Tomek at 7200 meters (© The North Face)

If there were an “Oscar” for persistence, the Polish climbers on Nanga Parbat would deserve it. For more than 80 days now Tomasz, called “Tomek” Mackiewicz and his friends are already staying on the eight-thousander in Pakistan, still focussed on their great goal: the first winter ascent of the 8125-meter-high mountain. This weekend, they are climbing up again. On this Saturday Pawel Dunaj and Michal Obrycki should start – “to make a new track and to dig out the camp for Tomek, who will start with Jacek on Sunday,” we read on the Facebook page of the expedition “Justice for all”. So, obviously, Tomek Mackiewicz and Jacek Teler are to form the summit team at the fourth attempt.

“We are staying!”

David on the Mazeno ridge (© The North Face)

The first three were unsuccessful. At the last try Tomek and David Goettler – as reported – had reached the Mazeno ridge and thus a height of 7200 meters. Then David and his Italian partners Simone Moro and Emilio Previtali had ended their expedition – and as a matter of course everyone expected that Mackiewicz and Co. would also leave. Far from it: “We are staying!”, the Polish climbers announced. “We have plenty of food, plenty of gear, ropes are fixed. Simone has left us plenty of goodies:  parmesan cheeses, sausages, sleeping bags. We have a deposit and a tent in Camp 3, (…) plenty of power, another deposit in Camp 4. We will keep trying …”

Only less then two weeks left

They are tough – and thus in the best tradition of Polish mountaineers: They just like climbing in winter. Nine of the twelve first winter ascents of 8000ers were made by Polish expeditions. And on Shishapangma Piotr Morawski from Poland was part of the successful team (with Simone Moro). Only on Makalu (Moro and Denis Urubko) and Gasherbrum II (Moro, Urubko, Cory Richards) teams without Polish climbers were successful.

There is not much time left for Tomek and his friends on Nanga Parbat. In less then two weeks winter ends.