Janusz Majer (born September 25, 1946) is a Polish alpinist, himalayanist and traveler. He is co-founder and co-owner (together with

Artur Hajzer Artur Henryk Hajzer (28 June 1962 – 7 July 2013) was a Polish mountaineer. Hajzer climbed seven eight-thousanders, several via new routes (Manaslu’s NE face in 1986, Shishapangma’s east ridge in 1987) and made the first winter climb of Anna ...

) of ADD Company, the owner of Alpinus brand (1993–2001), co-founder of Mount Company, the owner of the HiMountain brand which produces outdoor clothing and equipment and co-owner of the large chain of HiMountain shops in Poland. Since 23 November 2013 he's been the head of the program "Polish Himalayas".

Personal background

When Majer was 17, he finished a rock climbing course in the

Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska Jura may refer to: Places *Jura, Scotland, island of the Inner Hebrides off Great Britain *Jūra, river in Lithuania Mountain ranges * Jura Mountains, on the French–Swiss–German border *Franconian Jura, south-central Germany * Swabian Jura, ...

and started climbing in the Tatra Mountains. In 1971, he graduated from the department of

metallurgy Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are known as alloys. Metallurgy encompasses both the sc ...

on Cracovian AGH. He is married to Zofia, an AGH graduate. They have one son.

Professional background

Since 1976, Majer has continuously climbed abroad, inter alia in the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

, Hindu Kush and

Karakorum Karakorum (Khalkha Mongolian: Хархорум, ''Kharkhorum''; Mongolian Script:, ''Qaraqorum''; ) was the capital of the Mongol Empire between 1235 and 1260 and of the Northern Yuan dynasty in the 14–15th centuries. Its ruins lie in the ...

. Apart from climbing, he has also been engaged in the organization and logistics of expeditions. Between 1980 and 1992, a president of the Mountaineering Club in

Katowice Katowice ( , , ; szl, Katowicy; german: Kattowitz, yi, קאַטעוויץ, Kattevitz) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Upper Silesian metropolitan area. It is the 11th most popul ...

, which gathered the prominent alpinists and himalaists of that times:

Jerzy Kukuczka Józef Jerzy Kukuczka (24 March 1948 in Katowice, Poland – 24 October 1989 Lhotse, Nepal) was a Polish alpine and high-altitude climber. Born in Katowice, his family origin is Silesian Goral. On 18 September 1987, he became the second m ...

, Krzysztof Wielicki,

Ryszard Pawłowski Ryszard Pawłowski (24 June 1950 in Bogatynia) - Polish alpine and high-altitude climber and photographer. Member of The Explorers Club. Ryszard Pawlowski is the founder and co-owner of the Patagonia Mountain Agency. He has been climbing since 1 ...

. He frequently organized the Mountain Film Festival in Katowice (1988, 1990, 1992). Member of many Mountain Film Festival Juries in Poland and in Europe (Teplice nad Metui Festival – Czech Rep., Poprad Film Festival – Slovakia, Bansko Film Festival – Bulgaria, Explorer Film Festival Łódź –Poland). An author of various articles in climbing press concerning mountain expeditions: Taternik,

American Journal ''American Journal'' (alternately titled ''American Journal: Coast to Coast'' for its final season; also known as ''AJ'') is a syndicated television newsmagazine program that ran from 1993 to 1998. The series was distributed by King World Produc ...

, Alpine Journal. A vice-chairman of the Polish Alpine Association between 1987–1993; an honorary member of the Mountaineering Club in Katowice.

Alpine expeditions

* 1975 – Mont Blanc 4810 m, Alps, France – the conquest of the summit, * 1976 – Noshaq 7492 m, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan – the conquest of the summit, * 1977 – Nanga Parbat 8125 m, Himalayas, Pakistan – the deputy leader of Silesian expedition, * 1979 – Dunagiri 7066 m, Himalayas, India – the expedition’s participant, * 1980 – Peruvian Andes and

Yosemite Yosemite National Park ( ) is an American national park in California, surrounded on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers an ar ...

, USA – the leader of the double expedition; in it, the first Polish ascent of The Nose,

El Capitan El Capitan ( es, El Capitán; "the Captain" or "the Chief") is a vertical Rock formations in the United States, rock formation in Yosemite National Park, on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The El Capitan Granite, granit ...

