Lenka Polackova Climbs Mt. Everest As First Slovak Woman without Oxygen

Mount Everest, May 25 (TASR) - Ultra-trail runner Lenka Polackova on Tuesday became the first Slovak woman to climb the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest, without the use of supplemental oxygen, TASR learnt from her profile on Instagram. This happened only nine days after the first Slovak climber Lucia Janicova ascended Mount Everest, reaching the summit at the height of 8848 meters from the Nepalese side via the southern route, but with the support of oxygen. Polackova was accompanied on the ascent with her husband Jan Polacek, who used supplemental oxygen, and experienced Prakash Sherpa and Sona Sherpa. Two days before Janicova reached the summit, Polackova wrote on Instagram that she had reached an altitude of 7900 metres above sea level. "Yes, if I wanted to, I could have climbed to the summit yesterday from the South Col with oxygen, but that's not what my Everest climb is about," she wrote, adding that she would rather rest and wait for an optimal day for the climb. Lenka Polackova started as an actress and presenter, later she began to devote herself fully to challenging runs, especially ultras. She points out on her website, she has twice run across Slovakia, the Pyrenees, the American state of Colorado with its Rocky Mountains or 2000 kilometres across the Alps. She has also completed hundred-kilometre or hundred-mile races. am/mcs/ko