Maciej Berbeka
Maciej Berbeka (17 October 1954 – 6 March 2013) was a Polish mountaineer and mountain guide. Berbeka made the first-ever winter ascent of three eight-thousanders: Manaslu, on 12 January 1984 with Ryszard Gajewski, and Cho Oyu, on 12 February 1985 with Maciej Pawlikowski (the only winter ascent on an eight-thousander made along a new route), and Broad Peak on 5 March 2013 with Adam Bielecki, Artur Małek, and Tomasz Kowalski. Berbeka and Tomasz Kowalski went missing on 6 March 2013 as they were descending from Broad Peak.
Maciej Berbeka
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- Name
- Maciej Berbeka
- Born
- 17 October 1954
- Birthplace
- Zakopane, Poland
- Died
- 6 March 2013
- Place of death
- Broad Peak, Pakistan
- Nationality
- Poland
- Occupation
- mountain guide · mountaineer · painter
- Fields
- climbing · mountaineering · painting
- Education
- Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow · Zespół Szkół Plastycznych im. Antoniego Kenara w Zakopanem
- Honours
- Knight of the Order of Polonia Restituta
- Languages
- Polish
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Documentary summary
Maciej Berbeka (17 October 1954 – 6 March 2013) was a Polish mountaineer and mountain guide. Berbeka made the first-ever winter ascent of three eight-thousanders: Manaslu, on 12 January 1984 with Ryszard Gajewski, and Cho Oyu, on 12 February 1985 with Maciej Pawlikowski (the only winter ascent on an eight-thousander made along a new route), and Broad Peak on 5 March 2013 with Adam Bielecki, Artur Małek, and Tomasz Kowalski. Berbeka and Tomasz Kowalski went missing on 6 March 2013 as they were descending from Broad Peak.
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Note VALÉORINE
Maciej Berbeka (1954–2013) was a Polish mountain guide, mountaineer and painter. Born in Zakopane, the mountain guide died in Broad Peak.
Maciej Berbeka studied at Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. The mountain guide worked in Cho Oyu and Manaslu. Maciej Berbeka was active in climbing, mountaineering and painting.
Languages used include Polish. The mountain guide received Knight of the Order of Polonia Restituta.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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wikidata · Q3491645 · wikipedia · Maciej Berbeka
In this article
Biography
Biography
They were declared dead two days later. Berbeka had also summited Annapurna in 1982, Mount Everest and Lhotse. He was also the first person in history to have reached over 8000 m during the winter in Karakoram – Rocky Summit (8028 m), on 6 March 1988. His life is the subject of a 2022 Polish Netflix film, Broad Peak.
Maciej Berbeka studied at Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow and Zespół Szkół Plastycznych im. Antoniego Kenara w Zakopanem. The recorded working language is Polish. The field of work recorded is climbing, mountaineering and painting. Places of work recorded in the authority are Manaslu and Cho Oyu. Distinctions recorded are Knight of the Order of Polonia Restituta.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Maciej Berbeka • Born — 17 October 1954 • Birthplace — Zakopane, Poland • Died — 6 March 2013 • Place of death — Broad Peak, Pakistan
Identity
Identity
Maciej Berbeka is recorded with the occupation mountain guide. Berbeka worked at Cho Oyu. Recorded as having studied at Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow and Zespół Szkół Plastycznych im. Berbeka studied at Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow and Zespół Szkół Plastycznych im.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1954
Maciej Berbeka was born on 17 October 1954.
2013
Maciej Berbeka died on 6 March 2013.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Zakopane.
Birth place
Broad Peak.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q3491645: Maciej Berbeka
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Maciej Berbeka”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Hawley, E. Everest Ascent and Tragedy. 36. 68. 274–275. 1994. 0065-6925.
- 2.Korniszewski, Lech. Asia, Nepal, Manaslu, Winter Ascent and Tragedy, 1984. 26. 58. 249. 1984.
- 3.Nyka, Józef. Asia, Nepal, Cho Oyu, Winter Ascent. 27. 59. 275. 1985.
- 4.Griffin, Lindsay. Broad Peak (8,047m), first winter ascent and tragedy. 55. 87. 297–299. 2013. 978-1933056791.
- 5.Planetmountain. Broad Peak: all hope lost for Maciej Berbeka and Tomasz Kowalski. 8 March 2013.
- 6.Nyka, Józef. Asia, Nepal, Annapurna South Face, New Route. 24. 56. 227-229. 1982.
- 7.Broad Peak. Netflix.
References
Citations
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authority record
Secondary witnessreference work
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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