Aleksander Ostrowski
{{Short description|Polish skier and mountaineer}}{{Not to be confused with|Alexander Ostrowski|Alexander Ostrovsky}}{{Infobox person
| name = Aleksander "Olek" Ostrowski
| image caption =
| birth_date = 11 January 1988
| birth_place = Wetlina, Poland
| disappeared_date = 15 July 2015
| disappeared_place = Gasherbrum II
| death_place =
| monuments = Polish Himalayan Memorial, Nepal; Tatra Symbolic Cemetery, Popradské Pleso; Olek Ostrowski Memorial Ski race
| occupation = Skier and mountaineer
| years_active = 2004–2015
| known_for = First Polish ski descent from Cho Oyu, First Pole to ski Northern Face of Lenin Peak
}}
Aleksander "Olek" Ostrowski (11 January 1988 – disappeared 25 July 2015) was a Polish skier and mountaineer.
Early life and education
Ostrowski was born and grew up in Wetlina in the Bieszczady Mountains. He began skiing at age 3 and soon started to take part in FIS competitions. In 2004, he won the Open Podkarpacie Amateur Alpine Skiing Championships in carving and giant slalom.{{Cite web |date=2004-01-16 |title=Otwarte Mistrzostwa Podkarpacia Amatorów w Narciarstwie Alpejskim |url=http://www.sport.pl/sport/1,65025,1868614.html |website=sport.pl}} He then went to represent his region Subcarpathian Voivodeship in the Polish junior championships.{{Cite web |title=Podsumowanie sezonu zimowego 2005/06 |url=http://www.sport.ustrzyki-dolne.pl/pozn/podsumowa_06/wyroznienie.htm |website=sport.ustrzyki-dolne.pl |access-date=2024-06-17 |archive-date=2016-02-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216104724/http://www.sport.ustrzyki-dolne.pl/pozn/podsumowa_06/wyroznienie.htm |url-status=dead }} In 2007, he graduated high school in Ustrzyki Dolne{{Cite web |title=Absolwenci (rocznik 2006-07a) |url=http://www.loustrzyki.edu.pl/?strona=3 |website=loustrzyki.edu.pl}} and went on to university studies in geography at Jagiellonian University in Kraków.{{Cite web |date=2015-07-29 |title=Pożegnanie Olka Ostrowskiego |url=http://www.geo.uj.edu.pl/ogloszenia.php?temat=X&id=17efc996f459e5c&menu=5 |website=geo.uj.edu.pl |access-date=2024-06-17 |archive-date=2016-02-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216103322/http://www.geo.uj.edu.pl/ogloszenia.php?temat=X&id=17efc996f459e5c&menu=5 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |title=Kto bada Tatry. Aleksander Ostrowski |url=http://nauka.tpn.pl/badania/profil/118/aleksander-ostrowski |website=nauka.tpn.pl |access-date=2024-06-17 |archive-date=2018-02-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180226211908/http://nauka.tpn.pl/badania/profil/118/aleksander-ostrowski |url-status=dead }}
File:Bieszczady mountains in winter 2023.jpg
Alongside his studies, he remained dedicated to the mountains. At university, he became a member of the Alpine club.{{Cite web |title=Travenalia 2014 |url=http://travenalia.pl/travenalia-2014/ |website=travenalia.pl}}{{Cite web |title=Msza za Olka i Mariusza |url=https://kw.krakow.pl/aktualnosci-kw-krakow/408-msza-za-olka-i-mariusza.html |website=kw.krakow.pl |access-date=2024-06-17 |archive-date=2018-02-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227153520/https://kw.krakow.pl/aktualnosci-kw-krakow/408-msza-za-olka-i-mariusza.html |url-status=bot: unknown }}{{Cite web |title=AMP w narciarstwie alpejskim |url=http://www.azs.uj.edu.pl/news/662/amp-w-narciarstwie-alpejskim |website=azs.uj.edu.pl |access-date=2024-07-01 |archive-date=2015-08-03 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150803200750/http://www.azs.uj.edu.pl/news/662/amp-w-narciarstwie-alpejskim |url-status=dead }} In 2007, he became a certified mountain rescuer with Poland's prestigious Mountain Volunteer Search and Rescue based in Sanok.{{Cite web |title=Ratownicy Bieszczadzkiej Grupy GOPR |url=http://www.bieszczady.gopr.pl/ratownicy-bieszczadzkiej-grupy-gopr |website=bieszczady.gopr.pl |access-date=2024-06-17 |archive-date=2015-07-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722051157/http://www.bieszczady.gopr.pl/ratownicy-bieszczadzkiej-grupy-gopr |url-status=dead }}
