Her first major expedition was to the Pamir Mountains with Andrzej Zawada, which she found unpleasant due to her difficult relationships with the male climbers.

After returning she began to lead her own expeditions, including a number of all-female ones, and became known for her blunt leadership style.

On 16 October 1978, she became the first Pole, the third woman (after Junko Tabei and Phantog in 1975), and the first European woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
In 1986 she became the first woman to successfully climb K2, which she did without supplemental oxygen, as part of a small expedition led by Lilliane and Maurice Barrard.
Her triumph was marred when both the Barrards died during the descent, becoming two of 13 climbers to die on K2 that summer.

Rutkiewicz's goal was to become the first woman to reach the summits of all 14 of the eight-thousanders.
During her climbing career she successfully climbed the following mountains:
1975 – Gasherbrum III 
1978 – Mount Everest
1985 – Nanga Parbat
1986 – K2
1987 – Shishapangma
1989 – Gasherbrum II
1990 – Gasherbrum I
1991 – Cho Oyu
1991 – Annapurna I
1992 – Kangchenjunga (uncertain)
Her first major expedition was to the Pamir Mountains with Andrzej Zawada, which she found unpleasant due to her difficult relationships with the male climbers.
After returning she began to lead her own expeditions, including a number of all-female ones, and became known for her blunt leadership style.
On 16 October 1978, she became the first Pole, the third woman (after Junko Tabei and Phantog in 1975), and the first European woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest. In 1986 she became the first woman to successfully climb K2, which she did without supplemental oxygen, as part of a small expedition led by Lilliane and Maurice Barrard. Her triumph was marred when both the Barrards died during the descent, becoming two of 13 climbers to die on K2 that summer.
Rutkiewicz's goal was to become the first woman to reach the summits of all 14 of the eight-thousanders. During her climbing career she successfully climbed the following mountains:
1975 – Gasherbrum III 
1978 – Mount Everest
1985 – Nanga Parbat
1986 – K2
1987 – Shishapangma
1989 – Gasherbrum II
1990 – Gasherbrum I
1991 – Cho Oyu
1991 – Annapurna I
1992 – Kangchenjunga (uncertain)
Wanda Rutkiewicz