Jan Długosz (mountaineer)

Jan Długosz (July 12, 1929, Warsaw,Poland - July 2, 1962 in High Tatras) was a Polish mountaineer and writer. He lived in Kraków (South Poland). In 1961 he participated in the first ascent of the Central Pillar of Frêney on Mont Blanc by British-Polish team (with Don Whillans, Chris Bonington and Ian Clough).

Długosz became the leading Polish climber in the mid-1950s due to his significant climbs in Tatras, including the two hardest one (at the date, and needing new aid equipment) routes in 1955 (so called Wariant R on the Mnich, with Andrzej Pietsch, and the left side of Kazalnica, with Czesław Momatiuk). He made the first winter ascents (also demanding innovative tactics and techniques) of the hugest walls in Polish Tatras (1956, 1957).

He successfully climbed in the Alps (in 1957, the eighth overall ascent of the west face of Aiguille du Dru, with Momatiuk and Stanisław Biel), in 1960 Grand Capucin and 1961, attempt to Eiger and in August 1961 the 1st ascent of the Central pillar of Frêney, considered then as 'The last problem of the Alps' which had seen a month earlier the tragic Bonatti-Mazeaud drama in which they lost 4 of their companions) and in Caucasus (1958 Ullu-Tau, 1959 Dykh-Tau and Shkhara).

He was an author of a more than 60 articles and stories about mountaineering published in professional magazines and in popular media.

He tried to publish (from about 1960) his best stories as one book, but it happened eventually until almost 2 years after his death. The book Komin Pokutników (eng. The Chimney of Penitents), including 13 mountaineering stories, appeared in 1964 and is still considered one of the best books about climbing written in Polish (at least 5 next editions till 2008). Two next books (one with his early stories and next with articles, scenario of realized the documentary film, songs and poems for cabaret) were published in 1994 and 1995.

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Wikipedia