Amico

Voytek Kurtyka is one of the greatest mountaineers of all time. Born in 1947, he was one of the protagonists of the golden age of Himalayan mountaineering: a period - the 70s and 80s - which redefined the style of climbing on the great mountains of the Himalayas. Trained in the mythological Tatra Mountains, his visionary approach to the Alpine style on the great mountains of the Earth led him to achieve extraordinary ascents that occupy a leading position in the history of mountaineering. Think of the ascent of the west face of Gasherbrum IV, the "shining wall", considered the most incredible ascent ever. Like him, his climbing partners - Jerzy Kukuczka, Erhard Loretan, Alex MacIntyre, John Porter and Robert Schauer - were the legends of those years. Of a shy and reserved nature, Kurtyka declined countless invitations to public appearances and interviews for twenty years, creating an aura of mystery around himself that increased his myth. In 2016 he was awarded the Piolet d'Or for lifetime achievement, an award he had repeatedly refused before being convinced to accept it. The Art of Being Free is an in-depth portrait of one of the most respected and admired climbers in the world of global mountaineering.