Jerzy Kukuczka died 35 years ago on Lhotse. Interview with Cecylia Kukuczka

We remind you of the conversation from October 2020

Lhotse – 8516 m above sea level, the fourth highest peak on Earth. This southern wall, then impregnable. The dream and curse of those who challenge her. Bringing death.

They go, they take risks, the two of them. Ryszard Pawłowski, who was belaying Kukuczka, sees that he suddenly starts to slide. He is not stopped by a belay pass. He falls into the abyss.

Pawłowski is alive, he returns to the base.

The body of Kukuczka, an outstanding mountaineer, the second in history – after Reinhold Messner – conqueror of the Crown of the Himalayas and the Karakoram, has not been found. He was 41 years old. He died on October 24, 1989.

“We went to one ball, a very beautiful one”

RAFAŁ KAZIMIERCZAK: “Carnival dress. Colorful hair clips. Flip-flops.” This is from your husband’s notebook, dated November 1, 1989. He wrote down what to do after returning from Lhotse.

CECYLIA KUKUCZKA: These were difficult years for Poles, everything was missing, even those stupid pins. Yes, I asked Jurek to bring them to me.

He enjoyed shopping and loved bringing us gifts – both for me and for the boys. Yes, I think that maybe this was his way of making up for his absence, at least a little.

Did you ask him for this dress too, or was it supposed to be a surprise?

I asked, I asked. Jurek usually asked what to bring.

Once upon a time, you traveled from the Himalayas through India, and those dresses were so beautiful there. Real cotton, impossible to find in Poland.

Were you planning a ball during the carnival after his return?

No, no ball, it’s a dress to wear every day, at most to a family event, to friends, or to a house party.

Jurek was a very busy man. He lived very fast. When he returned to the country, he still didn’t have enough time. He was already thinking about the next expedition, already planning it, already organizing it. The times were such that absolutely everything had to be acquired. There were no sponsors, no money, no good equipment, no food. Besides, he went to work, between these trips, he was an electrical technician. And he still studied at the Academy of Physical Education, where he eventually obtained the title of mountaineering coach.

We attended one very beautiful ball in Warsaw, when Jurek won second place in the “Przegląd Sportowy” plebiscite.

Koreans found a turtle with polka dots

“I love you, life”, a song from Edyta Geppert’s repertoire. He sang it there in the mountains at the top of his lungs when he conquered Annapurna.

He was a happy man then. Very happy. They had a very difficult winter entry, including Artur Hajzer. Everything ended well, so he sang with joy. Probably because he could do what he loved most in life.

Did he sing at home sometimes too? Did he make you dance?

No, no, he came home tired.

But no, wait a minute. You know what, he was singing. When we invited friends to Istebna, to the Kukuczka family home, he sang by the fire. He liked mountain and Slovak songs.

He had a family, he had somewhere and someone to return to. This is important in the life of every athlete, not to mention those who risk their lives. And he took a risk.

I supported him, I didn’t make any fights – that he was going somewhere else, that he was leaving us again.

I’m not a brawler, I never have been. I felt regret, yes. Damn, he’s driving again, he’s already carrying him, and he’s only just returned. I saw how much our sons missed him. And it was hard for me to be separated from him, as he knew perfectly well.

Well… That’s what I chose. I didn’t scream. I didn’t want to take away what was most important to him. And the most beautiful. He lived in these mountains. He was so happy to go somewhere again.

Jerzy Kukuczka in action

Photo: Newspix

He took his sons’ toys with him. Talisman. Reminder.

He took the ladybug on Makalu and it saved his honor.

Exactly, did he leave a ladybug or a turtle on the top because the information is contradictory?

Ladybug, polka dots. He entered alone, his two partners gave up. And no one believed him downstairs. They wanted evidence, photos, and Jurek’s camera happened to be broken. “The proof is in the ladybug,” he says.

And they didn’t count him for entry.

A year later, Makalu was conquered by a Korean expedition. They immediately sent a telex to Jerzy that there was indeed a toy, according to them it was a turtle with dots, because apparently there are no ladybugs in Korea.

The recordings also show a chain with a cross under an unbuttoned shirt.

Yes, he always wore that cross, it was a souvenir given by his mother. He appreciated it very much and never parted with it. He lost it once near Lhotse, the first time he was there. And he didn’t want to enter the wall without the cross, he was superstitious. He walked around, looked for it and – imagine – found it in a pile of stones.

Alarm. Alarm. Alarm

September 18, 1987, conquered Shiszapangma with Artur Hajzer. He finally has the Crown of the Himalayas. The lady is happy for him, but also relieved.

