Agata is one of the best female climbers in Poland. She has redpointed 8c, onsighted 8a and has an impressive track record in both lead and bouldering competitions. Regardless of these outstanding achievements, the most striking thing about her is the deep and enduring passion she holds for climbing.
She was born in 1985 in Torun, a beautiful medieval city in the flatlands of northern Poland. Despite the lack of local crags Agata was soon introduced to the outdoor life by her family.
“My parents have always loved mountains," says Agata. "Even though we are from a totally flat area, which is much closer to the sea than to any mountain or climbing area, ever since I was a few years old we have spent every summer and winter holidays in the mountains, trekking or skiing.”
Still, it was not until the age of fifteen that Agata actually saw anybody climbing. The sight of a couple of climbers on a wall in the Tatras Mountains fascinated her so much that she started asking questions. Returning from the holiday she signed up with the Alpine Climbing Club in Torun, and before long a new obsession had taken hold.
An important early route was Prostowanie Prawej Pilichówki (6c+) (VI.2+ in Polish grades) in the Polish Jura.
“It was the first sport route that I redpointed," says Agata. "It took me more than 10 tries. It was my first climbing season and it showed me how determined I can be in reaching my goals in climbing—and this happened in a good way, without any bad emotions. It showed me how well I can deal with failures. By trying this route I really discovered a big part of myself and my attitude towards climbing. I got to know what it means for me, what I like in it, what not so much, and this attitude has stayed with me till now.”
At the age of 17 Agata spent five months living in France with a French family. She had hoped to be placed in one of the classic climbing areas but ended up in Nantes, close to the Atlantic coast. The only possible climbing was at the gym, but it was still a great experience and one that left her with a strong bond with France. To this day she still meets up with the host family and has climbed with them in Chamonix and Gorge du Tarn.
Competitions have always suited Agata—after returning from France she joined the Polish national team and began to take part in junior international competitions. In 2005 she gained a first place for both leading and bouldering in the Polish Senior Championships.
"With good results in sport (and studying) I began to receive athletics and sports science scholarships, which for many years allowed me to focus on my climbing development," Agata explains. "In those years I visited many European climbing regions and tried my hand at climbing in the World Cup.”
