Vladas Vitkauskas

Vladas Vitkauskas (born 7 May 1953 in Viduklė, Raseiniai district in Lithuania) is a mountaineer who became the first Lithuanian to climb the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest, in 1993.

Early life Vitkauskas graduated from Viduklė Middle School in 1970 (now called ). From 1970 to 1975, he studied microelectronics at Kaunas University of Technology and received his degree in electronic engineering.

Expeditions Between 1989 and 1990, Vitkauskas climbed the Snow Leopard peaks during the reign of the Soviet Union.

Between 1993 and 1996 Vitkauskas also climbed the Seven Summits, and was the first to raise the Lithuanian flag on each of them.

In 1997, he became the first mountain climber to be awarded the diploma of honour of the International Fair Play Committee for participating in the rescue of the body of Pasang Lhamu, the leader of the Nepalese Women Everest Expedition (1993) from Mount Everest.

Personal life Vitkauskas is the founder and first president of the Lithuanian Mountaineering Association (1996–1999); founder and chairman of the Everest Foundation, head of the Naturavita health centre; a member of the Lithuanian National Olympic Committee, member of the advisory board of the magazine Santara.

Awards International Fair Play Committee diploma of honour (1997). Medals of the Ministry of Culture and Department of Physical Culture and Sports at the government of the Republic of Lithuania: “For High Sports Achievements” (1993), “For Merits to Lithuanian Sports” (1993, 1998), the gold medal “For merits to Lithuanian sports” (2003). Medal of the First Class Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas(1994). Olympic Star of the Lithuanian National Olympic Committee (2003). Order of Concord “Pro augenda concordia” (2009).

Literature . 1994 metų kalendorius. Vilnius, Du Ka, 1993. – Liet., angl. / Above the Peaks of the World. Vilnius, DuKa, 1998. – Liet., angl. . Vilnius, Vilniaus universiteto leidykla, 2002. My Mountain, My Destiny // P. Cousineau. Soul moments. Berkeley, USA, Conari Press, 1997. . // K. Švedas. Geografinių atradimų istorija. Vilnius, Švietimo ir mokslo ministerijos leidybos centras, 1997. . // R. Krupickas ir Č. Kudaba. Kaunas, “Šviesa”, 2000. . // Ignotas Domeika 1802 – 1889: tarptautinės mokslinės konferencijos darbai. Vilnius, 2002. – Liet., angl. ... // Gražina Didelytė mūsų atminty. Sudarytojas Vygandas Čaplikas. Vilnius, Petro ofsetas, 2008. . // Stanislovas Moravskis. Nuo Merkinės iki Kauno. Parengė Reda Griškaitė. Vilnius, Vilniaus dailės akademijos leidykla. 2009. . // Kalnams pašaukus. Sudarytojas V. Stepulis. Vilnius, 2011.