26/05/2026
Respect 🏔️
Slovak climber Lenka Poláčková successfully summited Mt Lhotse (8,516 m), the world’s fourth-highest mountain, on 23.05.2026, 09:55 NPT, without the use of supplementary oxygen and without personal Sherpa or high-altitude porter support.
In an emotional statement after the climb, Poláčková shared that although she stood alone on the summit, the ascent belonged to both her and her husband and climbing partner, Jan “Honza” Poláček . Battling a persistent respiratory illness for nearly three weeks, Jan was forced to turn back around 200 meters below the summit. However, Lenka described his unsupported climb to ~7,700 m without oxygen as “far greater than the symbolic cherry on top.”
The pair also dedicated the ascent to the memory of climbers connected to Everest and Lhotse who remain forever tied to these mountains: Jozef Just, Peťo Božík, Dušan Becík, and Jaro Jaško.
Photo showing Lenka Poláčková on the summit of Lhotse, 23.05.2026. ©: Lenka Poláčková/IG.