, Yosemite Park – (Tadeusz Karolczak, Janusz Majer, Ryszard Pawłowski), * 1982 – Langtang Lirung 7227 m, Himalayas, Nepal – the leader of the expedition (the summit was reached by Ryszard Pawłowski and Henryk Szczęsny), * 1983 – Ganesh II 7118 m, Himalayas, Nepal – the leader of the expedition, * 1984 – Broad Peak 8051 m, Karakorum, Pakistan – the leader of the expedition; the summit was reached by Walenty Fiut, Janusz Majer, Ryszard Pawłowski and Krzysztof Wielicki, * 1985 –

Lhotse Lhotse ( ne, ल्होत्से ; , ''lho tse'', ) is the fourth highest mountain in the world at , after Mount Everest, K2, and Kangchenjunga. The main summit is on the border between Tibet Autonomous Region of China and the Khumbu ...

8516 m, Himalayas, Nepal – the leader of the expedition to the south face, * 1986 – K2 8611 m, Karakorum, Pakistan – the leader of the expedition (the height of 8520 meters was reached) – the first ascent through the south buttress called “Magic Line” (the summit was reached by Peter Bozik, Przemysław Piasecki, Wojciech Wróż), * 1987 – winter climbing in Scotland (Ben Navis and Lochnagar area), * 1987 – Shishapangma, 8013 m, Himalayas, Tibet – a participant in the expedition, Majer participated in week long talks with the Chinese Mountaineering Association to gain permission for the climb to go ahead. The Association noted that this was the first time an expedition from a communist country had been given permission to attempt a climb. Arriving at Base Camp, Majer suffered from severe altitude sickness. * 1988 – East Annapurna 8010 m, Himalayas – a participant of the expedition that opened a new route, on the right side of south face – the height reached by J. M 8000, * 1989 –

Mount Everest Mount Everest (; Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border runs across its summit point. Its elevation (snow heig ...

8848 m, Himalayas, the west ridge – a participant of the expedition, * 1994 – McKinley, Alaska, USA – the attempt of the ascent, * 1998 – Vinson Massif 4892 m, Antarctica – the ascent of the summit; the attempt of the ascent of Acongaqua, Andes, Argentine, * 2006 – Gasherbrum II – a participant, the height of 7400 meters was reached (camp IV), * 2008 –

Elbrus Mount Elbrus ( rus, links=no, Эльбрус, r=Elbrus, p=ɪlʲˈbrus; kbd, Ӏуащхьэмахуэ, 'uaşhəmaxuə; krc, Минги тау, Mingi Taw) is the highest and most prominent peak in Russia and Europe. It is situated in the we ...

5642, Russia – the summit was reached, * 2008 – Mayer Kangri, Tibet – the exploration expedition in Mayer Kangri and Jomori Mountains area (Chang Tang),

Journeys and trekkings

* 1976 – truck travel from Nanga Parbat expedition with wife and 9-year-old son from Pakistan, through Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria, former Yugoslavia, Austria, former Czechoslovakia do Poland * 1981 – a family trip with wife and 14-year-old son to India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Nepal. Trekking to the base camp at the foot of Annapurna, Himalayas, Nepal * 1997 – the traverse of Biafo and Hispar glaciers, Karakorum, Pakistan * 1998 – Mount Everest – trekking in Khumbu and Gokyo area, Himalayas, Nepal * 2000 – Spitsbergen, Atomic Mountains, a skitour-trekking expedition from Longyearbearen to Newton Toppen – the highest peak of Spitsbergen * 2003 – Mount Sinai (Mount Moses), Egypt, trekking on the top * 2008 – trekking in Khumbu Himal area, Himalayas, Nepal

Published works

* Katowicka wyprawa na Ganesh Himal, Taternik 2/1984, Warszawa * Katowicka wyprawa w Karakorum 1984, Taternik 2/1984, Warszawa * W górach Ameryki, 1980, Taternik 1/1985, Warszawa * Południowa ściana Lhotse, Taternik 2/1986, Warszawa * Polska wyprawa na K2 1986, Taternik 2/1986, Warszawa * Ben Nevis i Kazalnica, Taternik 1/1987, Warszawa * Shishapangma Taternik 1/1987, Warszawa – the article written with together with Jerzy Kukuczka) * K2's Magic Line, The American Alpine Journal (NY: The American Alpine Journal Club, 1987) * Nowa droga na Annapurnę, 1988, Taternik 2/1988, Warszawa * Annapurna South Face – Ascent and Tragedy, American Alpine Journal, 1989, p. 217-219 * Xixabangma 1987 The Alpine Journal 1990/91 (The Alpine Club: London) – the article written with together with Jerzy Kukuczka) * Reconnaissance of the Mayer Kangri and Jomo Ri Mountains, elaborated by Janusz Majer and Jerzy Wala (Katowice, 2009) * The Reconnaissance in Mayer Kangri and Jomo Ri Mountains, Chang Tang plateau in Tibet, Majer J. and Chwola G. (Japanese Alpine News, Vol II July 2010)

References