Krzysztof Wielicki (Szklarka Przygodzicka, Poland, 1950) first took up mountaineering at 14 years of age in the Tatra Mountains, in his native Poland. Acknowledged as one of the most outstanding mountaineers in the world and a symbol of Polish mountaineering, Wielicki’s name is associated in the world of mountaineering with historical milestones such as having been the fifth man in the world to have conquered the planet’s 14 eight-thousanders and to having made the first ascents in winter to the summits of three mountains of over eight thousand metres in height: in 1980, he ascended to Mount Everest (8848 m), along with Leszek Cichy; to Kangchenjunga (8586 m) in 1986, along with Jerzy Kukuczka; and Lhotse (8516 m) solo in 1988. In 2018, he organized and led the expedition to K2 (8611 m), the only eight-thousander still to be conquered in winter, although the climb had to be suspended due to bad weather. During this attempt, Wielicki’s expedition featured in one of the so-called “Himalayan feats” in which solidarity and camaraderie emerge as the mainstays of this sport: the operation on Nanga Parbat to rescue Elisabeth Revol, whom they managed to save, and Tomek Mackiewicz, for whom they could do nothing.

In 1984, Wielicki made the first ascent in a single day to an eight-thousander, crowning Broad Peak, and that same year opened up a new route to climb Manaslu. In 1993, he ascended Shisha Pangma solo via a new route.

In addition to his achievements as a climber, his sports colleagues highlight his values as a human being, his companionship and his leadership skills when faced with challenges in the mountains. At almost 70 years of age, Wielicki dedicates a large part of his time to spreading the values of mountaineering and to advising practitioners of this sport on techniques and strategies to follow in the mountains. He is the author or co-author of several books. He is a member of The Explorers Club, an international company based in New York founded in 1904 with the aim of promoting exploration and field research, and was awarded the Lowell Thomas Prize in 2006.