Klára Kolouchová  (6 September 1978 – 3 July 2025), who has died aged 46 on Nanga Parbat, was the first Czech woman to summit Mount Everest but in the mountaineering world, it was the arc of her journey, not the list of summits, that left a deeper impression.

From the flanks of Everest to the deadly slopes of K2 and Kanchenjunga, Kolouchová became known for her bravery, grace under pressure, and deep, personal dedication towards the mountains she climbed. Her death, reportedly linked to a fall while descending just above Camp II after she abandoned her summit push on Nanga Parbat, occurred on one of the most notorious faces in Himalayan climbing. It brought a premature end to a life defined by the pursuit of bold, purposeful ascents and an equally determined effort to inspire others, particularly women, to follow.

Born Klára Poláčková in Prague in 1978, she came of age in the newly democratic Czech Republic. Raised in a family where travel and education were deeply valued, Klára’s initial aspirations leaned toward journalism and public relations. She completed degrees in business management and worked in the private sector, but a life in the office never fully satisfied her. It was during a corporate job in London that she began to train seriously for high-altitude climbs, balancing spreadsheets by day and long-distance running by night. Everest was already on her horizon.

In 2006, at the age of 28, she started her climbs in the Himalayas by summiting Cho-Oyu (8201 m). In 2007, at the age of 29 she summited Mt Everest, where she became the first Czech woman to have reached the summit of the highest mountain on planet earth. Her Everest summit made headlines in her home country, not only because she was the first Czech woman to achieve the feat, but because of how she did it on a relatively small-budget expedition with limited sponsorship, and training along the way.

Although Renata Chlumská, a Swedish climber of Czech origin, who was the wife of famous mountaineer Goran Kropp, had previously reached Everest’s summit in 1999, Kolouchová was widely recognized as the first Czech woman to accomplish the feat from within the nation, climbing under the Czech flag. For many Czechs, her achievement felt truly representative—homegrown, national, and deeply personal.

Kolouchová did not stop there. She returned to the high altitude again and again, eventually climbing Kanchenjunga in the spring of 2019, followed by K2 in the summer that year, and Annapurna I in the spring of 2024, all as the first Czech woman.

Her reputation grew not only for her athletic feats but also for her voice. A gifted communicator, Kolouchová wrote two books, gave TEDx talks, and lectured widely in schools and universities, often encouraging young girls to dream big and persist even when the odds seemed overwhelming. Her style was open, often self-deprecating, and rich in metaphor; she compared climbing to navigating one’s internal fears, and mountains to mirrors of the self.

Yet, she never lost her grounding. Between expeditions, she lived a quiet life in her home country, raising her kids, tending to her garden, and continuing her work in public affairs. She remained committed to social causes, supporting various environmental efforts and speaking out on the need for sustainable tourism in the Himalayas.

The tragedy on Nanga Parbat came as she was on a mission to become the first Czech woman to summit all 14 highest peaks. This would have been her sixth eigh-thousander. Her body has not yet been recovered, but teammates say she died doing what she loved, in a place she revered.

Klára Kolouchová is survived by her kids, Emma and Cyril, her husband, and by a generation of climbers and readers inspired by her rare blend of courage, curiosity, and compassion.