Voytek Kurtyka - L'art de la liberté

Voytek Kurtyka is one of the greatest mountaineers of all time. Born in 1947, he was one of the leading figures of the golden age of Polish Himalayan mountaineering.

His visionary approach to the mountains enabled him to achieve memorable ascents, including the first ascent of the "Shining Wall", the west face of Gasherbrum IV, considered by many to be the climb of the century in the Himalayas.

The book takes us in the footsteps of the young Voytek, a gifted and original climber discovering winter mountaineering in the Tatras, within a community of mountaineers in rebellion against the communist regime, before taking off for the Himalayas.

In 2016, having repeatedly declined the distinction that had been offered to him, Voytek Kurtyka agreed to receive a "Lifetime Piolet d'Or", a tribute from the mountaineering community, and to collaborate with Bernadette McDonald on this long-awaited biography.

• "The Art of Freedom explores the fascinating complexity of Voytek Kurtyka, a mountaineer inspired by the pursuit of Beauty and style to achieve the most remarkable ascents." Sir Christian Bonington, mountaineer.