A two-person family expedition to Makalu (8463 m), Lech and Wojtek, father and son. For Lech it was supposed to be the culmination of 40 years of climbing, for Wojtek- breaking the losing strike – a Taliban attack on Nanga Parbat, an earthquake on Lhotse, for both of them- the first eight-thousander. “Forever Young” Award granted to Lech at this year’s KOLOSY facilitated preparations. Despite commercialism rampart in the mountains nowadays, they managed to keep the sport aspect by climbing without the help of  Sherpas, Wojtek also without supplemental oxygen. When they set off to attack the peak they were the only team on the whole Makalu. The descent put them to a hard test- loss of a headlamp, unplanned bivouac at 8200 m,  weather breakdown which for three days held them up in Camp IV at the altitude of  7600 m. However, the real trouble began in Camp II when the base was very close.

Lech wanted to see if “a man in his late sixties” can climb an eight-thousander, Wojtek’s intention was to summit Makalu in  good style.