He continued to compete successfully in alpine skiing competitions,{{Cite web |title=II Mistrzostwa Służb MSWiA w Narciarstwie Alpejskim |url=http://www.gopr.pl/gopr-zarzad/aktualnosci/zawody/ii-mistrzostwa-sluzb-mswia-w-narciarstwie-alpejskim |access-date=2024-06-17 |archive-date=2016-04-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410175940/http://web.archive.org/web/20160410175940/http://www.gopr.pl/gopr-zarzad/aktualnosci/zawody/ii-mistrzostwa-sluzb-mswia-w-narciarstwie-alpejskim |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |title=II Mistrzostwa Służb Mundurowych i Ratowniczych wygrała drużyna GOPR |url=http://podhale24.pl/drukuj,2,10011.html |website=podhale24.pl}}{{Cite web |title=OSTROWSKI Aleksander - Athlete Information |url=https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/athlete-biography.html?sector=AL&competitorid=101992&type=stats |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=www.fis-ski.com}} and additionally went on to become a ski instructor and ultramarathon runner. He participated mostly in mountain runs, competing in numerous races in the Tatra Mountains.{{Cite web |last=S.A |first=Telewizja Polska |title=Aleksander Ostrowski pozostał na zawsze na Gaszerbrumie |url=https://krakow.tvp.pl/21002795/aleksander-ostrowski-pozostal-na-zawsze-na-gaszerbrumie |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=krakow.tvp.pl |language=pl}}{{Cite web |title=Výsledky :: Tatranská šelma Vertical&Ultra |url=http://www.tatranskaselma.com/vysledky/ |website=www.tatranskaselma.com|date=21 June 2024 }}{{Cite web |title=IV Koniczynka Trail Marathon |url=http://kalendarzbiegowy.pl/iv-koniczynka-trail-marathon/results#runId-5157 |website=kalendarzbiegowy.pl |access-date=2024-06-17 |archive-date=2016-03-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305124828/http://kalendarzbiegowy.pl/iv-koniczynka-trail-marathon/results#runId-5157 |url-status=dead }}
Mountaineering career
Ostrowski began alpine climbing close to home in Poland, first in the Tatras. He then went on to the Alps to climb Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, and Grossglockner. Ostrowski combined his pastimes of climbing and skiing to become a skilled ski mountaineer and became notable for his ski descents. In 2012, he made a solo ski descent from the north face Lenin Peak (7134 m), becoming the first Pole to do so.{{Cite web |last=Ostrowski |first=Olek |date=2012-08-06 |title=Relacja - Lenin na nartach 2012 |url=https://drytooling.pl/serwis/wyprawy/relacje-z-wypraw/2208-relacja-lenin-na-nartach-2012 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Drytooling.pl |language=pl-pl}} Two years later in 2014, he joined a group expedition and became the first Pole to ski down Mount Kazbek (5 033 m).
Later that year, he organized a ski expedition funded by supporters via [https://polakpotrafi.pl/projekt/cho-oyu Polak Potrafi], a crowdfunding website, attempting to be the first Pole to ski Cho Oyo. On 29 September 2014 Ostrowski summited his first eight-thousander solo and then successfully skied down from the summit without the use of additional oxygen. In his descent, he set a new Polish altitude record for downhill skiing, and became the first Pole to ski Cho Oyu.{{Cite web |title=Olek Ostrowski jako pierwszy Polak zjechał na nartach z Cho Oyu! |url=http://www.bieszczady.gopr.pl/aktualnosci/aktualnosci-strona-glowna/olek-ostrowski-jako-pierwszy-polak-zjechal-na-nartach-z-cho-oyu |website=bieszczady.gopr.pl |access-date=2024-06-17 |archive-date=2015-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923185029/http://www.bieszczady.gopr.pl/aktualnosci/aktualnosci-strona-glowna/olek-ostrowski-jako-pierwszy-polak-zjechal-na-nartach-z-cho-oyu |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |date=2014-10-05 |title=Olek Ostrowski, "szalony chłopak z Bieszczad", o wejściu i zjeździe z Cho Oyu |url=http://wspinanie.pl/2014/10/olek-ostrowski-szalony-chlopak-z-bieszczad-o-wejsciu-i-zjezdzie-z-cho-oyu/ |website=wspinanie.pl}}
