Wanda Rutkiewicz: Legacy of the first Polish woman on Mount Everest

Wanda Rutkiewicz, the first Polish and first European woman to summit Mount Everest, is being commemorated 48 years after her historic achievement on October 16, 1978. Rutkiewicz was a pioneering figure in high-altitude mountaineering, challenging the male-dominated climbing community and advocating for women's rights to set their own goals in alpinism.

Her life was marked by significant personal hardships, including the loss of her brother and father. Rutkiewicz disappeared in 1993 during an expedition to Kangchenjunga, leaving the exact circumstances of her death unknown. Her sister, Janina Fies, has shared reflections on their family's difficult past and the enduring mystery surrounding Wanda's final expedition.

A feature film titled ‘Wanda’, scheduled for release in 2027, will depict her life and her struggle to organize female expeditions to peaks such as Gasherbrum III in the Karakoram range.