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Aleksander Ostrowski (skier)

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Aleksander "Olek" Ostrowski
DisappearedJuly 25, 2015
Gasherbrum II
MonumentsPolish Himalayan Memorial, Nepal; Tatra Symbolic Cemetery, Popradské Pleso; Olek Ostrowski Memorial Ski race
Occupation(s)Skier and Mountaineer
Years active2004–2015
Known forFirst Polish ski descent from Cho Oyu, First Pole to ski Northern Face of Lenin Peak

Aleksander "Olek" Ostrowski (January 11, 1988 Wetlina, Poland, Disappeared 25 July 2015 Gasherbrum II) was a Polish skier, ski mountaineer, and mountain rescuer.

Background[edit]

Ostrowski was born and grew up in Wetlina in the Bieszczady Mountains. He began skiing at age 3, and soon started to take part in FIS competitions. In 2004, he won the Open Podkarpacie Amateur Alpine Skiing Championships in carving and giant slalom.[1] He then went to represent his region Subcarpathian Voivodeship in the Polish junior championships.[2] In 2007, he graduated high school in Ustrzyki Dolne[3] and went on to university studies in geography at Jagiellonian University in Krakow.[4][5]

Poland's Bieszczady mountains, where Ostrowski grew up

Alongside his studies, he remained dedicated to the mountains. At university, he became a member of the Alpine club.[6][7][8] In 2007, he became a certified mountain rescuer with Poland's prestigious Mountain Volunteer Search and Rescue based in Sanok.[9]

He continued to compete successfully in alpine skiing competitions,[10][11][12] and additionally went on to become a ski instructor and ultramarathon runner. He participated mostly in mountain runs, competing in numerous races in the Tatra Mountains.[13][14][15]

Mountaineering[edit]

Ostrowski began alpine climbing close to home in Poland, first in the Tatras. He then went on to the alps to climb Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, and Grossglockner. Ostrowski combined his pastimes of climbing and skiing to become a skilled ski mountaineer, and became notable for his ski descents. In 2012, he made a solo ski descent from the north face Lenin Peak (7134 m), becoming the first Pole to do so.[16] Two years later in 2014, he joined a group expedition and became the first Pole to ski down Mount Kazbek (5 033 m).

Later that year, he organized a ski expedition funded by supporters via Polak Potrafi, a crowdfunding website, attempting to be the first Pole to ski Cho Oyo. On September 29, 2014, Ostrowski summited his first eight-thousander solo and then successfully skied down from the summit without the use of additional oxygen. In his descent, he set a new Polish altitude record for downhill skiing, and became the first Pole to ski Cho Oyu.[17][18]

For his solo ascent and ski descent of Cho Oyu, he was awarded a „Kolosa” award, one of the year's highest honors from the Polish travel industry with distinction in Mountaineering.[19] He later received the Trip of the Year award from National Geographic.[20][21][22][23]

After summiting Cho Oyo, Ostrowski set his sights on another eight-thousander, Gasherbrum II in the Karakoram. Ostrowski again sought to climb without oxygen, and without the help of high-altitude porters, and be the first to Pole to ski down from the summit. He again turned to crowdfunding to support the climb, successfully raising PLN 50,316 for the expedition, 125% of the project's goal.[24] Alongside Piotr Śnigórski, a photographer, ski instructor and climber, the two began their climb on July 21, 2015. After two days of climbing, Śnigórski and Ostrowski reached Camp 3, and by July 24, they made their push towards the summit. After hours of climbing in heavy snow, Ostrowski and Śnigórski abandoned their summit attempt on July 25 after reaching 7,600 meters.[25]

On they made their way down, Ostrowski went missing while descending from camp two to camp one, possibly due to falling in a crevasse.[26][27] On July 26, high altitude porters went to search for Ostrowski. Upon hearing the news, countrymen Andrzej Bargiel and Darek Załuski, came to base camp to support search activities, despite summitting Broad Peak days earlier.[28] According to statements by Bargiel, he pleaded with officers for hours to allow him to search for the missing climber, only to be denied as Pakistan's military closed the mountain.[29] On July 27, the search was called off.[30][31] No sign of Ostrowski has ever been found.[32]

Memorials[edit]

Olka Ostrowskiego Memorial Medal 2017

Following his death, his family and his fellow mountain rescue colleagues organized an annual sports competition for alpine skiers in his memory.[33] The event has become one of the most prominent alpine competitions for young skiers as well as alpine mountain rescue personnel in Poland.[34] In 2024, the 6th edition of the event was held in his local Bieszczaldy Mountains.[35][36]