For his solo ascent and ski descent of Cho Oyu, he was awarded a "Kolosa Award", one of the year's highest honors from the Polish travel industry with distinction in Mountaineering.{{Cite web |date=2015-07-16 |title=Aleksander Ostrowski z Kolosem |url=http://www.radio.rzeszow.pl/informacje/item/35687-aleksander-ostrowski-z-kolosem |website=radio.rzeszow.pl |access-date=2024-06-17 |archive-date=2016-06-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630062726/http://www.radio.rzeszow.pl/informacje/item/35687-aleksander-ostrowski-z-kolosem |url-status=dead }} He later received the Trip of the Year award from National Geographic.{{Cite web |date=2015-05-26 |title=Znamy zwycięzców 9. edycji TRAVELERÓW! |url=http://www.national-geographic.pl/aktualnosci/pokaz/znamy-zwyciezcow-9-edycji-travelerow/ |website=national-geographic.pl}}{{Cite web |date=2015-05-26 |title=Travelery: Olek Ostrowski laureatem. Zjazd z Czo Oju Wyczynem Roku |url=http://www.polskieradio.pl/43/279/Artykul/1450255,Travelery-Olek-Ostrowski-laureatem-Zjazd-z-Czo-Oju-Wyczynem-Roku |website=polskieradio.pl}}{{Cite web |date=2015-05-26 |title=9 edycja Travelerów – Olek Ostrowski nagrodzony za wyczyn roku! |url=http://brytan.com.pl/9-edycja-travelerow-olek-ostrowski-nagrodzony-za-wyczyn-roku/ |website=brytan.com.pl}}{{Cite web |date=2015-05-26 |title=9. edycja konkursu TRAVELERY – Olek Ostrowski nagrodzony za wyczyn roku |url=http://wspinanie.pl/2015/05/9-edycja-konkursu-travelery-olek-ostrowski-nagrodzony-za-wyczyn-roku/ |website=wspinanie.pl}}
After summiting Cho Oyo, Ostrowski set his sights on another eight-thousander, Gasherbrum II in the Karakoram. Ostrowski again sought to climb without oxygen, and without the help of high-altitude porters, and be the first to Pole to ski down from the summit. He again turned to crowdfunding to support the climb, successfully raising PLN 50,316 for the expedition, 125% of the project's goal.{{Cite web |last=PolakPotrafi.pl |title=Gasherbrum II 8035 - Ski Expedition 2015 |url=https://polakpotrafi.pl/projekt/gasherbrum |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=PolakPotrafi.pl |language=pl}} Alongside Piotr Śnigórski, a photographer, ski instructor and climber, the two began their climb on 21 July 2015. After two days of climbing, Śnigórski and Ostrowski reached Camp 3, and by 24 July they made their push towards the summit. After hours of climbing in heavy snow, Ostrowski and Śnigórski abandoned their summit attempt on 25 July after reaching 7,600 meters.{{Cite web |last=lokalny |first=Portal |date=2023-07-25 |title=Pozostał na zawsze na Gasherbrumie II. Mija osiem lat od zaginięcia Olka Ostrowskiego |url=https://wbieszczady.pl/aktualnosci/pozostal-na-zawsze-na-gasherbrumie-ii-mija-osiem-lat-od-zaginiecia-olka-ostrowskiego/av7Z0oq17Xcsz8J41KAE |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Bieszczady informacje, atrakcje, wiadomości, wydarzenia |language=pl}}
File:Memorial polskich himalaistow w nepalu ktorzy zgineli w himalajach i karakorum ipWRUX.jpg
As they made their way down, Ostrowski went missing while descending from camp two to camp one, possibly due to falling in a crevasse.{{Cite web |date=2015-07-26 |title=Ratownik bieszczadzki Olek Ostrowski zaginął w Karakorum |url=http://www.nowiny24.pl/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20150726/BIESZCZADY/150729796 |website=nowiny24.pl}}{{Cite web |date=2015-08-02 |title=Piotr Śnigórski o przebiegu wyprawy i wypadku na Gasherbrumie II |url=http://wspinanie.pl/2015/08/piotr-snigorski-o-przebiegu-wyprawy-i-wypadku-na-gasherbrum-ii/ |website=wspinanie.pl}} On 26 July high-altitude porters went to search for Ostrowski. Upon hearing the news, countrymen Andrzej Bargiel and Darek Załuski, came to base camp to support search activities, despite summitting Broad Peak days earlier.{{Cite web |title=Poszukiwania zakończone – Olek Ostrowski pozostał na zawsze na Gasherbrumie II |url=https://wspinanie.pl/2015/07/poszukiwania-zakonczone-olek-ostrowski-pozostal-na-zawsze-na-gasherbrunie-ii/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |language=pl-PL}} According to statements by Bargiel, he pleaded with officers for hours to allow him to search for the missing climber, only to be denied as Pakistan's military closed the mountain.