Polish Man Missing - August 2009

Please help me.

sorry to hear this.

Should be in the Ladakh and Zanskar forum, because many people interested in the area- and perhaps visiting- will be more likely to read the thread there. Suggest you request a moderator to move it there (Click the red triangle for 'report post' and type your message- that is a good way)

Meanwhile, adding any pertinent details- where last seen, itinerary, cops or embassy information etc- would help.

Good luck.

Agree with Captain. Write as many details as you know and try to shift it to another forum. Good luck for your search!

Hi Reneta,
Welcome to IM

If he was attempting Umasi la . . . then Kishtwar or Gulabgarh would be the place to check . . . August is a while back, have you been in contact with any one in Padum?

All the best!

Hi All,

I know the story from the Polish travel forum travelbit.pl where there are some more details (sadly very few). It seems that Grzegorz (a.k.a. Gregory - he seemingly used this name while in India) has no family apart from his mother, whom he only rarely contacted. His mother doesn't use internet & doesn't speak English, so there is almost no chance that somebody from his family will appear on Indiamike. The notice of his disappearance has been posted on travelbit.pl by a friend of Grzegorz, whom he contacted from time to time by internet communicators. Based on the information posted on travelbit.pl (in Polish language), the story goes like this:

Grzegorz had already spent about one month in Ladakh and he decided to do a trek in Zanskar - mentioning Padum and Umasi La. There's no news as to whether he has actually reached any of those places. He has last contacted his friend via internet on 25 August. He planned a trek of about 2 weeks and promised to make next contact about 15 September. However, he hasn't been heard of since 25 August.

The original travelbit.pl poster said that Gregory's family has contacted the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and posted his photo on the Polish missing people database zaginieni.pl (that's the photo posted by Renata). There's no news as to whether the Ministry has contacted the Polish embassy in India and whether the disappearance has been made known to local police. I don't know whether Renata knows any more details but presumably she also knows the story only from the Polish forum.

The situation looks really bad - not only because of winter conditions in Ladakh and time already passed from August. From the very scarce information it seems he was a lonely/independent going type of person and there are barely people who are looking for him now.

So now the question is rather - whoever per any chance has seen Grzegorz/ Gregory, please write to the e-mail address on the picture inserted by Renata or post here on the forum. If anybody of the IMers has some friends/contacts in the places in question (Padum, Kishtwar or Gulabgarh, maybe also Lamayuru and Darcha/Keylong as starting/ending points for Zanskar treks), it would not harm to send them a link to this thread and ask them if they have seen Gregory. Maybe anybody can print out the flyer with Gregory's picture and leave a few copies in guesthouses in Padum or Keylong, mahybe also in traveller hangouts in Leh or Manali? I guess that's all we can do as travellers without any connection to Gregory's family and friends...

Sorry for being vague but I only know the story from the Polish travel forum... Here's the link to the original thread:
http://forum.travelbit.pl/viewtopic....=18037&start=0


Poster:

Missing Polish hiker

and that's the bigger version:

Missing Polish hiker - bigger file

Its very difficult to have internet communication from that region - I guess Gregory is all right and enjoying an extended stay in the Padum region - without realizing that people are looking for him (rem permits are not required for that region)

Based on the description he doesn't seem to be a fool who will go for trekking alone - so even if we presume there was a trekking accident then it would have been reported by the trekking agency who's service Gregory took.

So hopes can be still kept high

People who are traveling to Padum region please carry a copy of the photo and please ask around .

Dimitrz,

unfortunately it cannot be ruled out that Gregory went for a trek alone. I know it is dangerous (and I would never do it), but some people still take the risk.

I hope you're right though, and he is just stranded in Padum for winter. BTW, is there really no internet connectivity to Padum now? What about telephone connections? I think there is some connectivity in summer at least.


In the meantime some more details have been posted on travelbit.pl:
- in last contact on 25 August (via internet chat) Gregory said he was in Padum and he intended to do a trek to a glacier which would take approx. 2 weeks. Umasi La was apparently floated in some of his contacts with friends but there's no confirmation as to whether he has actually gone there.
- he was planning to head for Kathmandu next and make next contact from Kathmandu around 15 September
- the Polish embassy has been contacted. They have checked it and did confirm that as of 3 November he has not left India.
- his Indian visa has expired on 18 November
- he had no plane tickets bought in advance and he was apparently quite low on cash

I second Dimitrz's idea for travellers heading to Zanskar to carry a copy of Gregory's photo and to ask around. Is anybody heading to Padum now? I know there are some winter treks there - but how frequently is it visited in winter?

