Andrzej Bargiel: Polish daredevil makes history skiing down Mount Everest without oxygen
A ski mountaineer from Poland has etched his name into history by becoming the first person to climb Mount Everest without supplementary oxygen and skiing all the way down from the summit to Base Camp.
Andrzej Bargiel reached the world’s highest peak at 29,031 feet (8848 meters) on September 22 after climbing 16 hours in the notorious “death zone”, where oxygen is scarce and survival itself is uncertain.
Once the 37-year-old reached the summit, he put on his skis and started his steep descent.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“I am on top of the highest mountain in the world and I’m going to descend it on skis,” Bargiel said in a video posted on Instagram.
The path followed the South Col Route and was so demanding that Bargiel had to divide it into two stages.
He first skied to Camp II, where he spent the night, before continuing the following morning through the treacherous Khumbu Icefall.
The timing was critical, as the labyrinth of shifting ice blocks can only be navigated with relative safety in the early hours of the day.
When he finally made it back to Base Camp, local climbers and Sherpas honoured him with a khada, a traditional ceremonial scarf, to mark the end of a brave expedition.
“Thank you all for keeping your fingers crossed!” he wrote on Instagram.
“Thank you also to my entire team for being with me throughout this project.”
The monumental accomplishment even grabbed the attention of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who celebrated on X.
“Sky is the limit? Not for Poles! Andrzej Bargiel has just skied down Mount Everest,” he wrote.
A year after making history as the first person to ski down Pakistan’s K2, the second-highest mountain in the world, Bargiel turned his attention to Everest.
While others have attempted ski descents down Everest before, none have completed the run without using bottled oxygen.
Seven Summit Treks, the Nepal-based outfitter overseeing Bargiel’s expedition, confirmed his descent was the first of its kind.
