There are few places on the world map, where you can come across Polish names of cities, towns, mountains and peaks. Without doubt the most famous are: the Czersky Range in Siberia, Mount Kościuszko – the highest mountain in Australia. Villages and cities, which were established by our settlers, also have Polish names. It is because they were colonized by immigrants from the Polish lands. In the United Stated of America there are a lot of: Warsaws, Częstochowas and Jasna Góra Monasteries.
In South America, especially in Argentina and Brazil, there are many Polish settlements founded by colonists such as Wanda, Jagoda and Orzeł Biały. Polish names on this continent also have mountain range and peaks. The names were given in recognition of our countrymen, for instance in Chile there is settlement, city, harbour, peak and mountain range called Domeyko. There also are Polish-sounding names of peaks, glaciers and mountain climbing routes. They were given in recognition of Poles – the conquerors of the Andes.
Even the fist Polish expedition to the highest peaks of the Andes, which was organized by Polish Tatra Society at the turn of 1933 and 1934, was successful and they reached the unsurveyed tops and set new climbing routes. Since that time, on the maps of Argentina you can find the Polish Glacier, in Spanish Glaciar Polaco, which flows down the eastern slope of the highest mountain in the whole continent – Aconcagua. Polish mountaineers who climbed in the Andes made a new route to the top. It is without doubt more difficult route than the one reached by fist conquerors of Aconcagua. Since then it is called the Polish Route or in Spanish La Ruta Polacos. Other glaciers, which go down from a tremendous mountain – Mercedario 6.770 meters above the sea level, the fourth-highest on the continent, ware called after the surnames of the participants of this expedition. On the maps of the Andes appeared the Glaciar Karpiński and the Glaciar Ostowski. The participants of the expedition led by Konstanty Jodko-Narkiewicz tried to reach a peak that is about 5.900 meters above the sea level. Due to the descent of a rock avalanche which hurt one of the participants of the expedition, the ascent was not successful and the Polish mountaineers climbing in the Andes gave the unconquerable peak name “N” which means the unknown peak. After over 20 years, in 1958, the Argentine conquerors of the summit called that mountain El Pico Polaco, which means the Peak of the Poles in recognition of our climbers. At the top of this mountain apart from Argentinean flag also the white-red one.
Then, none of Polish climbers go to the Andes for decades. In the post-war period Polish climbers of the Tatra Mountains could climb up only in the country, any trips to the high mountains were not available for them. For a long time none could even dream about going to the South America. However, the Polish activity in the Andes was still continued. Those great traditions were continued by Polish scouts from Argentina.
Emigration from Poland to this country started in the late nineteenth century when first ships with Polish colonists sailed to Buenos Aires. They settled in the north of the country, in the state of Misiones on the border between Brazil and Paraguay. As I mentioned before, they founded here the first settlements. This typically agricultural emigration lasted until 30s. On the other hand, after the end of the World War II the arrival of colonist had a political character. The ex-service of General Władysław Andersen army with their families began to colonize Argentina. They usually settled in the major urban centres.
Children of those patriotic immigrants acted actively in Polish scouting. The mountain activity of Polish scouts begun in the mid 60s when scoutmaster Wacław Blicharski started to organize the summer camp in the Andes. The organizer was a seasoned hiker and old companion scout. He gained the experience in the interwar era during scout camps and mountain hiking in the Carpathians Mountains.
The fist camp, which was organized by 4th male scout team of A. Małkowski from Quilmes (a district of Buenos Aires), took place in the area of Cordoba. Due to the fact that the scouts came to like this kind of activity, Wacław Blicharski organized another trips. It allowed to gain the necessary experience and test the climbing equipment. In the second half of 60s there were many significant and historical anniversaries, the young scouts, in order to celebrate them properly, went into higher parts of the Andes. They wanted to get a few unsurveyed peaks that had more than 5.000 meters above the sea level. The Argentine legislation permitted the conquerors to give the name to the peaks, which they proposed.
In 1966 there was the 1000 anniversary of the Baptism of Poland. The organizers of the first alpine camp were the scouts from the capital of Argentina and Polish climbers of the Tatra Mountains from Mendoza, who were supported by the Union of Poles in Mendoza. The fist unsurveyed top, reached during the camp called “Tatra Mountains I”, had a name Polish Millennium, in Spanish La Polonia Milenaria. The conquerors brought to the peak that had 5.100 meters above the sea level, the white-red pennant and ground taken from Poland from the grave of scouts who died in the Warsaw Uprising.
