A biography about Wojtek (Voytek) Kurtyka, a legendary Polish mountaineer. He was one of the pioneers of alpine-style climbing on some of the biggest mountain ranges in the world. Alpine-style is climbing that is fast and light, where the climbers carry all the equipment for ascent.
Loved his perspective on the purity of climbing mountains in this style. I also found his personal need to establish a connection to the soul of the mountain very interesting. The way he approached climbing as intimate moments with the mounatain, the way he sought freedom for this soul through suffering on the ascents and descents.
Some of my favorite quotes:
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“..only at your limit can you attain something valuable, an important message or some precious bit of knowledge.”
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“Only breaking the leash allows you to dance with the moment.”
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“Why would I dwell on the past when the present is so much more fascinating, much more mysterious, much more potential.”
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“As a true believer, I understand that climbing really isn’t about a body rising in space, but rather an attempt to rise above oneself.”
What would it be like to live those moments? If we get out of life what we put in then it’s not the height of the mountain that matters, but the amount of yourself you need to give to obtain such a pure moment in your soul. I want to feed my soul, to know what it’s like to experience even just a fraction of what these climbers talk about.
