVENTURE ZHP (NONSTOP ADVENTURE – Polish Scouting and Guiding Association) participating in adventure racing. Mountaineer, when he was 24, he was awarded a prestigious Snow Leopard for ascending five highest seven-thousanders of the former USSR.

We kindly invite you to follow reports from preparations and expedition, which will be published at polishwinterhimalaism.pl

Patrycja Konopka