Bhagirathi II Tragedy. Dariusz Kubik, Marek Raganowicz, Jan Nowak, Miroslaw Dasal and I as leader hoped to ascend alpine-style the still unclimbed 1200-high west face of Bhagirathi II (6512 meters, 21,364 feet) in ten or twelve days. The lower part of the face was not difficult, but beginning with the third day we made each day no more than 80 to 100 meters (UIAA V +, A2). On August 31, the fifth day of the climb, we were about halfway and some 600 meters above the foot of the face when rockfall struck the team. Jan Nowak was killed, while I was seriously injured. The next day, we managed to complete the descent after abseiling for 24 hours.

Krzysztof Wielicki, Klub Wysokogórski Katowice, Poland