I spoke yesterday at the Sports Academy in Krakow, Poland, to about 120 students. The school is for those studying physical therapy, athletics and hotel management, among other things.

My host was Mikolaj Bielanski (first name pronounced Nikolash more or less…so challenging this lovely Polish Language due to sounds we do not have in English…voul/voul/voul etc.), I met in Zakopane, while hiking and trying to climb in the Tatra Mountains.

Actually tried to change my ticket to come home and work, despite having a wonderful time in Poland, but it would have been $800, so I am staying another few days in Poland.

I am missing my family but if I had to be “stuck” anyplace, Krakow Poland is top on the list! The people (my experience has been in Lodz, Krakow and Zakopane) are kind, generous, warm, helpful and have gone out of their way my entire trip to make my stay in Poland an absolutely wonderful experience. And this is despite not being able to climb in the mountains. I have been getting schooled on the many small limestone crags around Krakow and Zakopane!

In the city center of Krakow there is an old limestone quarry that has a long traverse for bouldering and several drytooling and rock climbing routes to train on! Incredible to see and experience all the climbing people have access to from a beautiful city of over 700,000 people.

Krakow is the former capital of Poland. Story goes something like this…King way back was from Sweden or Norway and wanted to be closer to his mother so moved the show to the countryside (formerly Warsaw).

I am heading out for a drytooling session with the interpreter I was going to have for the Krakow Mountain Festival. I say was because I am not going to speak there due to a conflict with the Lodz (pronounced woodge more or less) Explorer’s Festival. Anyway I am excited to hear Rapheal Slawinski and Tommy Caldwell speak as well as see the films from Banff Mountain Film Festival which I missed when they rolled through Jackson.

Looking forward to hearing how the snow is back home and getting out for some turns on the Pass and at the Village soon, and to taking Axl skiing!!!
Cheers,

Stephen

3 grudnia 2009 r. (czwartek), g. 15.30

Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego w Krakowie
Sala G – budynek główny (Al. Jana Pawła II 78)

Stephen Koch (USA)

Opowie o swoich niezwykłych dokonaniach.

Stephen Koch jest zawodowym przewodnikiem wysokogórskim, alpinistą, ale przede wszystkim pionierem ekstremalnych zjazdów na snowboardzie w wysokich górach.

Na długiej liście jego dokonań można znaleźć min. pierwsze i nigdy nie powtórzone zjazdy ze wszystkich głównych szczytów Teton Peaks
w Wyoming (USA).

Poza tym, jest jedyną osobą, która zjechała na desce z 7 najwyższych szczytów każdego z kontynentów (w tym Mount Everest).

Stephen wspinając się wspólnie z Marko Prezelj i Dean Potter dokonał pierwszego wejścia południowo-wschodnią granią na Cerro Torre.

www.stephenkoch.com

ZAPRASZAMY WSZYSTKICH SERDECZNIE NA SPOTKANIE!!!

Wydział Turystyki i Rekreacji
Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego im. Bronisława Czecha w Krakowie
mikolaj.bielanski@awf.krakow.pl