Bogusław Ogrodnik
Bogusław Ogrodnik is a very colorful character. In life at least, he has done almost everything. He has toured around the world. And although the mountains have always been with him, he took up mountaineering only as late as 2004 - during an expedition to Aconcagua in the Andes, the highest peak in South America. Boguslaw Ogrodnik is constantly on the look out for new challenges. He wants to be the best in everything he does. He graduated from Wroclaw University of Physical Education and the Faculty of Law of the University of Wroclaw, and was a PhD student at the University of Economics in Wroclaw.
Running two companies did not stop him from making his dreams come true. He was an instructor in the anti-terrorist Company and a paratrooper in the airborne forces. He is a swimming coach, a senior lifeguard in the Voluntary Water Rescue Service and a motor-boating helmsman. Diving is a great passion of his. He is a scuba diving instructor, a technical and cave diver, a Diver Propulsion Vehicle specialist. For more than 30 years he has been penetrating the waters of the entire world. He says that "a good diver is an old diver." He participated, among others, in projects such as the beating of the world record in technical diving by Nuno Gomez (Sinai 2004) and "Polish DPV project - Mexico 2005" (a world record in cave penetration of 14,000 m) and the world record in cave diving in Mexico in 2009 (17,000 m) with Leszek Czarnecki. He also did dive, as one of the first Poles, in the Bikini Atoll (atomic wreck yard of U.S. Army) as well as the world's largest ship wreck yard the Chuuk Atoll in Micronesia. He has also trained at the global shark conservation centre (Natal Sharks Board), near Durban in South Africa. He took his first bungee jump from the highest bungee spot in the world (216 meters in South Africa). He has faced the wilderness of Siberia and with a group of friends – the first Polish off-road team – drove along the famous BAM route (Baikal - Amur Mainline).
In November 2008, Boguslaw Ogrodnik completed his personal project called "Project 9000". It was based on achieving the highest denivelation (the height difference between the highest and lowest point) ever achieved by man. He has climbed up to the limit of human potential having reached in May 2006 the mountain of mountains – the Mount Everest (8848 m), and diving in the Sinai Peninsula, in the famous Blue Hole he reached the depth of 163 meters. He has thus exceeded his own goal set for the "Project 9000" by accomplishing the 9011m height difference.
Boguslaw has also completed the Seven Summits, the highest peaks of all continents (comprising both the Bass and Messner-listed peaks): Aconcagua (2004), Mount Everest (2006), Elbrus (2006), Mount Kosciuszko (2006), Kilimanjaro (2007), Carstensz Pyramid (2007), Mt. McKinley (2007), Vinson Massif (2008). In 2008 he was awarded the "Golden Fins" by the Diving magazine for "Project 9000". In 2009 he was honored by the President of Wroclaw, for his contribution to the City. In September 2009, at the initiative of the City of Karpacz and the Mountain School, an imprint of his expedition shoe cast in bronze was revealed in the Conqueror's Square in Karpacz.
While organising expeditions to the most remote corners of the world, he also proves that you can combine such passion with helping those in need. In 2006 he took the flag of the city of Wroclaw to the summit of Mount Everest, and in 2008, while beating the world record in denivelation, he dived with another flag in the 163m at Blue Hole. Both have been put up for auction during Charity Balls, reaching the value of EUR 50,000 and 57,000, respectively. The resulting funds were given for the purchase of specialized equipment for the Korczak hospital for children in Wrocław.
Bogusław Ogrodnik's mountaineering experience:
- 2008 Project 9000 (Mount Everest 8848m above and Blue Hole Sinai Peninsula 163m below sea-level) - 9011 m
- 2008 Crown of Polish Mountains
- 2008 Vinson Massif (Antarctica) - 4897 m above sea-level
- 2007 Mt. McKinley (North America) - 6194 m above sea-level
- 2007 Carstensz Pyramid (Australia and Oceania) - 4884 m
- 2007 Kilimanjaro (Africa) - 5895 m above sea-level
- 2006 Mount Elbrus (Caucasus, Europe) - 5642 m above sea-level
- 2006 Mount Everest (Himalaya, Asia) - 8848 m above sea-level
- 2006 Mount Kosciuszko (Australia) - 2228 m above sea-level
- 2005 Crown of the Sudeten
- 2004 Cho Oyu (Himalayas, Asia) - 8201 m above sea-level
- 2004 Aconcagua (Andes, South America) - 6962 m above sea-level
Bergson – the manufacturer of high quality outdoor equipment and clothing takes care of Boguslaw Ogrodnik, to give him the best conditions to succeed and gain further peaks.
He took part in the following expeditions:
Mexico 2005 and 2009, The Bikini Atoll 2006 and Syberia 2007.