Climbers from Slaný on their journey to Everest. They have just one more peak to go before reaching the Roof of the World
On May 14, 2025, climbers Roman Kozelka and Milan Schagerer reached the summit of Mount Everest. Their goal is to conquer the Seven Summits—the highest peaks on every continent. Despite challenging conditions and health complications, they demonstrated that perseverance and courage can take you to the top of the world.
Thirty-four years ago, on May 17, 1991, mountaineer Leopold Sulovský became the first Czech to reach the summit of Mount Everest. The successful ascent via the Norton Couloir became a milestone in Czech mountaineering and remains one of the most celebrated Czech ascents of the world’s highest mountain to this day.
Now history is being made once again. Roman Kozelka from Slaný and Milan Schagerer from nearby Studeněves stood on the summit of Everest on May 14, 2025. Their ascent is part of an ambitious plan to conquer the Seven Summits—that is, the highest mountains on all seven continents.
Kozelka and Schagerer have already conquered five of the seven required peaks. Now they only need to climb Vinson Massif in Antarctica to complete the project. However, the climb was not without complications—during the descent, Milan Schagerer developed pulmonary edema, which required a helicopter evacuation. Nevertheless, both climbers returned safely and, full of enthusiasm, are continuing on to their next adventure.
Their feat reaffirms that courage, careful preparation, and tenacity can conquer even the world’s highest mountains and inspire future generations of Czech climbers.