In Janury 1968 the group of scouts under the supervision of Wacław Bilcharski and the Polish climbers of the Andes from Mendoza went on a camp in Cordón Puntas Negras, where they climbed on the highest peak with a height 4.400 meters above the sea level. As a result of those camps, the Scout Andes Club “Tatry”. The members of this club have already planned the next trips which aim is to reach another peaks that have the height over 5000 meters above the sea level. In 1969 in order to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Battle of Monte Casino, the camp called “Tatry II” was organized. The tasks, which the participants faced were very challenging. They were supposed to reach a few unsurveyed peaks at the height over 5.000 meters above the sea level. This time the group was very large. On the conquest of the Andes went the team that consist of 17th people. The crew went from Mendoz to Tres Quebradas, which is located by the river Santa Clara, by cars. From that place they repacked 600 kilograms of baggage on the mules and set off up the Medio stream to Playa de la Horqueta and at the height of 3.500 meters above the sea level thay set a base with a view of the Cordilleria de Santa Clara – the mountain range. The mountain panorama was typically alpine, there were jagged crags, steep walls crossed by couloirs, vast firn fields and ice tongues. The peaks exceed the height of 5.000 meters above the sea level. Some of them were unsurveyed and the members of the expedition were going to reach them. The first peak, relatively easy, was reached already on 10th of January. As many as 11 participants of the camp appeared at the height of 5.070 meters above the level of the sea. It was named General Teofil Iwanowski in honour of this insurgent from Wielkopolska province, who later emigrated to Argentina and took part in battles against the local dictators for instance he put down the rebellion of Lopez Jordan in Entre Rios in 1870 and he was awarded the rank of general for his outstanding service in the war with Paraguay. His father was German, his mother was Pole and he always felt and declared Polish nationality.
A few days later, 14th January, different teams of the conquerors of the Andes reached the two next unsurveyed peaks. One at the height of 5.370 meters above the sea level was reached by Wacław Blicharski after a-few-hour climbing, was called “Tatry II”. It had two peaks and is situated on the northern flank of Cordillera de Santa Clara. The second one, lower, but much more difficult of height 5.220 meters above the sea level was the aim of second team. In order to reach it the conquerors of the Andes had to earlier set three transitional camps. The weather favoured them, the days were warm with the temperature reaching +25° C and in the night the temperature dropped to -11° C and there was frost. All the time blew the strong winds, which changed its directions. The route leading to the top appeared to be very tough and burdensome. After leaving the third camp, the two out of four conquerors of the Andes decided to went to the peak. They were: Ryszard Czarniawski and Mieczysław Zaręba. At first they had to overcome the glacier, which had large cracks and dangerous crevasse with a depth even of 10 meters an d width of 3 meters. When they overcome it there was another obstacle, this time in the form of the great penitents up to 2.5 meters of height. When the treacherous glacier finished, there appeared treacherous and weathered basalt. The removing from the conquerors’ feet and hands stone chippings were in the size of suitcases, says conqueror of the height. Ryszard Czarniawski climbed alone at the height of 5.200 meters above the sea level. In accordance with previously decision the peak was called “Monte Cassino”. Due to the hurricane wind, just below the top, at the small pass he raised the stone cone and put there the pennant of the expedition, the ground from Monte Cassino and from graves of Polish scouts battalions such as “Zośka” and “Parasol”; the cross of Monte Cassino and the cross of scouts.
On 18th of January the participants of this expedition came back for a-few-day rest to Mendoza. In the next days they the team consisting of 5 people moved to the area of Cordon del Portillo. From 22nd January begun the second part of the expedition. The participants wanted again to come up Polonia Milenaria, but extremely unfavourable weather conditions thwarted their plans. On 25th of January the two conquerors of the Andes: Ryszard Czarniwski and Marek Gaiński managed to reach another unsurveyed peak located in the Cordon de Pomez (mountain range), which since that time is named “General Bór-Komorowski”. The goals of the expedition have been achieved but it lack the happy ending of the whole escapade to be fully happy. During the descend from the last mountain, near the pass Manantiales, the alpinists were caught by the stone avalanche, which killed one of the members of the expedition, the young 19 year-old companion scout Marek Gaiński. To commemorate this tragedy the companions of the escapade put in that place a big reinforced concrete cross. Since that time this place is called Tumba del Polaco, which is the Tomb of the Pole. Mark’s friends, members of the expedition returned to this place many times to find the body of a missing friend. Unfortunately, it was very hot summer and water from melting glaciers caused another avalanches and the search did not bring the expected results.
In the hearts of local Polish community arose the idea to build mountain lodge, near the place of tragic accident, which will be a commemoration of this companion scout. The construction was initiated by the Committee of Celebration the 25th Anniversary of the Battle of Monte Cassino in Mendoza.
Photos © Jarosław Fischbach