26 July, 2014: climber Radek Jaroš becomes first Czech to scale all peaks over 8,000 metres
Ten years ago, Czech mountaineer Radek Jaroš successfully climbed the world's second-highest mountain, K2, and thus completed the ascent of all 14 of the globe’s “eight-thousanders”. He was the first Czech to achieve this feat, and only the 15th person in the world to do so without using supplemental oxygen.
Jaroš climbed his first “eight-thousander” – the 14 mountains recognised by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation as being more than 8,000 metres in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks – in 1998. It was the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest, and he completed it on his second attempt, via its north face.
Between 2002 and 2005, he managed successful ascents of five more eight-thousanders, and became the first Czech, along with Martin Minařík, to climb Kanchenjunga, the world’s third-highest mountain. In 2006, he announced his plan to conquer all 14 of the world’s eight-thousanders. Between 2008 and 2012, he managed a further seven.
The only peak he had left to conquer in order to meet his goal was K2, known as the deadliest of them all. Although Everest’s summit is higher, K2 has a reputation for being a more difficult and dangerous climb, with approximately one person dying on the mountain for every four who reach the summit. He had already unsuccessfully attempted to climb K2 in 2001, 2003 and 2005. It was only on his fifth attempt, in 2014, that he finally managed to scale it.
As of 2024, Jaroš is still the only Czech climber to conquer all 14 of the world’s eight-thousanders and thus to complete the "Crown of the Himalayas".
In 2019, he also completed the “Crown of the World” – successfully climbing the highest mountains on each of the world’s continents.
President Petr Pavel awarded him a medal for services to the state in the field of sports last autumn.
The denizen of Nové Město na Moravě told Czech Radio shortly after turning 60 this April that he was proud of having managed to plan and organise all his expeditions from his native Vysočina.
