Poles mark 40 years since first winter ascent of Mt Everest

Poland is marking the 40th anniversary of the first winter ascent of Mount Everest - a historic feat carried out by Polish climbers.

Leszek Cichy and Krzysztof Wielicki, safely back in Warsaw on March 16, 1980, after scaling Mount Everest in the winter.

Photo: PAP/Tadeusz Zagoździński

On February 17, 1980, two Polish mountaineers, Leszek Cichy and Krzysztof Wielicki, reached the top of the world's tallest mountain, going down in history as the first people to complete the challenge in winter. 

Andrzej Bargiel, an acclaimed Polish climber who successfully skied down the planet’s second-highest peak, K2 in 2018 and attempted to ski down Mount Everest in 2019, wrote on his Instagram account: "Using basic equipment and limited funds, Poles under the guidance of Andrzej Zawada achieved the impossible" in 1980.

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Dzisiaj mija 40 rocznica zimowego wejścia na Everest. Polacy pod kierownictwem Andrzeja Zawady dokonali wtedy czegoś co wydawało się niemożliwe, dysponując siermiężnym sprzętem i ograniczonymi środkami finansowymi. Krzysztof Wielicki, Leszek Cichy czapki z głów Panowie 🙌🏻 40th Anniversary of Historic Everest Conquest. Using basic equipment and limited funds Poles under the guidance of Andrzej Zawada achieved the impossible. Chapeau bas Krzysztof Wielicki Leszek Cichy 🙌🏻 photo: Bogdan Jankowski

Post udostępniony przez Andrzej Bargiel (@andrzejbargiel) Lut 17, 2020 o 2:10 PST

Tomasz Ferenc takes a look back at the historic feat of 40 years ago...