Josef Šimůnek

The owner of CK Himalaya UIAGM/IFMGA/IVBV/CMGA Mountain Guide

He was born in Jičín in the Bohemian Paradise. He started climbing in the sandstone area Prachovské skály with friends from the Jičín grammar school. He graduated from the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the Czech Technical University, majoring in geodesy and cartography.

In his youth, he tried various sports, including gliding, judo and others. At the age of seventeen he was fascinated by climbing, after all, he had a short distance to Prachovské skály.

He did thirteen expeditions to 8,000, always without the use of oxygen. Since 1995 he has been the leader of expeditions. He participated in expeditions to Cho Oyu (1993, 2006, 2011) and Dhaulagiri (1994), Shishapangma (1995, 2003, 2007), then to Manaslu (1996), Makalu (1998), Lhoce (1999), Kanchenjunga (2000). , K2 (2001) and Mount Everest (2005).

Together with Luďek Ondřej, Petr Skřivánek, Mirek Novotný and others, he founded the company HIMALAYA 8000 in 1992, which organizes Himalayan expeditions and trades in the field of outdoor equipment.

In 1998, together with his colleague Víťa Novák, Dušan Stuchlík and other friends, he co-founded the Czech Mountain Guide Association (CMGA). The association was accepted into the international UIAGM in 2006. He has guided his clients on all continents of the world.

For Central Europe, it represents the SKI TRAB and ABS Airbag brands. He co-organizes the mountain film festival Banff World Tour Czech Republic and Slovakia.

He lives in the Giant Mountains with his yokemate Míša.