I'll try to post back as soon as there are some more details on travelbit.pl. Gregory's mother has finally appeared on the Polish forum but she will not post here, as she probably speaks no English.

Connectivity in Padum is really in the stone age, I was there in summer and the telephones were down for days on end . . . there was an internet place though, which had satellite connection, slow and expensive, though it was a lifeline!

I'm not sure if the road to Padum is open as of now!

It would be good if you can post translations here, as IM is just the bigger community. At least if he's stranded somewhere and out of cash help can be arranged.

hmm, such an outcome would be just great... Let's hope for the best. In any case, I will relate any news from the Polish forum here - that's about all I can do, as I have no direct relation to Gregory's family, except via the forum. I know you IM folks are incredible - I have read the story of a missing German guy in Sikkim and was astonished with the happy end...

I imagine the sort of connectivity Padum has in winter - I experienced some problems in Spiti (which is less remote) in summer too... However, if anybody has some idea how to contact Padum now, it would be more than welcome!

What a sad story. I received a phone on 19 november morning fronm Padum by the "land" line (via satellite). Pensi-la is closed. Heavy snowfall. If helicopter wil not arrive in few days, my friends will walk via Djum lam. Only Charcharla has snow then it could be easy. Also the tower is bloked and mobiles don't work. The same for Internet, out of work (also the governative cyber-office). Marco

Hi Marco,

thanks for your input! Do you know the phone number for anybody that can be reached in Padum via this connection you have mentioned? In such a case - it would be great if you send it to me via private message, I would forward it to Gregory's family. Perhaps his friends can call and check...

meczko : I have not gone right up to Padum due to tight schedules ...however based on my friends experience and other IMers who have visited the place --- the connectivity is very bad.

Guys do we have a Army base in Padum ? I know there is couple of posts en route to Padum but not if there are any near it.

Rather than the govt channel best bet would be to try and contact any army base/unit at Padum - who will be able to do a preliminary search.

meczko - with the presumption that Padum has an army base - it would be wise if Gregory's mother can contact the Army via Polish embassy and see if they can relay a message.


One thing I can definitely state is that Ladhak is one region where we can rule out any criminal activity like mugging / robbery or kidnapping..

so either

1) he is unable to contact back due to connectivity problem
2) he has not deliberately contacted back trying to save money - without realizing people are out looking for him.

3) He has found tranquility and wants to spend some more time there.

4) He may be sick and under the care of some local family or hospital

5) He went out alone for a trek and suffered an accident

6) The theory that he ran out of money doesn't seem to be that valid.... lets say he ran out of money in Padum - he would have the sense to return to Leh and I am certain there would be enough people willing to give him a drop to Leh or Kargil ... so ideally if he has run out of money - he would be in Leh trying to earn or he would have contacted his mother or someone he knows to borrow funds.


Ps: what are the chances that he himself might have disappeared?

I don't think he would have strayed into Pakistan or China

Dimitrz, thanks for your suggestions. I have related them on the Polish forum where Grzegory's mother can read it.

I agree with Ladakh - but if (that's a big 'if') he has crossed Umasi La southwards into Kashmir, we cannot rule it out? There is some criminal activity/militancy going on on the Kashmiri side, right?

I don't know him personally - but basing from the information I have found on the internet (his profile on a social networking website http://www.goldenline.pl/grzegorz-latosinski3, some articles) we cannot rule it out with 100% certainty. In any case, I think that the probability of an intentional disappearance is very low.

meczko @ Yes the Kashmir side cannot be ruled out but Kashmir issue is more blown out than it actually is.

I was going through the missing German's post and was wondering if Gregory was just trying to get away from things or is not the type who would think twice before staying in touch with friends when on trips or is known to be irresponsible ( No offense intended)

People can sometimes be so absorbed when traveling that they fail to realize that they need to stay in touch - I am no exception either, few years back I was traveling in Himachal Pradesh and when I returned to Delhi I was surprised to know that my parents were going crazy trying to locate me - Thankfully they didn't go to the police ( It was a big surprise because I am the only person in my family who rarely stay in touch when I am out on trips - but after that incident I have always given one call atleast once a week )