11. 'Leader. The mountain trail of Andrzej Zawada once again", Ewa Matuszewska
Without Zawada, there would be no 'Polish Winter Himalayan Programme'. This is known to everyone who has been at least slightly interested in the winter successes of Poles on the world's highest peaks. But where did his phenomenon come from? How did he manage to orchestrate and lead so many Polish expeditions to the Himalayas to success? The author leads us through these stories meticulously, not omitting any important events, but above all - delving into the Leader's personality. And thus revealing to us the secret of his success. A book which is often overlooked in lists of the best mountain books, unfairly in our opinion!
10. "Krzysztof Wielicki. Hell Didn't Want Me", Dariusz Kortko, Marcin Pietraszewski
Krzysztof Wielicki needs no introduction. But the authors lead us through his mountain story in an unusual way, full of real dilemmas. This book is not a laudation. But Himalayanism is not a tube of cream either. And you need to know this to understand the decisions made by Himalayan climbers. Not just by Wielicki.
9. 'All for Everest', Jon Krakauer
Although outside 'our' backyard, this is one of the best books about mountains. As such, we could not leave it out of our, subjective, list. The only one in our list to be nominated for a Pulitzer. It recounts the dramatic events from the slopes of the highest mountain in the world, overtaken by a frenzy of commercial expeditions. The author took part in one such commercial expedition and was one of the few to return to tell the world about the struggle against the mountain.
8. 'Kurtyka. The Art of Freedom", Bernadette McDonald
The least known of the famous Polish climbers. An individualist who was always more interested in the way than the goal. More than his achievements - their style. Failure on a difficult, virgin wall meant more to Kurtyka than success on a crowded, hand-railed route. It is worth looking at the mountains from his perspective.
7. "From under the frozen eyelids", Adam Bielecki, Dominik Szczepański
Bielecki is an extraordinary figure, and his journey into the mountains from mining Silesia - certainly a passionate one. But this book is also a reckoning with the media image, undoubtedly influenced by the dramatic expedition to Broad Peak. An unfair image, filmed in emotion by those sitting under a blanket in a comfortable armchair. A book written without buffoonery, without pompousness, without artificiality, thanks to which we get to know Bielecki, who lives his mountain passion. It is worth it, especially as it will help me understand how the media hype and Internet "experts" can influence our perception of people "from the top".
6. "Mountaineering. Women's place is at the top', Agata Komosa-Styczeń
This book is certainly feminist. It shows the female face of climbing the Tatras. And it is an interesting and fascinating face, often much more so than the male face. But at the same time, the female story of the Tatra Mountains does not compete with the male story for first place. It takes its own course, sometimes too quietly and too modestly. It is worth getting to know the women who have often been on the peaks and in the Tatra caves before their male colleagues, but who never wanted to prove that they were better. And even today, years later, they tell their stories modestly, as if what they accomplished was nothing special. However, the stories collected in this book are exceptional! And they are worth knowing!
5. 'Wanda. A story about the power of life and death. The story of Wanda Rutkiewicz", Anna Kamińska
Wanda Rutkiewicz does not need to be introduced to anyone, but this book allows us to get to know the most famous Polish Himalayan climber anew. The book is full of hitherto unknown documents, unpublished photographs and reminiscences of relatives who agreed to talk about Wanda for the first time.
4. "Kukuczka. A story about the most famous Polish Himalayan climber", Dariusz Kortko, Marcin Pietraszewski
Insightful, passionate and compelling. Covered with photographs and conversations with those who knew Kukuczka better than others. Fast-paced, light, vivid, but not devoid of the tension that accompanies high-mountain expeditions. It accompanies the master not only on his expedition from the base camp level, but also shows the preparations for the expeditions, sometimes much more colourful than the arduous climbing on uniform ice slopes. A great book, everyone should know Kukuczka, but also get to know him, which this book undoubtedly does.
3. "Escape as high as possible. The unfinished life of Wanda Rutkiewicz", Ewa Matuszewska
Ewa Matuszewska tied her life to Zakopane already after the death of her friend, Wanda Rutkiewicz. That is why her book could not be missing from this list. It is a kind of farewell to Wanda. A difficult farewell, full of love, but also regret and criticism. The book is filled with interviews, memories of the author herself, her reflections on friendship, life and death, and the mountains beloved by both women. For us personally, this book makes Ewa still with us.
2. "The Polish Tatras. Guidebook", Józef Nyka
An icon in its own right. The best, most comprehensive guide to the Polish Tatras. The 21st edition of this extraordinary book was published in 2018. In addition to the walking time of each route (calculated for the average tourist), a description of the trails, their difficulties and practical tips, the guidebook also includes interesting facts about the history, geology and nature of each trail.
1. "Calling in the mountains. Accidents and rescue operations in the Tatra Mountains", Michał Jagiełło
This book is a piece of reliable reportage, based on the chronicles of TOPR rescue operations. And it is neither easy nor pleasant reading. But it is a must for anyone going to the Tatra Mountains. Because it is better to learn from the mistakes of others than to set off into the Tatras unprepared and duplicate the mistakes of other tourists. Besides, the book painfully shows the difficulty of rescue operations and the courage of TOPR rescuers. But it also perfectly "dryly" acquaints us with the trails, weather, avalanches and ways to survive in a critical situation in the mountains. It is worth buying two at once - one for a gift, the other for yourself.