Wanda Rutkiewicz was a Polish mountaineer and computer engineer who became the first woman to reach the summit of K2 and the first European woman to climb Mount Everest. Born in Lithuania to a Polish family, she trained as an electrical engineer and took up climbing after a chance meeting in the Falcon Mountains. She pursued an ambitious goal of climbing all fourteen eight-thousanders and died while attempting Kangchenjunga in 1992.
Early life
Rutkiewicz was born in Plungė, Lithuania, to an educated Polish family. After the Second World War her family moved to Poland, eventually settling in Wrocław. She excelled at several sports, including athletics and volleyball, and led her university volleyball team to the 1965 Summer Universiade. She graduated from Wrocław University of Technology as an electrical engineer, and her interest in climbing began after a motorcycle breakdown brought her into contact with an experienced climber.
Climbing achievements
Rutkiewicz later led her own expeditions, including several all-female ones, and became known for a blunt leadership style. In 1978 she reached the summit of Mount Everest, despite suffering from anemia, and in 1986 she became the first woman to climb K2, doing so without supplemental oxygen. Her goal was to be the first woman to summit all fourteen eight-thousanders, and she completed several of them before her death.
Death and commemoration
In 1992, while attempting Kangchenjunga, Rutkiewicz was last seen alive by a fellow climber. Her body was never conclusively found, and it is unknown whether she reached the summit. In 2019 Google marked the anniversary of her Everest ascent with a Doodle, and in 2022 the Polish Parliament named the year in her honour.