{{Cite web |last=Shahid |first=Jamal |date=2015-08-03 |title='It's still not clear what happened to missing Polish climber' |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1198117 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}} On 27 July the search was called off.{{Cite web |date=2015-07-27 |title=Koniec akcji poszukiwawczej. Komunikat w sprawie akcji poszukiwawczej Olka Ostrowskiego. |url=http://www.fundacjakukuczki.pl//pages/posts/koniec-akcji-poszukiwawczej.-komunikat-w-sprawie-akcji-poszukiwawczej-olka-ostrowskiego-748.php |website=fundacjakukuczki.pl |access-date=2024-06-17 |archive-date=2016-04-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417193828/http://www.fundacjakukuczki.pl//pages/posts/koniec-akcji-poszukiwawczej.-komunikat-w-sprawie-akcji-poszukiwawczej-olka-ostrowskiego-748.php |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |date=2015-07-27 |title=Akcja poszukiwawcza pod Gasherbrumem II zakończona |url=http://powder.pl/akcja-poszukiwawcza-pod-gasherbrumem-ii-zakonczona |website=powder.pl}} No sign of Ostrowski has ever been found.{{Cite web |last=lokalny |first=Portal |date=2023-07-25 |title=Pozostał na zawsze na Gasherbrumie II. Mija osiem lat od zaginięcia Olka Ostrowskiego |url=https://wbieszczady.pl/aktualnosci/pozostal-na-zawsze-na-gasherbrumie-ii-mija-osiem-lat-od-zaginiecia-olka-ostrowskiego/av7Z0oq17Xcsz8J41KAE |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Bieszczady informacje, atrakcje, wiadomości, wydarzenia |language=pl}}
Memorials
Following his death, his family and his fellow mountain rescue colleagues organized an annual sports competition for alpine skiers in his memory.{{Cite web |title=Memoriał Olka ostrowskiego w narciarstwie alpejskim |url=https://www.bieszczadzka24.pl/sport/memorial-olka-ostrowskiego-w-narciarstwie-alpejskim/3194 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=www.bieszczadzka24.pl |language=pl}} The event has become one of the most prominent alpine competitions for young skiers as well as alpine mountain rescue personnel in Poland.{{Cite web |last=Olejnik |first=Marta |date=2023-02-05 |title=V Memoriał Olka Ostrowskiego |url=https://marekkuchcinski.pl/en/wydarzenia/v-memorial-olka-ostrowskiego/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Marek Kuchciński |language=en-GB}} In 2024, the 6th edition of the event was held in his local Bieszczaldy Mountains.{{Cite web |last=Sajnog |first=Marian |date=2024-01-24 |title=VI MEMORIAŁ OLKA OSTROWSKIEGO |url=https://ratownictwogorskie.eu/vi-memorial-olka-ostrowskiego/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=RATOWNICTWO GÓRSKIE |language=pl-PL}}{{Cite web |last=Sajnog |first=Marian |date=2024-02-05 |title=PO VI MEMORIALE OLKA OSTROWSKIEGO |url=https://ratownictwogorskie.eu/po-vi-memoriale-olka-ostrowskiego/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=RATOWNICTWO GÓRSKIE |language=pl-PL}}
On 11 November 2016 a plaque dedicated to his memory was unveiled at the Tatra Symbolic Cemetery on the western slopes of Ostrva in the High Tatras.{{Cite web |last=lokalny |first=Portal |date=2023-07-25 |title=Pozostał na zawsze na Gasherbrumie II. Mija osiem lat od zaginięcia Olka Ostrowskiego |url=https://wbieszczady.pl/aktualnosci/pozostal-na-zawsze-na-gasherbrumie-ii-mija-osiem-lat-od-zaginiecia-olka-ostrowskiego/av7Z0oq17Xcsz8J41KAE |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Bieszczady informacje, atrakcje, wiadomości, wydarzenia |language=pl}} He is also commemorated on the Polish Himalayan Memorial in Namche Bazaar, Nepal alongside the names of other Polish climbers who have been lost in the Himalayas.
References
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Category:Polish long-distance runners
Category:Polish mountain climbers
Category:Polish male ski mountaineers
Category:Polish ultramarathon runners
Category:Deaths on Gasherbrum II