Alison Chadwick-Onyszkiewicz

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Alison Chadwick-Onyszkiewicz
Alison Chadwick-Onyszkiewicz on Annapurna between camps II and III. Photographed by Arlene Blum.
Personal information
NationalityBritish
Born1942
Birmingham, England
Died17 October 1978(1978-10-17) (aged 35–36)
Annapurna I Middle Peak, Nepal
Climbing career
Type of climberMountaineering

Alison Chadwick-Onyszkiewicz (1942 – 17 October 1978) was a British mountaineer (and alpinist), painter, and lithography lecturer. She made the first ascent of Gasherbrum III, at the time the highest unclimbed mountain in the world. Chadwick-Onyszkiewicz died along with her climbing partner, Vera Watson, during an attempt on Annapurna I Central.

Early life[edit]

Chadwick-Onyszkiewicz was born in Birmingham and grew up in Cornwall. She studied at Slade School of Fine Arts in London where she learned to climb.[1]

Climbing career[edit]

Chadwick-Onyszkiewicz's early climbs were in Wales, England, and the Alps, making ascents of the north faces of Piz Palü, the Aiguille de Triolet, and Les Courtes [fr]. After moving to Poland with her husband and climbing partner Janusz Onyszkiewicz, she climbed extensively in the Tatras, including the eastern wall of Mnich, the northern wall of Kazalnica Mięguszowiecka [pl], and a winter ascent northern wall of Niżnie Rysy and Mieguszowiecki Middle (first winter ascent).[2] She was known for her cool head and early commitment to alpine style mountaineering, which involves moving quickly and independently towards summits, at a time when large siege style expeditions were more common.[3]

In 1972, during the Polish expedition in Hindu Kush, she ascended both Aspe Safed and Noshaq. Based on these climbs, she was selected for the 1975 Polish Gasherbrum Expedition. It was initially designed as a women's only expedition to Gasherbrum III led by Wanda Rutkiewicz, but a simultaneous men's expedition to Gasherbrum II was refused a permit and the two merged.[4] She made the first ascent of Gasherbrum III (7952m), the world's highest unclimbed peak, with a mixed team consisting of her, Rutkiewicz, Onyszkiewicz, and Krzysztof Zdzitowiecki [pl].[5] During this expedition she gained the British height record for women.[2]

Following the height record, she was elected to membership of the Alpine Club, one of the first women to be so.[6]

Despite these successes, the achievements of women's climbing continued to be downplayed, with critics noting the presence and contributions of men on female-driven expeditions.[7]

Annapurna[edit]

Main article: American Women's Himalayan Expedition

In 1978, she took part in the American Women's Himalayan Expedition to Annapurna, the tenth-highest mountain in the world. It consisted of all female climbers, designed to give women the opportunity to climb a major peak at a time when they were often excluded from expeditions.[8] Chadwick-Onyszkiewicz was one of the few non Americans, and was considered one of their best climbers. Annapurna had very few ascents at the time, and they found it to be more treacherous than anticipated, with multiple avalanches causing severe delays in their progress. It is now considered the world's most deadly mountain, with the highest death rate of any 8000er.[9] During the expedition Chadwick-Onyszkiewicz noted "It's the most dangerous mountain I've been on" in a letter to her husband.[1][10]

The expedition was successful, with Vera Komarkova, Irene Beardsley (formerly Miller), Mingma Tsering Sherpa, and Chewang Ringjin Sherpa reaching the summit. However, Chadwick-Onyszkiewicz was keen for a female-only team to succeed, so she and climbing partner Vera Watson made a second summit push to the unclimbed second peak.[10] Since many of the climbers had already descended due to frostbite and sickness or were too exhausted, they departed Camp III for the summit alone and with very little support in the upper camps.[3]

They missed a scheduled radio call that night, but others in the expedition were tired and unable to mount a rescue. Three days later Mingma and Lhakpa Norbu Sherpa found their bodies next to a crevasse below Camp IV. It was speculated that they fell on an ice slope near camp V, perhaps due to an avalanche or rockfall.[2][8][3]

A memorial fund, administered by the Mount Everest Foundation, was created in her memory. Its aim is "to provide grants to further British and Polish women's mountaineering in the world's greater ranges, i.e.: further afield than the Alps".[11]

Personal life[edit]

In 1971 Chadwick-Onyszkiewicz married Polish mathematician and mountaineer Janusz Onyszkiewicz, her frequent climbing partner.[1]

Notable climbs[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Fowler, John (1979). "In Memoriam:Alison Chadwick-Onyszkiewicz (1942–1978)" (PDF). Alpine Journal 1979: 271. Retrieved 4 May 2019. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ^ a b c Fowler, John. "Alison Chadwick-Onyszkiewicz, 1942–4978". publications.americanalpineclub.org. American Alpine Club. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  3. ^ a b c Ives, Katie (11 April 2017). "An Oral History of the First U.S.—and Female—Ascent of Annapurna". Outside Online. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  4. ^ Chadwick-Onyszkiewicz, Alison; Alpinizmu, Zwiazek (1977). "Gasherbrum II and III, 1975". American Alpine Club. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  5. ^ Blum, Arlene (1982). "Women on Annapurna". www.himalayanclub.org. Himalayan Journal vol.38/8. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  6. ^ Wells, Colin. Willett, Maxine (ed.). "Chadwick, Alison (died 1978)". Mountain Heritage. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  7. ^ Scully, Lizzy (16 January 2017). "In the Footsteps of Fanny: Women in the Karakoram". Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  8. ^ a b Komarkova, Vera (1979). "American Women's Himalayan Expedition, Annapurna 1". American Alpine Club. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  9. ^ Carpenter, Hayden (28 July 2015). "New Route and Deaths on Annapurna – World's Deadliest Mountain". Rock and Ice. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  10. ^ a b Goodwin, Stephen (15 June 2005). "Vera Komarkova Obituary". The Independent. Archived from the original on 17 May 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  11. ^ Ruthven, Bill (30 April 2008). "Alison Chadwick award for women". The British Mountaineering Council. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
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