Breaking Barriers: First Slovak Woman Stands Atop K2

Lenka Poláčková has etched her name into mountaineering history as the first Slovak woman to summit K2, the world’s second-highest peak at 8,611 metres. She reached the top alongside her husband Ján as part of a two-person expedition, according to the Everest Today portal.

Poláčková tackled the formidable Abruzzi Spur route in stable yet demanding conditions, making the climb without supplemental oxygen. Full details of the ascent have yet to emerge, but K2 has been particularly testing this year, with unusually low snow levels adding to the challenge.

This marks her second successful climb of an 8,000-metre mountain, following her 2024 oxygen-free ascent of Mount Everest — a feat achieved by only ten women worldwide. She has also completed the Seven Summits challenge, conquering the highest peak on each continent, including Alaska’s Denali. Until now, only two Slovaks — Peter Božík and Peter Hámor — had stood on K2’s summit.