On Friday 7 February at 6:00 PM, an exceptional event took place at the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków, whose special guest was Sławek Makaruk – a traveller, photographer, professional diver, glider pilot and leader of numerous expeditions to the most remote regions of the world – including Sebastian Kawa’s glider expedition to the highest peak of the Karakoram range – K2.
The meeting, co-organised by the Kraków Aero Club and the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków, was attended by over 60 participants. Sławek Makaruk spoke with energy and passion, presenting numerous photographs from the expedition to the audience.
Sebastian Kawa, an outstanding Polish glider pilot, multiple world champion and recipient of the FAI Gold Medal in 2024, undertook a pioneering glider expedition to the Karakoram range – one of the highest mountain chains in the world. As is well known, the expedition ended in great success, and the crew of Polish glider pilots – Sebastian Kawa and Sebastian Lampart – flew a glider over the summit of K2 (8,611 m above sea level).
The expedition’s base was Skardu Airport, situated at an altitude of 2,500 m in the Indus Valley in Pakistan. Thanks to its long runway, it was possible to launch the glider by aerotow behind a car. The flights were carried out using a two-seat Schleicher ASH 25 glider, specially adapted for demanding conditions and equipped with oxygen apparatus, modern navigation systems and professional cameras for recording the flights. But first, it had to be transported from Poland to the Karakoram…
Sebastian Kawa admitted that he had initially planned to transport the glider by sea, “but despite 2 years of intensive efforts to overcome mounting difficulties, the only remaining option was to drive by car with a trailer through Turkey, Iran and Pakistan, with many unknowns along the route, because normality ends at the bridge in Istanbul.”
The undoubtedly daunting task of transporting the glider (along with the entire team) was entrusted to Sławek Makaruk – a well-known Polish traveller, survival instructor and expert in exploring remote corners of the world. He has completed numerous expeditions to inaccessible regions such as the Amazon, the Himalayas and Antarctica. He is a highly regarded specialist in the logistical preparation of expeditions in extreme conditions.
We invite you to view the photo gallery from the event:
