Anna Czerwińska, Polish mountaineer and author
Anna Czerwińska (born 10 July 1949 in Warsaw) is a Polish mountaineer. She is known for being the oldest woman to Summit Mount Everest (at the time) at the age of 50 (born 10 July 1949, climbed Everest from the Nepal side on 22 May 2000). She has also published several books about mountaineering.
The first Polish woman to reach the Seven Summits. She is D.S. (Pharmacy) but she left medicine science for the mountains and now is a business woman. She owns a purchasing firm. She has been climbing for 33 years, usually in all-women teams. In summer 1977 with Krystyna Palmowska she climbed the North Face of the Matterhorn. This was the first time women climbed such a difficult wall.
In 1978 with Krystyna Palmowska, Wanda Rutkiewicz and Irena Kesa she climbed the North Face of the Matterhorn in winter. Again they were the first women to succeed and it created a sensation in the European mountaineering world. Anna Czerwińska was a member of the Polish Gasherbrums Expedition in 1975. In 1979 with Krystyna Palmowska they climbed a new route, Rakaposhi (7788 m), in Pakistan. On 30 June 1983 they both climbed Broad Peak, Rocky Summit - Czerwińska, Main, Snowy Summit 8047 meters - Palmowska). It was only a two-woman expedition. Czerwińska tried to reach the top of K2 three times: in 1982, 1984 and 1986, the last time she was a witness to tragedy when 13 climbers died on the mountain. On 15 July 1985 she was on the summit of Nanga Parbat with Wanda Rutkiewicz and Krystyna Palmowska - the first women team on the top without support of men. She tried two times to climb Kanchenjunga: in 1980 and in 1990 as a leader of the expedition.
She led the Makalu Expedition in 1988 and was also a member of the Makalu Expedition in the winter of 1990. For five years she “collected” the highest summits of the continents: Aconcagua (South America) and Kilimanjaro (Africa) in 1995 r.; Mount McKinley (North America), Elbrus (Europe) and Mount Kosciuszko (Australia) in 1996 r.; Mount Vinson (Antarctica) in 1998 r.; Carstensz Pyramid (Australia with Oceania) in 1999 r.; Mount Everest (Asia) 22 May 2000. On 6 June 2000 she climbed Shishapangma (unclear if the Central or Main Summit). She is the author or coauthor of many books about climbing on Matterhorn, Gasherbrum, Broad Peak, Nanga Parbat, K2. This December she will publish her new book about the 7 Summits. She is also the oldest woman to summit Mount Everest. On 21 May 2001 Anna summitted Lhotse, then Cho Oyu on 25 September 2001.
1949Jul, 10
Anna Czerwińska
Choose Another Date
Events on 1949
- 1Apr
Communist Party of China
Chinese Civil War: The Chinese Communist Party holds unsuccessful peace talks with the Nationalist Party in Beijing, after three years of fighting. - 20Jul
1948 Arab-Israeli War
Israel and Syria sign a truce to end their nineteen-month war. - 1Oct
Mao Zedong
The People's Republic of China is established and declared by Mao Zedong. - 2Oct
Mao Zedong
The Soviet Union recognises the People's Republic of China, proclaimed the previous day by Mao Zedong. - 14Oct
People's Liberation Army
Chinese Civil War: Chinese Communist forces occupy Guangzhou.