12 Facts About Vera Komarkova

Vera Komarkova was a prominent Czech-American mountaineer and botanist.

Vera Komarkova was an "enigmatic" personality on the mountain, reportedly unfazed by the avalanches and unimpressed by group discussions or collaborative leadership.

Vera Komarkova's tent was full of botanical samples she had collected along the way, with her climbing partner joking that there would be a "press release: climber killed by falling plant presses".

Vera Komarkova led The American Women's Expedition up Dhaulagiri in 1980, but were pushed back by storms, avalanches and the death of a team member.

Vera Komarkova retired from climbing after a successful expedition to Cho Oyu with Dina Sterbova and Sherpas Ang Rita and Nuru, becoming the first woman to reach the summit.

Vera Komarkova's dissertation was published as a book "Alpine Vegetation of the Indian Peaks Area".

Vera Komarkova was described by her colleague, Adolf Ceska, as "the greatest phytosociologist in the United States", but too far ahead of her time for mainstream recognition.

Vera Komarkova used Braun-Blanquet methods to classify plants floristically, a method unpopular in the United States, that gained recognition in 2004.

Vera Komarkova returned to Europe in 1986 and worked at the American College of Switzerland in Leysin as Professor of Science and information technology.

Vera Komarkova graduated the following year with masters of Biology.

Vera Komarkova raised them as a single mother in Europe.

Vera Komarkova died on 25 May 2005, at the age of 62, at her home in Leysin, Switzerland of complications of breast cancer treatment.