Marek Kaminski comes from Poland (so he is a Pole), a country in Central Europe, which has a long tradition of polar activities. The first examples of Polish participation in polar expeditions come from the 18th century. A father and son named Forster, from Gdansk, took part in James Cook's southern ocean voyage and wrote a book called "Journey Around the World." In the same town, a few hundred years later, Marek Kaminski dreamed, planned, and started his own journeys - almost "Around the World."
Marek Kaminski was born in 1965 and studied philosophy and physics. For many years he traveled on all continents except Australia. His more important expeditions were to the Sahara, Russian Far East, and Central Asia. Fascinated with jungles and the old cities of the Maya, he made two trips to the Yucatan jungle, including Bonampak, Yaxchilan, and Rio Usumacinta, on the border of Mexico and Guatemala (1985, 1987). Following in the footsteps of Ludwig Wittgenstein, the philosopher, he got his first polar experience in northern Norway. On Spitsbergen, Kaminski met Wojciech Moskal , his partner in further polar trips. Wojciech Moskal is a 36-year old oceanographer and Gdansk University graduate. He was a member of many expeditions having scientific and sporting objectives (in Spitsbergen, Greenland, Iceland, and Franz Josef Land). Three times he wintered on Spitsbergen (1981-82, 1983-84, 1989-90), two of these times alone. Twice he wintered in the Antarctic as a member of Greenpeace expeditions (1988, 1991), taking part in protests by this organization against whale hunting. He traversed on skis across Spitsbergen in winter (1986), and Bothnia Bay (1994).
Image (right): Reaching the Pole
Kaminski and Moskal walked 400 km on skis on Spitsbergen (1990), and traversed 600 km through Greenland (1993). Finally, after 72 days of walking solo, without support, they reached the North Pole on 23 May 1995 (from Eureka Meteorological Station, Resolution, Northern Canada). The most dangerous moments of this expedition occurred near the Pole, when they had to pass wide areas of open water. Reaching the Pole, they were surprised that they didn't need to go any further.
Image (left): TWO POLES IN ONE YEAR
Fewer than five months had passed since they came back from the North Pole when Kaminski left for his next expedition. It was organized very fast, to meet the goal: TWO POLES IN ONE YEAR. It was a big effort to organize such an expedition in so short a time, but Marek Kaminski, a winner of the first Polish edition of the International Young Business Achiever Contest, 1994, and director and owner of GAMA-SAN (the firm is the organizer of his expedition), could stand it easily.
The expedition began rather unfortunately - they lost a part of the luggage in Brazil, delayed in flight to the Antarctic. Finally, on 4 November 1995, he started from the northern part of Berkner Island, on the Filchner Shelf Ice. All the necessary equipment, including food, fuel, tent, and a Global Positioning System (GPS), he pulled on a special 120-kilogram sled. After that, we could only read short messages that Marek sent through satellite beacon: "Bad weather," "White out," "Strong wind," or "All OK." We who spent some time in the Antarctic knew that "bad weather" might mean anything; "white out" - don't walk without a compass, because you could get turned around; "strong winds" - about 200 km/hr, when 100 kg objects can easily be pushed for several meters across the surface. Very specific to the Antarctic continent is the term "hard sastrugi," which means kilometers of parallel snow ridges a few meters in height, which one has to climb up, over, and down, and so on for hours and days. It happened that the temperature fell to -30 to -35C, but the worst was when it was "only" -20C with a strong wind.
Image (above): Filchner Shelf Ice
When asked about the trip conditions, Wojtek Moskal said to journalists: "For sure, alone, it is more difficult on the ice desert. During gusty winds, the problem might be something so simple as setting up the tent." We also have to remember that going in the direction of the South Pole, Kaminski walked higher and higher, reaching the level of about 2850 meters above sea level. It was also very exhausting. Every day, we plotted Marek's actual position on the map and diagram, wishing him the best. The most important information was received on 27 December 1995, at 04:00 (10:00 CET), after 53 days of solo and unsupported walking, and after about 1400 km: MAREK KAMINSKI ARRIVED AT THE SOUTH POLE, Amundsen-Scott Base (U.S.).
Image (above left): MAREK KAMINSKI ARRIVED AT THE SOUTH POLE
Image (above right): Amundsen-Scott Base
Image (right): I'm tired but very happy
In the first message from the South Pole, he said, "I'm tired but very happy". With minor injuries to his legs, one of few Poles (Polish nationality) to reach the South Pole hoisted the white and red Polish flag. With that background, it is important to point out that Poland has been a member of the Antarctic Treaty since 1977, and carries out intensive scientific activity there. Later, during the interviews, Marek said that his solo trip was an extraordinary experience. In the Antarctic, everything is easy - not in the sense of conditions or effort required, but one has only to eat, to sleep, and to go forward. The most dangerous moments were when he fell down into an ice crevasse but was stopped, anchored by his sledge, and during the last days, because of the cold after throwing out his polar wear pants. He reached an average speed of about 26 km/day, and lost 22 kg of weight. His reflections from the South Pole: "Lots of garbage, some barrels, the big metal dome of Amundsen-Scott Base, and the satisfaction of dreams realized". He also said about the journey: "From everything that was inside of me, I thought only about my way that was still ahead. My friends and relatives who helped me - I didn't want to disappoint them. This was very important. But the main thing was - just to go!" At the South Pole Kaminski met a Polish TV crew, and after a few days went back to Patriot Hills. On the 12th of January he came back to Poland. Among many other awards, Marek was nominated a Man of the Year, 1995 by "Zycie Warszawy" (a well-known Polish newspaper) and an Honorary Member of the Polar Research Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences (together with Wojciech Moskal).
Image (left): Satisfaction of Dreams Realized
The enormous physical challenge was not the only point of this expedition. It also had a charitable purpose. As Marek Kaminski wrote in his letter from Patriot Hills, where he was waiting for the aircraft back to Berkner Island, starting point of the expedition, "If this expedition is to mean something, it must certainly have been for the children, and also for those who are adults. The challenge of this expedition can be dedicated to them - NEVER BRUSH ASIDE YOUR DREAMS. The greatest value has been not only to reach the Poles, but to do something for other people. Undoubtedly, sick children are the most in need!"
"What now?" asked many journalists. "Are there any other Poles you want to conquer? What are your further plans?" Kaminski answered that there is a lot of work to do in his firm now. And a journey? Marek plans to walk - on foot and unsupported, but not necessarily alone - for a few hours along the shore of the Baltic Sea in his hometown, Gdansk.
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