1930s Polish Andean expeditions
Polish Andean expeditions of the 1930s refers to the two expeditions of Polish mountain climbers in the Andes carried out in the 1930s.
The First Polish Andean Expedition of 1933-34 was led by Konstanty Narkiewicz-Jodka. Its achievements included several first ascents of six-thousanders - first ascent of Mercedario and Cerro Ramada, ascents to La Mesa, Alma Negra, and the discovery of Pico Polaco, as well as ascents to five-thousanders - including Cerro Negro and exploration of the Aconcagua region; the latter involved pioneering a new climbing route.
The Second Polish Andean Expedition of 1936-37 was led by. Its achievements included the first ascents of Ojos del Salado and Nevado Pissis.
Both expeditions have been credited with gathering scientific data and have led to a number of literary works being produced.
First Polish Andean Expedition
The First Polish Andean Expedition of 1933–1934 to the Argentinian region of the Cordillera de la Ramada was also the first Polish organized mountaineering and research expedition. The expedition gained worldwide fame.Expeditions members included: Konstanty Narkiewicz-Jodko,,,, Stefan Osiecki and .
During the expedition, the participants climbed the following peaks :
January 3, 1934: Trabante I
January 9.: Trabante II
January 16: Pilar Grande
January 18: Mercedario
January 26: Cerro Wanda
January 27: Cerro Negro
February 9: Alma Negra
February 10: La Mesa
c. February 10: Cerro Ramada
March 8: Aconcagua.
Other successes of the expedition include the discovery of a six-thousander, called Cerro N by Polish explorers, but not conquered until 1958. or 1962. Similarly, in honor of the Polish explorers, the glaciers flowing down from Mercedario later received the names: Glacier Ostrowski and Glacier Karpiński.
The expedition was also of scientific importance, in terms of geographical and geological exploration, as well as meteorological observations. Dorawski's medical observations on the functioning of the human body in mountain conditions were also useful for the field of medicine.
Second Polish Andean Expedition
The Second Polish Andean Expedition of 1936–1937, led by journalist and writer, took place in the Ojos del Salado region, on the Northern section of the border between Argentina and Chile. The participants of the expedition included, apart from Wojsznis: Stefan Osiecki, and Jan Alfred Szczepański.During the expedition, the participants climbed the following peaks :
January 18, 1937: Cerro de Los Patos
February 4: Cerro del Nacimiento
February 7: Nevado Pissis
same day: Cerro Sosa
same day: Volcán del Viento
February 24: Nevado Tres Cruces
February 26: Ojos del Salado
March 11: Volcan de Copiapo
Similar to the first expedition, the participants carried out a number of scientific studies, including a topographical sketch of an area of approximately 3,000 km2. Paryski's medical observations, as well as Dorawski's observations from previous years, contributed to the enrichment of knowledge about climbers' acclimatization and altitude sickness. Some of the materials were however lost during World War II.
The successes of Poles were extensively described in the Argentine and Chilean press; a number of meetings were organized, including in Buenos Aires, La Plata, Montevideo and Santiago. A film shot during the expedition was also shown.