Yes, with all the joy, I thought that maybe now he would sit down a little and be with us a little more. And he had further plans, the next year he went on another expedition.

And he was thinking about the southern face of Lhotse all the time. This wall was bothering him. In 1985, he made his first attempt to conquer it, but it was unsuccessful and they had to withdraw. It was then that he lost and found the cross.

He thought about that wall all the time.

He returned there four years later. You are at the station in Katowice, the train is arriving at the station, hurry.

“Take care of your sons. And don’t worry, I will definitely come back.” That’s what he said.

He jumped on the train at the last minute. He was standing by the glass in the door, I was waving at him. “Take care of your sons, don’t worry, I will definitely come back” – these were his last words.

I usually went with him to Warsaw, to the airport, and there we said goodbye. This time he was supposed to stay in Warsaw for one more day to take care of some final matters, but I couldn’t go because of the boys. We said goodbye at this station in Katowice.

While he was there, on Lhotse, when he was getting ready for the summit attack, a lady and her sons were spending the weekend in Istebna. After the weekend with the older one, Maciek, you returned to Katowice because of school.

Yes, Wojtek and his aunt stayed, the weather was so nice, it was a shame to take him. On October 24, around 4 a.m., Wojtek woke up and then woke up his aunt. Frightened, he started to tell her what he dreamed – he was riding in an elevator with his dad, the elevator wouldn’t stop anywhere, his dad was pressing the “alarm” button. Alarm, alarm, alarm.

There, on Lhotse, it was 9 o’clock. Around this time, Jurek fell off the wall.

Jerzy Kukuczka

Photo: Newspix

You received the tragic news a day later.

It was also a beautiful, sunny day. Janusz Majer, president of the high-mountain club in Katowice, and his wife rang the doorbell. Heads down, scared, stressed. I already knew.

There was an accident, Jurek fell off the wall. He’s dead.

Sometimes you thought: mother, what will I do if he doesn’t come back? I have always lived in hope. I kept telling myself that he was strong, that he was brave, so he had to come back. And he always promised us that he would come back.

He didn’t keep his word. He left you. Sorry.

I felt great sadness in my heart when I learned about the accident. For a very long time I couldn’t believe that he wouldn’t come back. I didn’t want to believe it. For a year, every doorbell rang… I ran to see if it was him. Maybe he fell into a crevice, maybe he came out of it. And he came back, standing with his backpack.

The boys didn’t understand it very well yet, maybe Maciek, because he was 10 years old. Wojtek was five, he was small.

My husband gave up on the expedition once when his first son was born.

Interesting, because I remember exactly that evening and the phone call from Andrzej Zawada, who was organizing the winter ascent of Mount Everest. And how difficult it was for Jurek to refuse. He was terribly confused.

He gave the flowers to his sister, then apologized and took them away

You and your friend enter a cafe and you see four bearded men. And what next?

There were three of them. And Jurek actually had a beard. This cafe was called Cafe Sport. Those two were his colleagues from work, he invited them for some wine because it was his birthday that day. They had already finished celebrating, were getting ready to leave, and my friend and I were looking for a free table. When they saw us, they said that since such pretty girls came, they should stay.

That’s how I met him, completely by accident.

He took me from this cafe to my apartment building by bus.

And he asked, will you meet again?

Yes, he asked. He walked me right to the cage and asked me. I agreed. Something about this boy charmed me. Those eyes of his, dreamy, mysterious, such kindness flowed from them. And maybe a little sadness.

I agreed to meet.

He proposed after three years, but he gave the flowers not to you, but to your sister. Was that tough guy Kukuczka so nervous then?

Well, Jurek was very shy when it came to such matters between men and women. He was very nervous about the proposal and was very nervous. They came to my family’s apartment with my mother, it was an official ceremony. His sister opened the door and he handed the bouquet to her. A comical situation. Later he apologized, took the bouquet and gave it to me.

So I’m asking for one more happy memory. In Istebna he taught a lady how to ski.

I couldn’t ski at all, so I kept falling over. In the end, I didn’t want to get up anymore, because what’s the point – to fall into the snow again. And he slapped my butt with a stick – come on, move, or you’ll never learn.

Cecylia Kukuczka, wife of Jerzy Kukuczka

Photo: Newspix

“He was here two days ago”

Do you visit Lhotse, near the southern wall? At his place?

