Art of Freedom by Bernadette Mcdonald

Art of Freedom by Bernadette Mcdonald

Voytek Kurtyka remains one of the greatest alpinists of all time. Born in 1947, he was one of the leading lights of the Polish golden age of Himalayan climbing. His visionary approach to climbing resulted in many renowned ascents, such as the complete Broad Peak traverse, the night naked speed climbs of Cho Oyu and Shishapangma and, above all, the alpine-style ascent of the West Face of Gasherbrum IV. Dubbed the climb of the century, his route on G IV, as of 2016, has yet to be repeated. His most frequent climbing partners were alpine legends of their time: Polish Himalayan climber Jerzy Kukuczka, Swiss mountain guide Erhard Loretan and British alpinist Alex MacIntyre.

After repeated requests to accept the Piolet d'Or lifetime achievement award (the Academy Award of the climbing world), Kurtyka finally accepted the honour in the spring of 2016. A fiercely private individual, he continues to decline countless invitations for interviews, lectures and festival appearances, but has agreed to co-operate with internationally renowned and award winning Canadian author Bernadette McDonald on this long-awaited biography.

Certain to be a major event in the climbing world, Art of Freedom will appeal to all readers who dream of mountain landscapes and those who long to touch the sky.

BERNADETTE McDONALD was Vice President of Mountain Culture at The Banff Centre for many years, where she oversaw the renowned Banff Mountain Film Festival. The Festival has evolved from a weekend film event to a twelve-month global touring program with an international program of films, authors, presenters, and exhibitions reaching seven continents throughout her tenure. The Festival has been seen by tens of thousands of people and millions of television viewers in 30 countries. Bernadette spends the majority of her free time in the mountains, climbing, ski touring, hiking, horseback riding, and traveling in general. Her travels have led her to Japan's mountains, South America's mountains, Africa's mountains, Europe's mountains, and Tibet's mountains, as well as the North American Ranges. She has written a number of books.