On November 11, 2016, a plaque dedicated to his memory was unveiled at the Tatra Symbolic Cemetery on the western slopes of Ostrva in the High Tatras.[37] He is also commemorated on the Polish Himalayan Memorial in Namche Bazar, Nepal alongside the names of other Polish climbers who have been lost in the Himalayas.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Otwarte Mistrzostwa Podkarpacia Amatorów w Narciarstwie Alpejskim". sport.pl. 2004-01-16.
  2. ^ "Podsumowanie sezonu zimowego 2005/06". sport.ustrzyki-dolne.pl.
  3. ^ "Absolwenci (rocznik 2006-07a)". loustrzyki.edu.pl.
  4. ^ "Pożegnanie Olka Ostrowskiego". geo.uj.edu.pl. 2015-07-29.
  5. ^ "Kto bada Tatry. Aleksander Ostrowski". nauka.tpn.pl.
  6. ^ "Travenalia 2014". travenalia.pl.
  7. ^ "Msza za Olka i Mariusza". kw.krakow.pl.
  8. ^ "AMP w narciarstwie alpejskim". azs.uj.edu.pl.
  9. ^ "Ratownicy Bieszczadzkiej Grupy GOPR". bieszczady.gopr.pl.
  10. ^ "II Mistrzostwa Służb MSWiA w Narciarstwie Alpejskim".
  11. ^ "II Mistrzostwa Służb Mundurowych i Ratowniczych wygrała drużyna GOPR". podhale24.pl.
  12. ^ "OSTROWSKI Aleksander - Athlete Information". www.fis-ski.com. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  13. ^ Aleksander Ostrowski pozostał na zawsze na Gaszerbrumie
  14. ^ "Výsledky :: Tatranská šelma Vertical&Ultra". www.tatranskaselma.com.
  15. ^ "IV Koniczynka Trail Marathon". kalendarzbiegowy.pl.
  16. ^ Ostrowski, Olek (2012-08-06). "Relacja - Lenin na nartach 2012". Drytooling.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  17. ^ "Olek Ostrowski jako pierwszy Polak zjechał na nartach z Cho Oyu!". bieszczady.gopr.pl.
  18. ^ "Olek Ostrowski, "szalony chłopak z Bieszczad", o wejściu i zjeździe z Cho Oyu". wspinanie.pl. 2014-10-05.
  19. ^ "Aleksander Ostrowski z Kolosem". radio.rzeszow.pl. 2015-07-16.
  20. ^ "Znamy zwycięzców 9. edycji TRAVELERÓW!". national-geographic.pl. 2015-05-26.
  21. ^ "Travelery: Olek Ostrowski laureatem. Zjazd z Czo Oju Wyczynem Roku". polskieradio.pl. 2015-05-26.
  22. ^ "9 edycja Travelerów – Olek Ostrowski nagrodzony za wyczyn roku!". brytan.com.pl. 2015-05-26.
  23. ^ "9. edycja konkursu TRAVELERY – Olek Ostrowski nagrodzony za wyczyn roku". wspinanie.pl. 2015-05-26.
  24. ^ PolakPotrafi.pl. "Gasherbrum II 8035 - Ski Expedition 2015". PolakPotrafi.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  25. ^ lokalny, Portal (2023-07-25). "Pozostał na zawsze na Gasherbrumie II. Mija osiem lat od zaginięcia Olka Ostrowskiego". Bieszczady informacje, atrakcje, wiadomości, wydarzenia (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  26. ^ "Ratownik bieszczadzki Olek Ostrowski zaginął w Karakorum". nowiny24.pl. 2015-07-26.
  27. ^ "Piotr Śnigórski o przebiegu wyprawy i wypadku na Gasherbrumie II". wspinanie.pl. 2015-08-02.
  28. ^ "Poszukiwania zakończone – Olek Ostrowski pozostał na zawsze na Gasherbrumie II" (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  29. ^ Shahid, Jamal (2015-08-03). "'It's still not clear what happened to missing Polish climber'". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  30. ^ "Koniec akcji poszukiwawczej. Komunikat w sprawie akcji poszukiwawczej Olka Ostrowskiego". fundacjakukuczki.pl. 2015-07-27.
  31. ^ "Akcja poszukiwawcza pod Gasherbrumem II zakończona". powder.pl. 2015-07-27.
  32. ^ lokalny, Portal (2023-07-25). "Pozostał na zawsze na Gasherbrumie II. Mija osiem lat od zaginięcia Olka Ostrowskiego". Bieszczady informacje, atrakcje, wiadomości, wydarzenia (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  33. ^ "Memoriał Olka ostrowskiego w narciarstwie alpejskim". www.bieszczadzka24.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  34. ^ Olejnik, Marta (2023-02-05). "V Memoriał Olka Ostrowskiego". Marek Kuchciński. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  35. ^ Sajnog, Marian (2024-01-24). "VI MEMORIAŁ OLKA OSTROWSKIEGO". RATOWNICTWO GÓRSKIE (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  36. ^ Sajnog, Marian (2024-02-05). "PO VI MEMORIALE OLKA OSTROWSKIEGO". RATOWNICTWO GÓRSKIE (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  37. ^ lokalny, Portal (2023-07-25). "Pozostał na zawsze na Gasherbrumie II. Mija osiem lat od zaginięcia Olka Ostrowskiego". Bieszczady informacje, atrakcje, wiadomości, wydarzenia (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-06-17.
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