I try to go there on the anniversary of his death. The last time I was there was a year ago. It’s very moving for me, these trips mean a lot to me. Such relief. There I can talk to Jurek. Feel sorry for him. I feel like I’m close to him.

Does he come to you sometimes?

Even two days ago he was there. I dreamed about it all night long. A very beautiful dream.

And sometimes, when I do something wrong or don’t get something done, he scolds me a lot. And in these dreams he leaves me. That’s when I know: aha, Cecylia, you did something wrong, you have to correct it.

Are you talking to this mountain? Do you have a grudge against her?

I feel very sad that he stayed there, so lonely. I stand and look at her. And somewhere far away I see him. Is.

Cecylia Kukuczka organized a Memorial Room dedicated to her husband in the Kukuczka family home in Istebna. Information on this subject, as well as the virtual museum, can be found at jerzykukuczka.com.

Author: interviewed by Rafał Kazimierczak

Well, dear readers, buckle up! We’re diving deep into the tragically fascinating tale of Jerzy Kukuczka, one of the greatest mountaineers of all time. It’s a story of dreams, dangers, and the kind of determination that would make even a resolute sloth look lazy. In case you didn’t know (where have you been?), he was the second person in history to conquer the Crown of the Himalayas. Remarkable, isn’t it? But hold your applause, because the tale takes a dark turn. I promise, we’ll get to the humor, but first, let’s pay respect to the mountain and the man.

So, we’ve got Lhotse, standing tall at 8,516 meters, like an unwelcoming bouncer, not letting anyone past its icy gates. And then there’s the unfortunate fall of Kukuczka, whose fate played out like a tragic romance—but instead of a love story, he fell into an abyss. Ryszard Pawłowski was left alive to head back to base camp, which is the epitome of “I came back with a story, but it’s not the one I wanted to tell.” I mean, honestly, I’d take an awkward family reunion over a mountain tragedy any day!

But before we dive into the grim details, let’s have a little fun with his wife, Cecylia Kukuczka, who remembers the “joy” of asking for a dress from the Himalayas, while juggling her husband’s death-defying antics with a hint of wit. “Carnival dress, colorful hair clips, and flip-flops,” she recalled. Now, that sounds like a party I’d want to attend! Who knew mountaineering came with a fashion sense? Perhaps Kukuczka thought he’d need to impress the Yeti at the summit or something.

But back to the somber stuff—he had a family waiting for him, sons who missed their dad, a wife filling the void with assorted ball gowns. I can’t help but feel like maybe they should’ve just planned a family ski trip instead. “Hey kids, let’s hit the slopes instead of risking it all on the sharp edge of Lhotse!” Seriously, Jurek, you had a choice! But no, he was on a quest—to climb the mountains and dance on their ridges, quite literally. This man was in love with climbing—and maybe even with the idea of being a legendary mountaineer.

Now, this ladybug—or maybe a turtle situation—on Makalu is pure comedy gold. After a solo climb, Kukuczka had to prove his ascent with a toy. “Look at my ladybug!” “Oh, you mean the turtle,” the Koreans joke. If mountaineering fails, I suggest a career in toy sales for that guy! Talk about a bizarre twist of fate: “Hey guys, I swear I climbed to the top. One sec, let me grab my ladybug!”

Let’s not forget the emotional bits, though, because who doesn’t love some raw, gut-wrenching grief mixed with a bit of comedic relief? Remember the last words he said to Cecylia? “Take care of your sons. And don’t worry, I will definitely come back.” Ah, the classic last promise—one you reluctantly whisper before embarking on a deadly mission. It sounds all too familiar, right? Like when you leave for the corner shop and swear you’ll return with milk, but end up at a wild afterparty instead!

In history’s tragic comedy, when one half hopes for a plot twist while being resigned to reality, Kukuczka’s story is no different. It’s a rocky rollercoaster that spirals into calamity. And yet, his family lingers on, living in a bittersweet memory—Cecylia even visits Lhotse to feel close to him. “He was here two days ago,” she mused about their dreams together. Makes you think; perhaps we’re all just bungee jumping between two realities, hoping for a happy landing.

Now listen, while humor may lighten the melancholia, let’s not trivialize what Kukuczka represented: passion, adventure, and the devastating cost of climbing those metaphorical (and literal) peaks. As Cecylia creates a memorial room in their home, it’s a testament to a legacy that, thankfully, won’t slip into the abyss of oblivion. God bless the climbers, the dreamers, and yes, even the ladybugs of the world. Adventure isn’t for the faint-hearted, but neither is love. Now, who’s up for a carnival dress? I see some blurry disco lights on the horizon!