In early April, SALEWA athlete Kinga Baranowska of Poland left for Nepal. Her goal is Makalu. Her first attempt to climb an 8,000er was not successful. Now, she is trying again together with her fellow countryman and partner, mountaineer Rafal Fronia.

Alpinism has been forever shaped by good times and bad times, by triumph and terror, pleasure and pain. When Kinga Baranowski heads out these days to the Himalayas, she does so with the awareness of a long tradition that tied Polish alpinists together with mountaineering. In March, a Polish expedition team made a successful winter ascent of Broad Peak. With that, the Polish once again underscored their reputation as the most successful nation in winter ascents. Polish expedition teams have until now racked up nine winter ascents of 8,000ers. This athletic goal was achieved by a team in Pakistan under the direction of Himalayan legend Krzysztof Wielicki. Nevertheless, two of the four climbers didn’t return. Polish alpinists Maciej Berbeka and Tomasz Kowalski both lost their lives on Broad Peak – a misfortune that cast a dark cloud over the climb. Poland and its global mountaineering community are in mourning.

The misfortune of the two alpinists was also a huge shock for SALEWA athlete Kinga Baranowska, who knew them both very well. Her expedition to Makalu is in honor of the Polish alpinist tradition, and a sign of the mountaineer’s persevering mentality. Passion stands together in a tense relationship with risks, challenges and responsibility. “Experience and careful preparation are crucial. Only with those do I have an exact knowledge of what I can do, and only with that can I appropriately assess my abilities. Mountaineering is my life, but for me it’s not about a quick success. That’s why I take enough time to prepare and to get myself fully and completely focused on a project. I’m also ready to turn back shortly before summiting,” explained Kinga about her approach.

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