On the way to the crown - interview with Kamil Ivankiewicz

The Diving Crown of the Earth is a project carried out by Kamil Iwankiewicz and a group of his friends. The assumptions are quite simple, Kamil intends to dive in the highest lake on each of the 7 continents. The first dives took place already in 2009, and today we know that we have reached the halfway point of this amazing plan. See what Kamil had to say a day before the expedition to Nepal, where his goal was to dive the Hongu East Lake located in the Himalayas at 5400m.

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Tomasz Andrukajtis: Hello Kamil, first of all, tell everyone what was the occasion of our meeting…

Kamil Ivankiewicz: I am going to the Himalayas to dive.

TA: What is the dive, what is the goal?

KI: The aim of the whole project is to dive on 7 continents, in the 7 highest lakes on the globe. We are currently in phase 4, the halfway point of this project, which is called the Crown of the Earth’s Lakes. We have already been to the Americas and Europe, now it’s time for Asia and the two highest lakes, at 5400 and 5200m.

TA: Where did the idea for the whole project come from?

KI: This is my hobby – mountains and diving. I’ve been diving for 20 years and have been an instructor for 12. I’ve been going to the mountains since I was a little kid, and I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that there are lakes that have never been explored by divers. I was always curious about what was on the other side of the water surface. I decided to check it out for myself.

TA: You made your first dives in 2009?

KI: Yes, the first dives in our project were in Bolivia with a lake inside the Licancabur volcano located at 5916m. In the same year we also dived the highest lake in Europe, Matsherjochsee in Italy at 3185m. In 2010. In 2010 we went to Mexico, where the Lake of the Sun – 4200m – was waiting for us. It was not a very happy year for us, because Bogumił’s wife fell very ill, which meant, of course, that all his time was devoted to the family. Now the situation has improved and we are back in action.

TA: Tell us how it all started? One day you just said Bogumil listen, let’s do an action like this?

KI: It all really started with my dreams and watching films on Discovery. Bogumil was my student at the time, while my assistant Lukasz went with me on my first expedition to Bolivia. The idea itself was ridiculed by my fellow divers. At the time, there was an uproar in the diving world that someone even wanted to dive at an altitude of almost 6000m. Everyone kept saying the same thing, that there were no tables, that it was impossible and, in addition, deadly dangerous. I proved them wrong and came home safe and sound. Besides, I planned this dive quite wisely, I used oxygen, knowing that in such a situation I could go as deep as 12m.

TA: What does the team that supports you look like? Are they the same people all the time, or do you choose a separate squad for each dive?

KI: Our team is rather permanent, but there are some people who join us for particular dives. The core of the team are: my brother Krzysztof, who is a professional diver, my assistant and long-time buddy Bogumił Buczyłko, Magda his wife, who until the moment when there appeared health problems, dealt with logistics. There is also Łukasz Gaweł with whom we have known for years and he was the first person to go with me on the expedition to Chille and Bolivia, which started the project.

TA: What problems have come your way?

KI: The first expedition – my equipment died. You have to admit that this is quite a serious problem ???? The second thing, I made an appointment with a man who was supposed to fill my composite cylinders with oxygen in Chile. It turned out that the guy left two days before my arrival and on the spot his wife informed me that he was in Venezuela… This is the peculiarity of that region, with locals you never know what to expect. Later, in another place, they didn’t want to fill my cylinders for fear that they wouldn’t hold the pressure. Apparently this was the first time they had dealt with composite cylinders. Another problem, this time serious not funny, was the altitude sickness Luke had contracted. There was a bit of it, but we managed each time.

TA: Now let’s say a few words about the equipment you will be using. The computer will probably only serve as a depth gauge?

KI: That’s right and it’s not quite right either, because on high altitude dives, only a capillary depth gauge works. Additionally, I will have a rope on which every 1-2m will be marked with the depth I’m at. Boguś is responsible for preparing this rope. Before, I had a Galileo Sol computer, but already at 4200m it failed. That is why the capillary depth gauge is the best option, unfortunately, it has the disadvantage of indicating the depth accurately only up to about 20m. After that, the scale becomes too small and it makes it difficult to read the real depth accurately. That is why the line is obligatory. As is usually the case, the simplest method is the best. The dryer is a gift from Ocean Tech, a Northern Diver model Divemaster wetsuit, which also comes with a camera housing and lighting from the Italian company Isotta. I will be diving in a sidemount configuration, for greater freedom of movement. The harness was provided by X-Deep. I am very satisfied with it, it is great to swim in. Especially with my strained spine. As for the automatics, I have 2 sets, the first one is Apeks XTX200 and the second one is Poseidon Xstream.

TA: Have you not thought about electric heating?

KI: Yes, at Baltictech, Boguś talked about it with someone from Santi, but they were not interested in our project. On the other hand, Paweł Jarmułowicz, who produces under the Sea Monster brand, offered to help. Unfortunately our weight limits ruled out electric heating, but from Paweł, for which we thank him very much, we have HID lamps. Coming back to the electric heating, it was not necessary. The Northern Diver Divemaster warmer and wetsuit, which is made of compressed neoprene, is sufficient for a dive lasting 1.5 hours max.

TA: Any expectations for this dive beyond setting a record?

KI: It makes me wonder what’s hidden in that lake. Is there life there? What does it look like? These kinds of questions run through my mind…

TA: In that case, good luck and see you on your return!

KI: Thanks, and see you there!

Photo: Kamil Iwankiewicz Extreme Adventure